C&S headlamps

[Mike McKenzie]

Hey guys, I'm having Geoff Ringle of Old Iron Designs install battery power into my Sn3 C-21. While he's at it, I want him to replace the standard Rio Grande Pyle headlamp (angled number boards) with the slightly larger 18" (?) Pyle (flush number boards) found on many C&S engines, and also remove the current low-profile C-21 coal boards. This larger headlamp, along with steel coal board extensions on the tender will give the engines of my freelance road a family look with a little D&RGW and a little C&S. I'll do the same with a C-19 (RGS 40) I just acquired, but I'll not be adding Ridgeways or boiler-top air tanks...


Photo of 68 from the eBay photos thread started by Jim.

Is the 18" Pyle what was used on some of the C&S engines? Would PSC part #19013 be the appropriate headlamp? The bracket with the higher extra platform would be a worthy experiment for Shapeways' lost wax process which I've been itchin' to try.

Anyway...

Thanks,
Mike McKenzie

[Jim Courtney]

Would PSC part #19013 be the appropriate headlamp?


Mike,

I believe that PSC part was for the larger Pyle headlight used on a number of D&RGW engines in the early to mid 1930s, such as on D&RGW 346:


https://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/RD102-D-RGW-C-19-Nos-343-349/G000072ui2cUc6vg/I0000maVXO1bjilI/C0000Vd2qoA2MbNU




https://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/RD102-D-RGW-C-19-Nos-343-349/G000072ui2cUc6vg/I0000N9XkWDQHIAw/C0000Vd2qoA2MbNU



And here's how the large Pyle headlight looked on a K-27:

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/46715/rec/7



It does look close to that of C&S 68, though the shape of the visor seems to differ -- the C&S visor is not as squared off as the D&RG visor. Other large diameter headlights on C&S engines seem to have the side number boards off-center, higher on the side of the housing, like C&S #58 (late) and C&S 73:



Photographer unknown.


http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/42334/rec/13



The Overland C&S visored headlight on my C&S number 9 scales out to 18" diameter in S scale, so the Precision part may be as close as you can get.

[Mike McKenzie]

Thanks Jim, the PSC 18" Pyle looks like a winner then. The number boards are centered on the can rather than high but I'm going more for similar C&S proportions than an exact C&S match.

Mike

[Mike Trent]

Hi Mike, I may have missed this, but what scale are you modeling?

Oops. I did miss it the first time.

Yes, the "standard" large headlight you are looking for is 18" diameter, with centered sidelights. Oddly, Jim posted #58 and #73, both of which have elevated sidelights.

I have always preferred using the old Back Shop casting with no visor when I could find them in On3. Then I cut the visors out of thin sheet brass. But I have used the On3 PSC casting and it's fine. So hopefully it would be just right in Sn3.

[Jim Courtney]

Yep, you're right Mike. Rather stupid of me to post two photos of the anomalies and none of the more typical C&S headlights.


The Pyle headlight on C&S 8 was typical of most of the modern C&S Pyle headlights:


http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/42175/rec/39

[Chris Walker]

Jim,
#58 is a William A. Gibson photo and the C&S visors were peaked.

[Mike Trent]

Hi Chris, peaked?

In my experience they were screwed right on to the front casing. #74, #71, #9.....

[Rick Steele]

I agree with Mike on this one.

Rick

[Chris Walker]

Yes, the Visor steel cutout is peaked as in the way the bill of a Cap(headwear) is swept up from the sides vs squared off like a hood more like the modern baseball cap is.  

Nothing to do with the way it is attached to the headlight body casting.

[Mike Trent]

Right, Chris, it's actually cut from an oblong half circle. The visor is 12" at the "peak", about 36" over the top from side to side. That's from #74.

I wasn't following you, but I understand now. Peaked. I'll happily plug that into my slowly growing global lexicon! If I whiff on that again, I'll put it down to old age. Keep 'em coming, Chris.

[Chris Walker]

Yeah Mike  I can't help it if you Northerners are descriptively bankrupt.

[Rick Steele]

Watch it there, Kiwi....

[tonyk375]

I really like the big headlights and the bigger generators like the 463 picture.

[South Park]

  The oversized headlights and Ridgeway cinder traps gave
Most of the C&S rolling stock a unique and 1880's-ish proportion
that is, to my eye, one of the most attractive things about the
late era South Park.

  Undersized headlights, like those fitted to 70 and 72 give the
locomotives an appearance similar to the banjo player in the
movie "Deliverance".

  Just say "no" to streamlined ....  

What a locomotive SHOULD look like: