Steam & Excursion > 4014 Headlight

Did 4014’s original headlight still work when they restored it or was it replaced? And if it was replaced did they use a 1940 state of the art or upgrade to say an LED bulb?

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johnambrose Wrote:
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> Did 4014’s original headlight still work when
> they restored it or was it replaced?

If I remember correctly, the Rail Giants group, out there in California, had "night photo sessions" with the headlight on 4014 turned on, so my guess is that it is original, and worked OK.

And if it
> was replaced did they use a 1940 state of the art

Again, probably NOT replaced, but simply cleaned up, with a new 32 volt bulb (the UP steam shop has LOTS of spare bulbs for steam locomotive headlights and cab lights).

> or upgrade to say an LED bulb?

You can rest assured that it is NOT an "LED bulb"! You can tell by the color of the light when it is turned on, i.e.. an original incandescent bulb with the original Golden Glow Headlight Co. reflector.

 

I don't know if they make them for locomotives (yet), but there are what they call "vintage" style LED bulbs for homes that have the "golden" glow to them.

bodkin6071 Wrote:
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> I don't know if they make them for locomotives
> (yet), but there are what they call "vintage"
> style LED bulbs for homes that have the "golden"
> glow to them.

For home use is one thing, i.e. 120 volts AC, But a steam locomotive has 32 volt electrical supply for lighting.

Here is my photo of the Big Boy at The Rail Giants Museum in Pomona, Ca  Aug 17th 2013  7:12 PM
Tom Hirsch
Cherry Valley, Ca

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miralomarail Wrote:
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> Here is my photo of the Big Boy at The Rail Giants
> Museum in Pomona, Ca  Aug 17th 2013  7:12 PM

That is a nice photo, but I think it's too bad they felt the need to light up absolutely everything on the locomotive.  Displaying the green/red class lights on that old beauty would have made the steam era train and enginemen turn over in their graves.

Take care,

Mark

  

mamfahr Wrote:
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> miralomarail Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Here is my photo of the Big Boy at The Rail
> Giants
> > Museum in Pomona, Ca  Aug 17th 2013  7:12 PM
>
> That is a nice photo, but I think it's too bad
> they felt the need to light up absolutely
> everything on the locomotive.  Displaying the
> green/red class lights on that old beauty would
> have made the steam era train and enginemen turn
> over in their graves.
>
> Take care,
>
> Mark

I agree. The class lights should have been white, which was pretty much the standard on UP, especially since the number boards have the "X" before the 4014.

HotWater Wrote:
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> bodkin6071 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I don't know if they make them for locomotives
> > (yet), but there are what they call "vintage"
> > style LED bulbs for homes that have
> the "golden"
> > glow to them.
>
> For home use is one thing, i.e. 120 volts AC, But
> a steam locomotive has 32 volt electrical supply
for lighting..

So to provide power for the radio do they use a 32/12 volt converter to provide 12 volt "caboose power" or a 32/64 volt converter to provide "64 volt "locomotive power":? Figured you would know!

Dick Samuels 

EMDSW-1 Wrote:
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> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > bodkin6071 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I don't know if they make them for
> locomotives
> > > (yet), but there are what they call "vintage"
> > > style LED bulbs for homes that have
> > the "golden"
> > > glow to them.
> >
> > For home use is one thing, i.e. 120 volts AC,
> But
> > a steam locomotive has 32 volt electrical
> supply
> for lighting..
>
> So to provide power for the radio do they use a
> 32/12 volt converter to provide 12 volt "caboose
> power" or a 32/64 volt converter to provide "64
> volt "locomotive power":? Figured you would know!
>
> Dick Samuels 

Dick,

Just going from memory, I believe all railroad radios, as well as law enforcement & fire/emergency  vehicles, operate on 12 Volt power (internally). Thus, railroad radios have some sort of "converter circuitry" inside that allows in-put of 64 to 74 volts as used in diesel electric locomotive control circuitry.

The radio used on SP 4449 is powered by a 12 Volt battery (mounted under the floor on the Engineer's side), which in turn is charged by the Mars Light Dynamo (the Mars Light is also 12 Volts). I don't know how other steam locomotives in today's environment power their radios, but a 12 Volt battery sure works well, and keeping the battery charged should be much of a problem.