U. S. "Switcher" lighting

Neil Robinson

Neil Robinson

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I'm about to fit a decoder to a US switching, i.e. shunting, loco.
From the decoder instructions I get the impression that both front and back headlamps are normally lit with the rear one dimmed relative to the front. In this case I use "rear" and "front" to denote direction of travel rather than any physical features of the loco.
I'd like confirmation or correction of my impression.
 
Hi Neil
Although there were differences depending on the railroad line, the rear 'headlight' should be extinguished when going forward and the opposite when reversing.
The classification lights would be red to rear and depending on the company, clear or amber to the front and sometimes green .
 
Actually, Neil, from what ive observed the the yards here in denver, up, gnsf, youre correct for modern era. Well, as in the past five years. Dont hang there much anymore, for a variety of reasons. But i do occasionally observe switching in a couple of spots that are still car accessible.

General access and tolerance for trespass has greatly changed. What was once isolated is now less so in the urban areas, and, due to hobos, far more dangerous. For years id take my lunch run out of my law office through the traffic and pedestrian free yards north of downtown...fascinating and wonderfully flat, until i began to notice the jungles and felt at risk.

Industry sidings are more like what mike states.

Plus, rotating yellow orange roof beacon on some locos. UP for sure.


But, all hail rule 8!
 
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I've seen CSX have the front headlight at a very dim setting with the rear light full on. But when the front headlight was on, the rear light was completely off EXCEPT if the loco{single loco only} was moving with no rolling stock attached, then in those case the front headlamp would be full on and the rear lamp would be at around 1/2 brightness. But sometimes I think this may depend on the crew{Conductor ot Engineer}, as sometimes it's not like that, other times it is. And on rare occasion I have seen them run with red lights to the rear and green lights to the front{marker lamps?}, like the USA Trains diesels have, but not all loco's have those either, but that do, I have on occasion seen them lit on both ends of the loco, even if in a consist, I've seen those red and green lamps used on occasion.
 
When it comes to modelling the lights employed on railroad locomotives, it takes a bit of good research.
First; what country's railroad(s) are you modelling ?
Second, what era are you modelling ?

Modern railroading, generally meaning "Today" or within the last 20 years; has seen many changes in the use of lights, as part of the operating rules, in North America...of which, I only have "Some" knowledge of...

Today, "Classification lights" are NOT generally used...if ever. (Most new locomotives don't come equipped with them) They are/were the small lights on the front of the locomotive. They were generally either "White" to indicate an extra train, not on the timetable; or "Green" to indicate a following section, of a train on the timetable. Red only was used if the locomotive was operating in reverse, making it the rear of the train, and then the red lights were considered as "Markers", or marker lights.

It is generally a rule that head lights, and "Ditch lights" are employed on the leading locomotive in a consist (Train). This is for safety; warning of the train approaching. If other locomotives in the consist have their headlights on, it's because the crew forgot to turn them off... were just plain lazy....or didn't give a durn !!
The lights are controlled by the person operating the locomotive, and are not generally applied automatically.
If a crew member is lazy, or just operating within the yard limits (Switching)...you might see anything...if there are no supervisors around....!!

Today; "Marker lights" are seldom if ever mandatory. The old rule was that a consist had to have "Markers" bringing up the rear, in order to be a (Complete) train. "Marker lights" were never on the "Front" of a train.
They have been replaced by "Fred" a (Sometimes) Flashing, Rear, End, Detector, which replaces the caboose, and marker lights. A Fred monitors the air brake pressure, and is connected by radio to the cab of the leading locomotive. A Fred, is basically a box, which is connected to the air line of the last car of a train, sometimes equipped with a flashing light. It is mounted on the coupler, and is placed or removed by a crew member. It is NOT permanently mounted on the coupler, and is battery powered.

Cab lights are NOT turned on at night, as they would ruin the operator's night vision. Small desk lamps provide light for reading train orders. Other lights, mounted on equipment, are governed by the railroad which owns the equipment...such as beacons, etc
I hope this helps a bit, for those interested...."Experts" are welcome to make corrections, or add more information.
Fr.Fred
 
Greg Elmassian said:
Neil, maybe we are not understanding you.

What is this "switcher"? Is it steam? Specifically what loco is it?

Greg
Click to expand...
The loco in question is a mate's elderly LGB 2063 0-4-0 Caterpillar switcher, D&RGW #50.
It had had at least one previous owner and had an NCE decoder and an LGB 65002 European diesel sound unit, however only the decoder track and motor connections were wired.
After some discussion with the owner It was returned running nicely with all sounds working as factory standard and front and rear lights purely directional without any dimming.
 
Well this discussion sure went far afield!

Often roads had the "other light" dimmed, but it varied.

If it was more common, it seemed to be on switchers, or both on all the time.

read the 7th post on this thread: http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/drgw-oscillating-headlights.20147/

A real D&RGW engineer responds...

"Basically the same rules applied as with the headlight. When locomotive is moving, on bright. Exceptions: in yards, meeting opposing trains, on dim. If stopped in the clear, off. Signal lights were supposed to be in the "run" position while approaching crossing at grade, men and equipment or when otherwise necessary for further warning. They did not "flash". That is just the illusion you get when the light rotates directly into your vision. It's an great attention getter and the main reason for having them."

So probably as you did them, but usually dim when on. So, I would say you have the prototype pretty well on, unless you wanted to add a dim setting.

Greg
 
Hey Fred, pretty good explanation, but I have a photograph somewhere of a leased loco on the CSX "S" line, now Florida's Sunrail line, and it literally had settings for white, green and red, it was 3 lenses and 3 bulbs in a triangular position.

I forgot what road it was, will have to see if I can find that photo, but when I talked to the engineer about those lights, got basically close to the same explanation you stated with one exception I forgot about, but just recalled, was told that some engineers or conductors would turn them on for certain railfans {those they called foamers}, because turning them on, they'd just get some of them so excited seeing those lights in operation, and they'd usually turn them on green forward and red backward if the loco had them. just to observe the reaction of certain railfans of their roadside fan club. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

At least that's ONE explanation that makes sense today if a loco is so equipped with those classification/marker lamps, but like stated also, newer models don't have them as there is no need of them. Usually only found on older loco's.

Greg, yea, I like F.R.E.D.'s those are cool, the whole thing is a very sophisticated computerized control monitoring system {in a very small box} of some of the issues a train could encounter, broken brake lines or air lines will set the train into automatic emergency stop, broken electrical connection will send a message to the console in the cab, as did the broken air/brake line.

All wirelessly sent to the cab, yet if I recall I believe there is an external power connection on the box, but rarely is it used. Especially since I've seen some very dimly blinking F.R.E.D's on the rear end of trains,saying it's time to replace the battery, and it also tells the crew in the cab that too when it gets to the point of almost too weak to transmit or operate.

At least that's what I was told by a gentlemen that builds these devices for the railroads. Oh, and a F.R.E.D. flashing light isn't always red either, they can also be amber or yellow, but do the same job. I've seen amber F.R.E.D.'s many times on the rear end of trains.
 
In the 1960's, from memory, regardless of the rules, Kansas City Terminal Railway ran with all lights on at night. This was very blinding while trying to drive the snake roads through the switch yard at night to fix their computers.
 
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