JeffPo's Adlake Santa Fe Marker Lamp Page
Last update: 07/07/22
This is a rear marker lamp (sometimes called a caboose lamp) from the Santa Fe Railway. It has four lenses. One is red, and the other three are amber/yellow. A marker lamp was fastened to the end car of a train. There was usually one lamp on each side (i.e. two lamps on the back of railcar).
This image shows one of the amber lenses. This lamp can be rotated to show either a red light to the rear, or an amber/yellow light to the rear (the red would be facing the railcar thus not in use). As the train traveled the tracks, it would keep the red lens/light facing to the rear, so it functions as a rear of train marker. When the train would leave the main lines and pull into a siding, they would turn the lamp to show an amber/yellow signal to the rear. This would let any following trains know that this train was safely off the main line.
The name of the railroad, SANTA FE, is cast into the base of the lamp.
The lamp has a dropdown fuel fount and with a burner that accommodates a glass chimney.
Notice anything a little different about this lamp? Well, actually, there are two things. First, the design looks a little more squat and differently shaped than other marker lamps from Adlake. In fact, so far every one of these I have come across has been for the Santa Fe Railway. Secondly, notice that the red lens is significantly larger than the amber/yellow lenses. The red lens is 5 3/8 inches while the amber/yellow lenses to either side are 4 1/8 inches. Curiously, the amber/yellow lens directly opposite the red lens is a little bigger than the other two amber/yellow lenses, measuring 4 1/2 inches.
Santa Fe Railway
Santa Fe passenger train, circa 1895
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, otherwise known as the Santa Fe Railway, was chartered in early 1859. It was one of the largest in the United States. It set setup real estate offices and sold farmland from land grants to create a demand for its services. The Santa Fe was perhaps most famous for its long-distance passenger trains. The railroad’s famed Super Chief streamliner between Chicago and Los Angeles was known as “The Train of the Stars”. A corporation in the modern style, the Santa Fe was funded by private investors and run by a professional manager. The Santa Fe was successful in both passenger service and freight service, and contributed greatly to the growth of many cities such as Chicago. Realizing that National Parks were becoming a great attraction for the public, it successfully led the lobbying effort to establish Grand Canyon National Park. Becoming one of the first significant freight operators at one time, the enterprise included a tugboat fleet, bus service, ferryboats, and an airline. On In 1955, the railway was one of many companies that sponsored attractions in Disneyland with sponsorship of all Disneyland trains and stations until 1974.
The Santa Fe merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad to form the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway in late 1996.