Other than the obvious (physical) difference, what are any operational differences between the nose-mounted headlight and the cab-mounted headlight? Are there any advantages to one or the other? What about disadvantages? Does the bulb-type make a difference? As in does anyone think it would be feasible that the HID style light would make it to this application? What about focused LEDs?
OH OH OH i know this!
noselights see through snow and fog better. but the dont see as far as cablights do
All headlights must light up a person standing 800 feet ahead, or something to that effect. Whether they are mounted on the cab or on the short nose doesn’t matter.
The only engine I have run that didn’t have the headlight up above was the 10C. Seemed to be able to see a little better ahead in the dark. Stopping the Gyralight from moving also helped.
ATSF moved quite a few headlights to the short nose. They must have had a reason, besides driving modelers nuts. The Alaska engines I have seen have the headlights up high, probably to keep them above the snow. Some roads (ICG, and KCS) had a Gyralight or Oscitroll in the upper light, and a fixed headlight in the short nose.
The only difference in bulbs is either 32 or 74 volt operation. The bulbs themselves are pretty much the same. LEDs aren’t bright enough yet for use as headlights. Some of the latest rebuilds have LEDs for all other lighting. HIDs are very expensive, not really suited to the locomotive environment.
The big difference is glare. Cab mount lights can reflect glare back into the cab. Nose mount lights don’t reflect back into the cab, but can blind a crewman standing on the nose platform.
LEDs don’t provide enough candle power, yet.
Nick
Now another question: Why only have 2 lights? I understand that if one burns out then you have another to ‘get you by’ but why not sets of 3 or 4?
In addition to giving you a nasty burn… those bulbs get plenty hot , not a bad thing on a cold day to warm you hands but…
Randy,
You are quite right. A lesson I learned the hard way. [:(!]
Nick
I personally like the high mounted cab lights the best as they don’t give me sunburn on the back of my neck when I step outside
many years ago, if a light was burned out the engineer/conductor etc couldn’t change it but had to call for a person in, I would assume, maintenance to come out and change it. (Union rules?) Is that still true?
Even on dim, they are still pretty warm!
I like the nose mounted headlights when they show up on foreign units. Besides the the fact that there is no glare coming off the top of the low nose there is also less glare in foggy conditions.
i prefer cablights only cuz they just look better to me. that ridiculous face on my avatar is what i see on all locomotives with noselights
There was something a few years back that the UP was going to have all future locomotive orders have the headlight and number boards on the cab instead of the nose. The reasoning was something that the more holes cut into the nose weakened the structural integrity during a collision. Off hand, it seems like since then the new UP wide bodies have the headlight and number boards on the cab, but truthfully, I haven’t paid close attention to their placement.
Jeff
In some places it is true, but things have changed a bit. I have replaced a few light bulbs, but if all four on one end are burned out, I will go down to the roundhouse. They have more bulbs there. The roundhouse guys can change them out faster than I can as well.
I work for NS and we are not allowed to change them only a machinist can
BS, and besides it’s an electricans job.
And I’m sure that when you get stuck out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night and both lights burn out you’re gonna wait for the shop forces to come from who knows where to replace your itty bitty headlights. Sounds like some of the clowns I work with that are just waiting for some lame excuse to make overtime.
BS, and besides it’s an electricans job.
NO its not, for one all the locomotives I’ve been on and I’ve been, BN, UP, NS, CSX, and CN units I’ve yet to see a spare bulb on board a locomotive, and secondly when I did have a burned out bulb on an engine I was on I informed the MACHINIST at the fuel pad and he promptly changed it wheither it was his job or not I don’t know but thats who changed it
I haven’t either. Out on the road, you just use one from the rear of the same or another unit, then report it so it can be replaced when it gets into the terminal.
Thats a good idea I’ll have to remember that
The only trick is getting the right voltage bulbs in the right spot . Alot of the time the ditchlights are 72 volts and headlights are 32 volt . If a bulb burns out right away chances are that you installed a 32 volt bulb in a 72 volt setup. Most railroads are getting away from 32 volt bulb so you may never have that problem.
One other thing , to avoid delaying the train , sometimes it is more expedient to hand the tools and the bulb to the engineer. If I had to change the bulb I would have to lock out the track and apply blue signals, sometimes that can take a good amount of time.
And then there’s the changing the headlight scene in “Polar Express…”[:)]
Although, IIRC, the filmmaker did actually get video of the headlight bulb being changed on the 1225, so, while the scene was far-fetched, at least it was somewhat accurate…