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Western Railroad Discussion > question about headlights


Date: 10/26/24 07:20
question about headlights
Author: dragoon

I've seen quite a few pics of locos in the steam days where the running loco's headlight is off in a daylight shot.

was there mandate that a headlight is always on instituted?

and BTW, some lines had extra warning lights (Mars, Gyralite, etc). Was that a regulation or was it up to the individual RR?



Date: 10/26/24 07:41
Re: question about headlights
Author: tomstp

I can only speak for the Texas & Pacific.  In 1950 T&P required all leading and switch  engines to have a lighted head light on  all the time.



Date: 10/26/24 08:02
Re: question about headlights
Author: HardYellow

tomstp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can only speak for the Texas & Pacific.  In
> 1950 T&P required all leading and switch  engines
> to have a lighted head light on  all the time.


While moving?



Date: 10/26/24 08:39
Re: question about headlights
Author: 57A26

Rules before the 1940s generally only required the headlight to be displayed at night. The change coincides with the proliferation of diesel electrics in road service.

Saying the 1940s is a generalization. There isn't an exact date when the railroads changed.

Posted from Android



Date: 10/26/24 12:13
Re: question about headlights
Author: PHall

Some of the early photos of the Santa Fe and WP FT's show them pulling trains with their headlights off during the day right after they were delivered.



Date: 10/26/24 12:43
Re: question about headlights
Author: railstiesballast

Some of the "Mars" or other moving headlights seen on a few late era steam engines may have been activted if the train brakes went into emergency.
This was done to warn another train that could be approaching the stopped train on the opposite direction in double track territory to reduce to restricted speed, prepared to stop short of any derailed cars that might be fouling the second track.
This is the function of the Southern Pacific's red light on top of the other  headlights (on diesels).



Date: 10/26/24 12:59
Re: question about headlights
Author: gonx

Western Pacific had a rule that trains working in the yard were not required to use their headlight during daylight hours.



Date: 10/26/24 13:11
Re: question about headlights
Author: HotWater

railstiesballast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some of the "Mars" or other moving headlights seen
> on a few late era steam engines may have been
> activted if the train brakes went into emergency.
> This was done to warn another train that could be
> approaching the stopped train on the opposite
> direction in double track territory to reduce to
> restricted speed, prepared to stop short of any
> derailed cars that might be fouling the second
> track.


My memory of that operating rule was, an opposing train was not allowed to pass any locomotive/train displaying that red warning light. After the cause of an emergency brake application, which activated the red warning light, was determined and that no equipment was fowling the adjacent track, the Engineer would then re-set the brake valve, and subsequently reset/extinguish the red warning light.


> This is the function of the Southern Pacific's red
> light on top of the other  headlights (on
> diesels).



Date: 10/26/24 13:17
Re: question about headlights
Author: timz

dragoon Wrote:

> was there mandate that a headlight is always on ...

You mean, some government rule? Maybe here or there,
but nothing nationwide. Many? Most? RRS added a
daytime-headlight rule to their rulebooks around 1950.



Date: 10/27/24 16:55
Re: question about headlights
Author: SR2

ICC instituted rule in August, 1951.
SR2



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