Has any article been published on the evolution of North American steam locomotive head lights from say 1900 on, that would trace from the days of kerosene, through acetylene to low wattage electrics to end of steam high power ones?
Also that would discuss the placement of the head lights and other factors, whether practical or cosmetic. For instance certain roads such as the Pennsy seem to have preferred top of the smokebox placement vs centre mounted, some roads favoured visored headlights -why?
The placement of the locomotve headlights realy did not make a difference, some railroads wanted to be unique in their placement of Headlights, but I suspect that Visored headlights gave a more direct light because of the visor. But in 1915-20?? the Interstate Commerce Commision ordered that Oil lit lights be traded for Electric Lights, I’m not sure of the exact date but it says in my D&H book. The Pennsy put thir headlights on top of their engines because of the “Keystone State” Symbol which was unique for the Pennsylvania, they were one of the few railroads to use the States symbol. The Keystone had the Locomotive’s # on it.
Also the headlight was not always on in the steam era as it is with trains today. I am not sure when trains started keeping the headlight on all the time.
Not directly relevant to your posting but if you want to see a vivid depiction of how the old oil lamps on the front of early steam were filled, watch the silent film The General with Buster Keaton. It has great shots of 4-4-0s (and some great humor and dangerous stunts all done by Keaton himself, no doubles) and includes him getting oil from out of one of those huge headlights of the Civil War era. Very authentic – some critics have said watching The General is like seeing a film made by Mathew Brady
Dave Nelson