Steam & Excursion > Not a Historic Headlight ?

As a part of the Northern Pacific Railroad Historical Association convention last week I rode behind the NP 924, the only remaining operable NP engine.
But my eyeballs were shocked to see that inside that ancient old headlight is an LED lamp!
The world sure changes fast......

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The public seems obsessed with LED bulbs.  They're new, so therefore we MUST use them.  Nothing is more absurd than a steam engine with LED bulbs.  

Id say they aren't obsessed, more like forced...

Topfuel Wrote:
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> The public seems obsessed with LED bulbs. 
> They're new, so therefore we MUST use them. 
> Nothing is more absurd than a steam engine with
> LED bulbs.

Why not contact the Northwest Railway Museum to ask why an LED is being used?

Hey, be thankful it doesn't have red drivers and a diamond stack.  Blasphemy.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Topfuel Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The public seems obsessed with LED bulbs. 
> > They're new, so therefore we MUST use them. 
> > Nothing is more absurd than a steam engine with
> > LED bulbs.
>
> Why not contact the Northwest Railway Museum to
> ask why an LED is being used?

Because it's their engine, so obviously they can do what they want.  But I still stand by my opinion.  I bet there's a good chance the cab light bulbs are also LED.  And there would be NO excuse for that.  Proper light bulbs for that headlight are hard to find today, but good old 25 watt DC incandescent bulbs are not hard to find.  

Obviously, the conversion from acetylene to electric was considered 
a crime against originalism.  Note the chimney vent on top of the 
light box ... A necessity for venting of the gases of combustion.

There was no way to 'dim' acetylene's intensity... so, engineer-controlled 
roll up window shades were used...some with loco numbers cut-out..
Very early autos also acetylene head lamps.

So even the conversion to the Edison-bulb was a concession to modernity! 

( What's astounding is Einstein's thesis was the foundational principle to 
   the invention of the Light-Emitting Diode.  He postulated about vibrating atoms. 
   His work was first published in 1905.  But his earlier thinking predated, even that.
   I remember when the invention of "microwave amplification of energy": MASER,
    was a necessity for the success of Bell Labs, and orbiting of Telstar.
    They were seeking ways to send communications around the globe,
     without using copper wires.

     Immense strength radio signal were aimed at reflective balloon in orbit ----
      but, being a spherical reflector, only a tiny amount of radio signal was reflected
     back to Bell Labs receiver, in NJ.  Bell Labs was also the place where the
     junction-diode was born ---  Two-junction diodes could provide immense
    signal-strength amplification, without immensely energy-wasteful vacuum tubes.
    Bell Labs found a way to crank-up the frequency of oscillating atoms --- and, voila',
    the invention of light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, LASER.
    
    So, what has all this got to do with RRs.   
    It's what's behind the fantastic utilization ov wariable-frequency AC diesel
     electric locos.  Brothers to LEDs..)
    

W.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/24 15:45 by wcamp1472.

Have any of you tried buying an incandescent light bulb lately? It's either LED's or florescent.

What about Safety in this day and age?  You all are aware that to obtain insurance for operations, these insurance companies want to make absolutely sure that an operation is as safe as possible, and I'm sure that having the brightest headlight to be seen is better for grade crossings.  The way people drive today, you don't want any driver to say "I didn't see the train."

John in White Marsh, Maryland

ClubCar Wrote:
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> What about Safety in this day and age?  You all
> are aware that to obtain insurance for operations,
> these insurance companies want to make absolutely
> sure that an operation is as safe as possible, and
> I'm sure that having the brightest headlight to be
> seen is better for grade crossings.  The way
> people drive today, you don't want any driver to
> say "I didn't see the train."
>
> John in White Marsh, Maryland

Does that organization have any "grade crossings"? Isn't it a museum?

PHall Wrote:
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> Have any of you tried buying an incandescent light
> bulb lately? It's either LED's or florescent.

I bought out all the local electric store's stock and then find the others I need on ebay.

What's the power supply for #924's electric headlight?
Don't see no dynamo?
 
​W.

In my original post I tried to not say I thought the LED was "bad".
Different, yes.
The failure rate of LEDs seems to be far lower than incandescents.  That would be a good reason to change.

I suspect the issue is the need for a 32volt lamp. There are some made for the marine / expensive yacht market.
If you stashed some when you could get 'em, now you have them. Otherwise, pretty unobtainium.

We tried some but we would need to add voltage regulation to the Dyno; we blew out some relatively expensive LED lamps (cab lights, markers, etc) when the voltage surged when the headlight was turned off -- the rotational momentum of the generator exceeded the regulator's ability to throttle down the steam input.

This railroad has 18 railroad crossings.  From crossbuck to lights/gates and a couple that are crossbucks only that need to have lights/gates.

Also, I don't believe the 924 has a dynamo, so the headlight is a battery operated LED light. 

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ClubCar Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What about Safety in this day and age?  You
> all
> > are aware that to obtain insurance for
> operations,
> > these insurance companies want to make
> absolutely
> > sure that an operation is as safe as possible,
> and
> > I'm sure that having the brightest headlight to
> be
> > seen is better for grade crossings.  The way
> > people drive today, you don't want any driver
> to
> > say "I didn't see the train."
> >
> > John in White Marsh, Maryland
>
> Does that organization have any "grade crossings"?
> Isn't it a museum?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/24 21:18 by amtrak8.

If they're doing the very popular Halloween and Christmas trains, being able to see at night could be handy...

Cheers, Dave

TexasRocket Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Have any of you tried buying an incandescent
> light
> > bulb lately? It's either LED's or florescent.
>
> I bought out all the local electric store's stock
> and then find the others I need on ebay.

I LOVE LED lights. Once they became bright enough and affordable enough, I junked every incandescent and CFL as fast as I possibly could. I bought my last fluorescent lights/ballast/bulbs about three year ago. The minute one fails, into the dumpster it goes. Six years ago, I changed out all the fluorescent lights in the 2000 SQF main parts room at work with relatively cheap LED units. Those lights are on 24 hours a day through the week, and some on the weekends. So far, not a single failure and easily 50% brighter than the fluorescents. I'm slowly converting my 40' X 57' pole barn now.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/24 22:24 by junctiontower.

When I shot the Black Hills Central a few years ago, I noted that they were likewise running with an LED headlight.  When I asked about it, they told me that parts for the locomotives' dynamos were getting harder to find and were expensive.  It made a lot more sense to run an LED headlight off a car battery and charge the battery overnight.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

HotWater Wrote:

>
> Does that organization have any "grade crossings"?
> Isn't it a museum?

Yes, they have several grade crossings through the city of Snoqualmie on their mainline along with a few in North Bend and in between the two towns. They operate on the former Northern Pacific trackage between the towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend Washington. They also have a museum shed and their locomotive and car repair shop just east of Snoqualmie. Their highlight point of the ride is the western point of their run at the top of Snoqualmie Falls.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/24 10:26 by GNRocky.

If they really wanted to they could probably find a electronic voltage regulator that would be able to deal with what the dynamo is putting out.
This is not an exotic one of a kind application.