Atlas GP40-2(W) Ditch Lights

I just received my new Atlas GP40-2(W) (non sound / DCC ready version) and installed a Digitrax DH163PS. She works great in DCC but I soon realized that the Ditch lights ONLY work when the headlight is turned on (function 0). This is my first locomotive with ditch lights and I think its a cool idea, but I’d really like them to work like real ditch lights. I imagine that I am going to have to remove the shell and rewire the ditch lights to the function 5 wires of the decoder to gain independent control of the ditch lights.

Has anyone done this thus far. Can anyone out there maybe provide some insite before I start yanking wires?

Mike

I would check the Digitrax website for their decoder manual and it has a wiring diagram for doing ditchlights and what CV’s need to be adjusted to make them flash.

You may need only to program the decoder for the ditch light function. If you don’t have the decoder manual, download it from the Digitrax web site.

I just got my 3 today and they are freaking sweet looking. I should have got all 4 of them. Did you get the lights working? I’m going to install the same decoder and I’m curious if you figured it out, it might save me some time when I install them on Saturday. I ordered a couple GO units and a Huron Central unit with sound and can’t wait to get those puppies too.

TA462,

I have not really had the time yet to play with the wiring of the decoder. I believe the DH163PS is a 6 function decoder. It will handle the ditch lights as a seperate function once I figure out how to wire them to that “function”. I just need to study the wiring diagram for the DH163 series decoder and figure it out.

On a side note…Tuesday evening I received my DCC with QSI sound version of this GP40-2(W) locomotive. If you thought the non-sound version was sweet, wait until you see and hear the sound version.

Mike

I picked up the silver series…should have reserved a gold!

It will be interesting to see how the Intermountain SD40-2W compare to these models…

As cool as flashing ditchlights may be, it would not be at all prototypical for this locomotive. To the best of my knowledge, no CN locomotives have ever been built with flashing ditchlights…I know for certain that the GP40-2W definitely did not have them.

The flashing-with-the-horn business is an American requirement, as Canadian built locos (CN, CP, and VIA at least) do not have flashing ditch lights.

Guess I should have clarified, if you want to make them flash [:D] and i am not sure if the flashing is an American requirement, I was able to watch 4 or 5 UP trains go by in Portland, Or a few weeks ago while waiting for the wife and none of the UP trains ditch lights flashed.

I found it just to make sure I was not going crazy. flashing or not flashing is bolded part way down

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/octqtr/49cfr229.125.htm

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR229.125]

[Page 452-453]

TITLE 49–TRANSPORTATION

CHAPTER II–FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION

PART 229_RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE SAFETY STANDARDS–Table of Contents

Subpart C_Safety Requirements

Sec. 229.125 Headlights and auxiliary lights.

(a) Each lead locomotive used in road service shall have a headlight
that produces a peak intensity of at least 200,000 candela. If a
locomotive or locomotive consist in road service is regularly required
to run backward for any portion of its trip other than to pick up a
detached portion of its train or to make terminal movements, it shall
also have on its rear a headlight that produces at least 200,000
candela. Each headlight shall be arranged to illuminate a person at
least 800 feet ahead and in front of the headlight. For purposes of this
section, a headlight shall be comprised of either one or two lamps.
(1) If a locomotive is equipped with a single-lamp headlight, the

You need to connect the green and violet wires to the ditch lights independantly. You will also need to know if they are leds or icondecent bulbs, This will help you determin a value for CV 62 when you program them, also you need to know their voltage rating. The green and violet output voltage of DH163 is 12vt. Apperantly Atlas has the ditch lights wired to the head lamp out put function, and/or if it is a light bar like Kato uses you will have to install your own bulbs/leds. I havn’t seen the inside of this loco yet, so I would’nt know about that. Here is the ditch light section of the manual. I have done this, it is not that hard, and they do look cool when they work. Truck.

In the North America, there are several basic rulebooks:

  • GCOR - Most Western railroads and many shortline/regionals
  • NORAC - Many Northeast railroads
  • CSX and NS have individual rulebooks for their lines(based on NORAC)
  • CROR - Canadian railroads

GCOR does not require the ‘flashing’ ditchlights. IIRC, NORAC does have an entry for ‘flashing’ ditchlights at crossings. I have seen Eastern railroads that have ‘flashing’ ditchlights, and I really do not remember seeing Western railroad use this feature. Whatever rule is used, those ‘flashing’ ditchlights are impressive as a train approaches a grade crossing!

Jim

I have to agree with Jim. I don’t care which rule is used or implemented, seeing flashing ditchlights at grade crossings is cool. So I run my railroad like that as well.

I didn’t want mine to flash, I just wanted to turn them off when ever I feel like it. Now that I have had them for a few weeks I’m just going to leave them as is.

Notes:

  • Canadian railways did NOT use flashing ditch lights. The ditch lights on a CN GP40-2 should NOT be set up to flash

  • ditch lights can be turned off independent of the main headlight, and there are rules requiring this to be done in certain situations (like when parked in a siding to meet an opposing train) but the ditch lights should not be on without the headlight being on.