Locomotive lights

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

hey everyone

I have some questions about the lights on diesel locos. Im sure most of this stuff is the same in the US as here, so, besides the headlights on an engine what are all the other lights called and whats their purpose?

Most of the engines i’ve seen have, in addition to headlights and ditchlights, small white and red lights on the ends of the hoods or near the number boards (marker lights?), lights mounted in the four stairwells around the pilot, and lights mounted underneath the frame somewhere above each truck (running lights?)
Why all this lights in all these places?

2

  • The white lights above the numberboards or on the nose are classification lights, and are found on most road engines built in the days of timetable and train-order operation. They can show white (for an “extra” train not listed in the timetable) or green (to indicate that another section of the same train is following). In daylight hours these conditions were indicated by white and green flags mounted on both sides of the front of the movement.

    Classification lights fell out of use in the as operating rules evolved. By the 1980’s they were rarely found on new engines built for US roads, and Canadian roads stopped ordering them in the early 1990’s.

  • The red lights in the same locations as above are markers, and display red to the rear when the locomotive is running alone or as a pusher. By federal law the rear of all train movements must display red markers, including light engine movements. SBU’s (FRED’s in the US) also carry a red light or reflector.

    Some Canadian roads - such as CN - ordered locomotives with separate green, white and red lights over the numberboards, whereas US practice generally was to incorporate green and white into the same light.

  • The lights in the stairwells and along the walkways are there for safety - they let the crew see where they’re going on the walkways and when getting on or off the engine.

  • Truck lights are mounted under the cab on each side, and are there to illuminate the ground under the cab windows at night, so the crew can tell if the locomotive is moving and if the wheels are slipping - think of it as manual traction control.

Hope this helps! [:)]

3

thanks a lot!

I think the rules about the rear of a train needing red lights is the same here too. I see the rear of passenger trains carring a pair of red lights while freights have a single flashing red light.
All the engines i see have a pair of red lights for the same purpose but they also have small white lights mounted next to (or as part of) those red lights, such that white lights are on in the direction of travel with the red lights on at the rear. As far as i can tell these white lights seem to be on all the time that the locomotive is not shut down. I assume in the US its different and none of the locomotives there have these lights?

The best guess i have for these lights purpose is purely to indicate the direction of travel the locomtive is moving in or is about to move in

see this link for a photo of what i mean
http://www.vicsig.net/photo.php?filename=20020927-sss-n467.jpg

4

Tyson—

No. In the US we don’t have those lights as shown in your photo any more–they look like extra train class lights if that were an older US or Canadian locomotive. As to what they mean in Oz, a couple of your mates Down Under, Peter or Dave, can probably tell you in an instant if they happen to see this post.

Hey, M636C or Kozzie, can you help this poor bloke with his good question[?][?][?][:)]