In the late 1990s they past the regulation mandating twin auxileary headlights mounted on the frame of the locomotive, as a safety device, to warn pepole of trains.
Anyone care to expain on how this is a ‘safety’ device, and how they came up with this as a use?
The safety part comes from the easily recognizable triangle formed by the three lights. When you look down the tracks, it’s hard to confuse that with a reflection.
I suspect that the concept grew from the actual ditch lights used by Canadian railroads for a number of years, although those were focused on the opposite ditch. I’ve seen pictures of locomotives with both auxiliary and ditch lights.
You, too, could get a Senior Editor’s job at Trains Magazine!
…And beyond the triangle of lights coming at a person at a RR crossing…some RR’s engine ditch lights flash off and on as the horn is blowed for the crossing.
This really does make an eye catching scene that a train is approaching.
Nothing can wake the brain dead.
I’ve got a question. Diesel’s have a light which shines down into the ditch below the cab windows on each side. Under the frame and above the lead truck. When I was a kid, those were called “ditch lights”. What are they called now that ditch lights are on the front of the loco, pointed forward and into the opposite ditch as Larry say’s. Thank you.
AgentKid
They were never called ditch lights. They are called “ground” lights. They are used by the engineer at night to see when the train is just starting to move or how fast he is moving while making a coupling. You look at the ground, not the speedometer.
The three lights are not only easier to see, they make it easier to judge the distance that the train is from you. It’s why some motorcycles have two headlighs.
In Canada, the CROR identifies them as “Ditch Lights.” (Rule 17.2)
If you cannot see, hear, and feel an approaching train, I doubt that additional lights will help you a bit.
Well, here in the good 'ol USofA, if you will look on the control stand, the swith is clearly labeled “Ground Lights” and the front ones are clearly labeled “Ditch Lights”.
Ground lights are located near trucks under cab, and have nothing to do with Ditchlights or Auxiliary headlights.
Jim, thank you. When I read your first post this earlier this morning, the first thing I thought of was that fifty years ago “ditch lights” must have been a slang expression for what engineers were turning off and on with a switch marked “ground lights”. Thank you for confirming this.
I have looked at various interior photo’s of diesels over the years but I don’t think I ever saw those switches. I have wondered if those pictures weren’t altered for security or safety reasons. Not that I am complaining if they were. No need for anyone to go looking for links to pictures to post, Jim has answered my question.
AgentKid
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Nothing really high-security about them. Just your basic run-of-the-mill slider switches. ground lights, gauge lights, walkway lights…
Many older locomotives that have had the auxiliary lights retrofitted have a switch someplace other than the control stand for them. One popular spot is on the back wall of the cab, on/near the electrical cabinet.
Many are rotary switches, with positions for “off,” “front” and “rear,” assuming the locomotive has such lights on both ends.
No, you’re thinking of the wrong lights, they are called ground lights.
I’m surprised no one mentioned the reason Ditch lights were introduced in Canada. They were for better crew visability in mountainous terrain.
Depends on RR and who retrofitted them. Some of our clunker engines have the ditchlight function on one of the slider switches. Never seen one on the back wall though… that would be a pain to turn on and off. (the breakers are back there, of course). Rotary switches are usually for the headlights, and may give you dim, medium, bright (depending on model and installer). Some have the ditchlights wired to the headlight switch so they only can come on with the headlghts on bright, while others have head and ditchlights independent. then you may have a switch to designate whether you want front or rear ditches, or they may be wired to the reverser. You also may have a steady/flashing switch, or even a 30sec. push-to-play flashing ditchilght button.
The only standard is “none” .
True enough. I know our Century has the switch on the back wall, but it’s within an arms reach of the engineer. I think the RS3 does have the ditch light switch on the stand. Don’t remember where the F’s are…
We probably switch them more than most considering the mileage we run, as we move the loco from one end of the consist to the other twice each trip, twice a day.