Are Ditch lights mandatory in real life ? Now if they are how do you install model ones and can they be used on DC ? thanks for any info .
Ah Yes, Ditch Lights. Well I know that certain warning lights were required when Mrs. Dole ran the Department of Transportation(?). [She is the one who brought you that third tail light on your car.]
There are many different warning lights that could have been used under her regulations including rotating lights (Mars Lights) strobes and more, but the railroads seem to have settled on the Ditch Lights. They are not “really” ditch lights, as real ditch lights point down into the ditch to assist crews getting on and off of equipment and so that the engineer can look at the ground to see if he is really moving the train or just spinning his wheels.
Still we call these warning lights “Ditch Lights” because (just because… go ask your mother, she knows all) and they are BRIGHT LAMPS and alternate with horn or bell.
Does every modern locomotive require such warning lights? No, of course not! Only those which may cross public rights of way. B units, slugs and other equipment that would not lead a train do not need them. Of course if you were modeling an older era, you would not use them, but even steam engines in use today have to have some warning light if it needs to cross a public right of way. NYCT does not have any ditch or warning lights on its equipment, but then it does not cross any public rights of way. LIRR and MNRR both had MU coaches with dual headlamps like a car, but had to add a top light to give the train its distinctive “light print”, and because that “light print” or pattern has become so synonymous with railroads it may have been required by the FRA, but that is a horse of a different color. A different or newer regulation. The government likes its regulations.
So make your choice as to how you want to do it on your railroad. I model NYCT and so do not bother, but what I want to install is the regular head lamps and tail lamps that are about where ditch lights would appear, and classification lights up near the top of the car
Lion has covered the subject well. Here is a link that gives a good explanation and the Federal regulations pertaining to ditch lights and crossing lights: http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/dc_lts.htm. Note that if a train is operating below 20 mph it doesn’t require ditch lights.
Joe
Here is the applicable section of of Federal Refulations.
d) Effective December 31, 1997, each lead locomotive operated at a speed greater than 20 miles per hour over one or more public highway- rail crossings shall be equipped with operative auxiliary lights, in addition to the headlight required by paragraph (a) or (b) of this section. A locomotive equipped on March 6, 1996 with auxiliary lights in conformance with Sec. 229.133 shall be deemed to conform to this section until March 6, 2000. All locomotives in compliance with Sec. 229.133(c) shall be deemed to conform to this section. Auxiliary lights shall be composed as follows:
(1) Two white auxiliary lights shall be placed at the front of the locomotive to form a triangle with the headlight.
(i) The auxiliary lights shall be at least 36 inches above the top of the rail, except on MU locomotives and control cab locomotives where such placement would compromise the integrity of the car body or be otherwise impractical. Auxiliary lights on such MU locomotives and control cab locomotives shall be at least 24 inches above the top of the rail.
(ii) The auxiliary lights shall be spaced at least 36 inches apart if the vertical distance from the headlight to the horizontal axis of the auxiliary lights is 60 inches or more.
(iii) The auxiliary lights shall be spaced at least 60 inches apart if the vertical distance from the headlight to the horizontal axis of the auxiliary lights is less than 60 inches.
(2) Each auxiliary light shall produce at least 200,000 candela.
(3) The auxiliary lights shall be focused horizontally within 15 degrees of the longitudinal centerline of the locomotive.
(e) Auxiliary lights required by paragraph (d) of this section may be arranged
(1) to burn steadily or
(2) flash on approach to a crossing.
If the auxiliary lights are arranged to flash;
(i) they shall flash alternately at a rate of at least 40 flashes per minute and at
Roar is a bit wrong on the term “ditch lights”. The Canadians started the ditch light craze, just go look at BC rail units with 2 sets of them on thier older power. The Canadians would aim them in an “X” pattern and slightly downward, like fog lights on a car. The engineers side light would shoot across the track and into a left and curve and the firemans side did the opposite. The main purpose was to look for rock slides when running thru the Rockie Mts. Early diesels in the USA used Mars lights/Gyralites, using a DC motor to mechanicly move a light bulb in either a horzontal figure 8 pattern (Mars light) or an elipse pattern (Pyle National Gyralite). But the motors and linkages were high maintanice and being near the sand hatches didnt help matters. Then came the revolving amber beacons, again with motors spinning the lights. This worked till the caboose died and EOT’s came into being and those electrical motors being near the radio antenna caused interference. So out comes the Prime 8901, 8911, 8913 (Stratolite) digital beacons, 4 lamps under a large dome that “rotate” electronicly in a 1-2-3-4-1-2… pattern. Amtrak had thier twin clear strobes. Problem with roof beacons is from straight on, the headlight on full beam blinds out the effect of the beacon. FRA looking at what the Canadians had, and of coarse running tests, found the ditch lights, either alternating with air horn activation or even stead, had more effect on a car driver noticing the train faster. Once that mandate came out, very few railroads still used the beacons. Today we see beacons predominantly on remote control units showing they are in RC mode or not. I personaly have one of the Prime 8911 beacons off a BN GP7u and used to have a red gyralite off an SP unit… I my opinion, nothing gets attention more than a Mars or Gyralite, but the high maintance costs limit thier use in todays railroad market.
Thanks for all the info I have a Athearn SD40T-2 and a Atlas GP 38-2 . I run just DC so how hard is to fine and install lights on these locomotives ?
If the locos are DC-Only, then there are add-on circuits from Circuitron and others for flashing ditchlights/beacons. This may require some soldering. If you have no experience in this area find a club or hobby shop in your area that can help you. If the locos are Dual-Mode DC/DCC, then the functions and lights should already be present.
In addition, a real simple way, would be to experiment with your Powerpack & find a set of Lights (incandescent or LED) & Resistors that you could tie into the Headlight. I have done this on models that I reall do not need the fancy blinking ones.
I also learned here, on this site, that many roads are no loger using the flashing types, which also simplifies things.
I will usually mock up a set using a standard 9v alcaline battery & then put it loosely on the model chassis & test it on the power pack, if it is good I then permanently mount it & put the shell back on the unit.
Then sit back & enjoy your work!