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| Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34504 |
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| Author: | wctruboat [ Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:27 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
Gyralight fans can always visit the B&LE in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where the Gyralights still work on the old tunnel motor rebuilds that lead the ore trains daily. They are bell activated, so they can only be seen in operation at crossings. |
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| Author: | J3a-614 [ Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:59 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
These gyrating lights were originally used, as far as I know, in the 1940s. There are references to them in some literature of that time, and at least in early applications, they could sometimes work in different patterns, i.e., either the gyrating "hula" swing most of us know, or a "figure 8" pattern; the latter was in some cases triggered by an emergency air brake application. One carrier that still used them, at least until relatively recently, was the MARC commuter service out of Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Md. The Gyra-light equipped GP-40 rebuilds have apparently been retired with the delivery of newer MP-36 power, and were sold to the Boston MBTA; other videos of these units in Boston area service seem to have these lights out of service. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA4myAxGTyM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0x0jMqZ64g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hzvd-Kvzik Like so many other things we like, such as steam locomotives, the Gyra-light was reported to be maintenance-intensive; ditch lights are cheaper. Check out the light action at 1:06 in this Popular Science short on GM's "Train of Tomorrow" from about 1948; maybe someone can have fun identifying locations as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEfznj0-Ac8 |
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| Author: | wilkinsd [ Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
The L&N was a big user of them, especially on their first generation Geeps. They were mounted where the headlings would normally be mounted, with the headlights mounted under them. The Tennessee Central Railway Museum in Nashville owns an ex L&N GP7 that they have been slowly restoring to L&N paint and configuration. I believe the restoration included the reapplicaton of these. |
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| Author: | weekendrailroader [ Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
If I'm not mistaken, this video shows one in active service on a museum line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gIas6VDwIk |
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| Author: | nevans1133 [ Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
A wealth of information can be found here... http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/ |
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| Author: | wm7545 [ Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
I love Gyralites. Not surprisingly, it's probably because of growing up next to the Met where the MARC GP40s spent 15 years roaring up and down the line with their Gyralites fascinating me. I had come into a former Southern Pacific Gyralite, but it was a bit of a basket case that I didn't posses the skills to restore, so it became trade fodder among other railroad junk that was previously sitting in the shed. Still looking for one to go in the collection. |
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| Author: | J3a-614 [ Sat Feb 09, 2013 11:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
They're apparently not just for locomotives: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPHP36JfRB4 |
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| Author: | nevans1133 [ Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
Jeff Lisowski wrote: wm7545 wrote: I love Gyralites. Not surprisingly, it's probably because of growing up next to the Met where the MARC GP40s spent 15 years roaring up and down the line with their Gyralites fascinating me. I had come into a former Southern Pacific Gyralite, but it was a bit of a basket case that I didn't posses the skills to restore, so it became trade fodder among other railroad junk that was previously sitting in the shed. Still looking for one to go in the collection. There's two on eBay now. First one has internals, second does not. http://www.ebay.com/itm/360582226378?ss ... 1438.l2649 http://www.ebay.com/itm/251222814558?ss ... 1438.l2649 Those prices are pretty high! |
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| Author: | J3a-614 [ Sun Feb 10, 2013 4:26 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
Ran across this while looking for something else--oscillating headlight on the Nebraska Zephyr, in a nice clip showing this trainset doing what it was designed to do--run fast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiNjLHoLuAE The Burlington applied something that looks like a Gyralite to steam power--in this case, the famous and tragic 5632: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=133467 http://www.steamlocomotive.com/union/cbq5632.jpg |
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| Author: | fmilhaupt [ Sun Feb 10, 2013 10:06 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
In the 1960s, the C&O modified their E7s and E8s with a triangular design I've not seen elsewhere. http://rr-fallenflags.org/co/co1418ads.jpg It appears that the triangular mount oscillated side-to-side within the headlight casing. I'm curious whether the thing still oscillated when the emergency light (at the top of the triangle) was turned on. |
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| Author: | SR6900 [ Sun Feb 10, 2013 2:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
Both Mars and Pyle had a model that had a twin beam warning light with emergency light. http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/specs/20750.htm http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/specs/sb300.htm I've seen several roads use them, can't remember which. |
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| Author: | David Fullarton [ Sun Feb 10, 2013 4:00 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
Chicago's Metra still uses Gyralites on all locomotives and cab cars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7IvlEEMS-o. The agency is presently receiving new "Highliner" EMUs from Nippon-Sharyo, which are replacing the old St. Louis and Bombardier Highliners running on the Metra Electric District. The old EMUs don't have Gyralites; the new ones do. |
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| Author: | wm7545 [ Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:42 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
Figured it worth reporting that the Gyralites contained within the eBay link (big thanks Jeff Lisowski) were given a loving home after playing "Let's Make a Deal" with their seller. A happy ending for all lovers of the Gyra-lite! |
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| Author: | etalcos [ Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Let's Talk Pyle Gyralites. |
Here's some L&N Gyralight action from a restoration a few years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkd9GA1ZjI |
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