"Swiss" lighting

[Neil Robinson]

I've noticed that some locos are supplied with "Swiss" lighting and this is also mentioned in some decoder instructions. This appears to mean that all three front lamps are lit together with one rear.
How does this work on the prototype? I image the rear light would be obscured by the train unless the loco was propelling/banking or travelling light engine.
I'd also like to know if the lights are compulsory at all times or are only used in poor light.

 

[stockers]

Yes Neil - three lamps one way and one the other. I seem to recall, but stand ready to be corrected, that the rear lamp is used even with a train behind.
Have a look here
http://www.styria-mobile.at/home/Austro-SwissRailwaySignalling/asr/ensigchfz.html

 

[rhaetianfan]

Yes Neil - three lamps one way and one the other. I seem to recall, but stand ready to be corrected, that the rear lamp is used even with a train behind.
Have a look here
http://www.styria-mobile.at/home/Austro-SwissRailwaySignalling/asr/ensigchfz.html

Certainly on the Rhaetian this is the case - if you look at the Filisur webcam you can usually see the reflection of the rear-facing light on the front coach. This is from this morning:

http://www.schmalspurbahn.ch/filisur/webcam/m1805020802636

All three headlights are illuminated at all times the train is going forward.

This webcam provides plenty of inspiration for the RhB modeller, it is triggered by the movement of the trains.

Mark

 

[Gizzy]

That's a great picture RhBfan!

First time I've seen the new coaching stock too....

 

[rhaetianfan]

That's a great picture RhBfan!

First time I've seen the new coaching stock too....

Yes Gizzy, that webcam provides a great window onto what is going on in Graubünden. The new stock has been around for about a year, but it is always hauled rather than being push-pull as is the ultimate intention. If you look at the 'archiv' section you can go back over several years' worth of pictures, 'tagesarchiv' has all the pictures for the current day. Sundays are the best days for finding Krokodils or steam specials...

Interestingly (to me anyway ) the smaller Ge 4/4 IIs have only recently appeared regularly on the St Moritz trains, it always used to be exclusively Ge 4/4 IIIs and Allegras. The Davos trains (in the loop in the background) now have mk IIIs most of the time when they used to be mk IIs. Some locos turn up regularly, others seem to hide for ages until you are convinced that they must have been repainted - the shiny 'Glacier on Tour' mk III used to be on the main line virtually daily but now seems relegated to the Davos line...

Another way of whiling away the hours in front of the computer on a wet day when running trains isn't appealing..

Cheers
Mark

 

[PaulRhB]

The lights are on all the time so when shunting the shunter knows at a glance which way it is moving. The locos are cycled on various diagrams to even out wear on the internals due to the gradients on certain lines which accounts for the regulars changing every now and again. Enjoy the 4/4II's as the original 1973 batch, 611-620, will not be overhauled again. Two MOB 4/4III's have been acquired as extras for the Vereina tunnel trains, one arriving this year and the second in 2019.

 

[Neil Robinson]

Many thanks for the helpful replies.
I'm slowly expanding my knowledge of DCC, fitting decoders for various mates as well as myself. I'm far from a rivet counter but, given a choice, it's nice to be able to set variables to correctly match locos to their prototype operation.