Why red class lights on all MTH PS1 locos?

Prototypical class lights should be off for most trains on most railroads.  Trains used to be grouped into sections.   Green indicated an extra section following and white indicates an extra train that is not in the published schedule.   Red typically designates the rear of the train or a rear section.  It varies by era, but class lights were largely not used starting in the 50's.  Hot Water would know better than I would, but that is the general gist of how class lights are meant to work.  

In the modern era, red means rear of the train, but they aren't really referred to as class lights anymore. 

GG1 4877 posted:

Prototypical class lights should be off for most trains on most railroads.  Trains used to be grouped into sections.   Green indicated an extra section following and white indicates an extra train that is not in the published schedule.   Red typically designates the rear of the train or a rear section.  It varies by era, but class lights were largely not used starting in the 50's.  Hot Water would know better than I would, but that is the general gist of how class lights are meant to work.  

In the modern era, red means rear of the train, but they aren't really referred to as class lights anymore. 

Thanks, I'm well aware of what they mean in real life, I just don't understand why MTH chose to make every single steam engine produced in the 90s equipped with red class lights in the front... It's odd, but there must be an explanation for such a frank decision.

Originally posted by DDotCDot:

Thanks, I'm well aware of what the mean in real life, I just don't understand why MTH chose to make every single steam engine produced in the 90s equipped with red class lights in the front... It's odd, but there must be an explanation for such a frank decision.

Because Red attracts attention. And PRR had Red Markers on the front top of their Steamers.

Early 90's Lionel locomotives produced under Mike Wolf's contract like the S-2 Turbine and the Mikados also had red class lights, which is odd because Lionel was still putting green jewels in locomotives like the scale Hudson then.

I never understood it myself, but at least MTH fixed this come 2000. The Proto1 gold Hudson had green class lights.

The simple explanation is they simply didn't know any better.

Cuz someone probably thought it looked "cool" but didn't know any better. 

A few of the later PS1s have Green class lights. PRR T1, CNW E4 And N&W Class A are a few I know of. 

Many have amber now.  G

Obviously, they know better now.

Class lights were usually  white, green or off; marker lights, to the rear, could be red, yellow, green, or off; and to the front headlights could be white, red, or off.  To know for sure one would need to read the rule book for the particular railroad from the era in question.  For the toy makers, my guess is they used what they though would sell. They are not hard to change and the modeler can apply what color is appropriate for his needs.