EOT Device Color

[spongella]

Not exactly a monitoring question though I do have RR frequencies that I listen to. Anyone know why EOT (End of Train) devices come in two colors, blue and red? Thanks.

 

[WX4JCW]

Manufacturer and Railroad preference im assuming

 

[nrfire2003]

blue (havent seen a blue one) red (CPKC) yellow (UP) orange (BNSF) still see a few NS metal cased ones from time to time.

 

[KF0SKV]

blue (havent seen a blue one) red (CPKC) yellow (UP) orange (BNSF) still see a few NS metal cased ones from time to time.

Blue-CSXT

 

[gary123]

Black - CN. I have also seen orange.

 

[spongella]

Thank you for the helpful responses.

 

[burner50]

Are you referring to the device itself or the light?

The light should not be any color other than red.

On the case of the device color doesn't matter, it's whatever is cheaper for the manufacturer of that device.

 

[spongella]

Are you referring to the device itself or the light?

The light should not be any color other than red.

On the case of the device color doesn't matter, it's whatever is cheaper for the manufacturer of that device.

I've seen blue lights on YouTube train videos.

 

[AK9R]

I've seen blue lights on YouTube train videos.

On a moving train?

A blue flag or blue light on the end of a standing train means that mechanical department people are working on some aspect of the train. Maybe repairing a car in the train. Maybe refueling a locomotive in the train. The blue flag or blue light is a signal to others to not couple into the train.

 

[spongella]

On a moving train?

A blue flag or blue light on the end of a standing train means that mechanical department people are working on some aspect of the train. Maybe repairing a car in the train. Maybe refueling a locomotive in the train. The blue flag or blue light is a signal to others to not couple into the train.

Thanks.

 

[burner50]

I've seen blue lights on YouTube train videos.

Blue lights, signs, or tags are a train crew's kryptonite.

As AK9R said Blue indicates mechanical forces are doing something to the train. The blue is like a lock-out-tag-out type of thing. When I was an engineer I would routinely encounter blue flags, blue lights, etc. I would sit in the engineers seat, and that was the extent of the things I was willing to do.

If we found a track with a blue flag, we wouldn't even line a switch into it let alone think about passing the flag.

Blue is a serious color on the railroad, and if you saw something blue on a moving train someone is about to lose their entire career and it's entirely possible that they killed one or more people on the way to the end of their career.