Eastern Railroad Discussion > Headlights and Ditchlight?

I'm not going to give railroad or town location on this, don't want to cause the crew any problems. Yesterday a train came through town with headlight and ditchlight's off. Several years ago at night one came through with only the ditchlight's working. I'm sure this could be a problem for them if something happened?

Whats the point in this topic

Posted from Android

It happens.....and with great liability. I've done it myself. It would be a good idea for EMD and GE to have mini lights on the control stand to indicate when the lights are "on". You often turn the headlight and ditch lights off on a meet. When you are trackside and see an approaching train with the lights off........point towards the nose of the engine with one hand, and with the other hand, point towards your own eyes with TWO fingers..

To answer your question yes it can be a big problem if they hit someone! I normally dim the headlight and turn off the ditch... While passing a train or sitting still.
I don't do this over a road crossing.

espeefan Wrote:
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> To answer your question yes it can be a big
> problem if they hit someone! I normally dim the
> headlight and turn off the ditch... While passing
> a train or sitting still.
> I don't do this over a road crossing.


I was just going to ask if the light was dim or off, there is a difference. If I'm not mistaken ditch lights are tied into the horn also so even at a crossing the ditch lights at a minimum.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/14 14:28 by NSClevelandLine.

Crews do forget. I have some video of the 765 without the headlight on btw Fort Wayne and Elkhart this year....,<snicker>

I also remember something like back in the early 1970s on Penn Central. I have that on film too... The operator was handing orders up and just before he handed up, he pointed at his eyes. The fireman didn't get it. After he got back in the tower, the operator radioed the crew.

If a crew forgets and hits someone at a crossing, a lawyer will have a field day with that.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/14 13:36 by wabash2800.

Keep in mind that ditch can fail/ burn out. If that happens crew must reduce speed to 20 mph over road crossings. On occasion when I was on a train that had burned out or inoperative ditch light we would stop and find some that worked on a trailing unit and move them to the head end.If the ditch lights quit working due to electrical reasons,we would find another unit that is facing the same direction and move it to the head end.`

mp208 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It happens.....and with great liability. I've
> done it myself. It would be a good idea for EMD
> and GE to have mini lights on the control stand to
> indicate when the lights are "on". You often turn
> the headlight and ditch lights off on a meet.
> When you are trackside and see an approaching
> train with the lights off........point towards the
> nose of the engine with one hand, and with the
> other hand, point towards your own eyes with TWO
> fingers..

At an operating rules gathering 20 years ago when the UP was dithering with the GCOR headlight rule I brought up the subject of a light on the control stand, similar to what you have on your auto dashboard. That suggestion was greeted with blank stares, as was the suggestion at a previous meeting to modify the track warrant form to put the "after arrival of" line before the "Proceed from" line.

Anyway, if railfans at trackside want to make friends with crews, follow mp208's instructions if the situation presents itself. Those guys may have been without sleep all night and need all the help they can get. If they go over a crossing at over 20 MPH without the ditch lights on management may want to crucify them for a speed violation.

if ANYONE sees a crew who ACCIDENTALLY failed to illuminate their headlights ... get as close to the track as you can without putting yourself in harms way and/or not alarming the crew ... TAP YOUR HEAD and POINT TO THE HEADLIGHT ... that is the universal rule book sign to alert the crew their headlight is extinguished and to turn it on ... at first the crew might think you're a nut but after they think about it they'll get the message ... it's the equivalent of flashing your headlights to car who's lights are out ...

I wave with both arms to get the crew's attention, then I point to front of locomotive and then to my eyes, keep repeating. until crew notices me,
Have done this probably 15-20 times thru the years, crews are very happy to have the reminder, they always blow the horn and wave, some yell thanks from the window.
You do not have to be on the track, just close enough so they will see you, waving both arms at first gets their attention.

gmojim

gmojim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wave with both arms to get the crew's attention,
> then I point to front of locomotive and then to my
> eyes, keep repeating. until crew notices me,
> Have done this probably 15-20 times thru the
> years, crews are very happy to have the reminder,
> they always blow the horn and wave, some yell
> thanks from the window.
> You do not have to be on the track, just close
> enough so they will see you, waving both arms at
> first gets their attention.
>
> gmojim

actually the way the railroad rules are written ... any violent waving of the hands or any object is suppose to be the signal to stop the train

On some units the ditch lights are not linked to the headlights. In that case there is a separate switch for the ditch lights.

FRA and most rulebooks (e.g., GCOR, NORAC) allow for one ditch light to fail (or the headlight to fail but BOTH ditch lights operative) without any speed restriction or penalty, just has to be fixed or replaced at the next place where mechanical is available.

At Amtrak used to call it the "Meat Loaf" Rule -- Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad!

Chased a guy on a regional a few years ago that had a bad-order headlight but both ditch lights were working and there were no slowdowns or stop/flags at crossings.

NZ

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> gmojim Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I wave with both arms to get the crew's
> attention,
> > then I point to front of locomotive and then to
> my
> > eyes, keep repeating. until crew notices me,
> > Have done this probably 15-20 times thru the
> > years, crews are very happy to have the
> reminder,
> > they always blow the horn and wave, some yell
> > thanks from the window.
> > You do not have to be on the track, just close
> > enough so they will see you, waving both arms
> at
> > first gets their attention.
> >
> > gmojim
>
> actually the way the railroad rules are written
> ... any violent waving of the hands or any object
> is suppose to be the signal to stop the train


Yes, I do not go by the rule book, I just use what works. Worked every time I have done it, the headlights come on and the crews waves and usually blows the horn.

gmojim

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>.. TAP
> YOUR HEAD and POINT TO THE HEADLIGHT ... that is
> the universal rule book sign to alert the crew
> their headlight is extinguished and to turn it on
> ...

This is what I was taught as well.