I was looking at some pictures of steam locomotives this weekend, and I noticed that some of them only had one “main” light. I figure the odds are sometimes that light would have to burn out while it is on the road. What happens? Do they have spare lights on the train? I figure at night, they couldn’t run virtually at all?
Do diesels ever have this problem with two lights?
On diesels I have seen both headlights burn out. If the headlight resistor shorts it will burn out both headlights. Some locomotives have 32 volt bulbs and some have 72 volt bulbs. I have seen occasions were the 32 volt bulbs were installed in the 72 volt locomotive and instantly burn out. I have seen the battery charging voltage regulator go to hell and blow out not only the headlights but every lamp on the locomotive from tooo high of voltage. A staem locomotive and alot of trolley cars have one bulb, usually a replacement was available but if not, an engine could run with just a white light displayed on the front, the brakemans lantern will do.
Randy
If I remember correctly, the rules called for operating at Reduced Speed when both headlights go out; however, this rule may have changed since the installation of ditch lights.
no you cant…if your head light burns out…you have to display another white light of some kind…and the bell and horn must be sounded frequenly…and the locomotive has to be reparied or set out at the next place where mechanical people can repair it…or it has to be switched as a trailing unit when the next calander day inspection is due…the ditchlights on the other hand… if 1 burns out…you can still run at normal speed but it has to be repaired at the next place where it can be fixed…or when its next calander day inspection is due…it has to be set out or moved to a trailing posstion in the consiste…if both ditch lights burn out…you can run at normal speed…but have to go 20mph over all railroad crossings…and it must be fixed at the next repair location…or set out or swtiched to a trailing unit when the next calander day inspection is due…
as far as headlights…i have found out that on GE 44-9s… they are not wired in parralell… if the top one burns out…it kills both bulbs…but if the bottom one burns out…you still have the top bulb working…
csx engineer
Multiple unit, so that all units in the consist can be controlled by a single operator from a single control stand on the controlling unit…
If the headlight burns out, as previously mentioned, all road crossings have to be protected and if both ditchlights burn out, then all crossings have to be crossed at not exceeding 20 MPH. Ditchlights are not acceptable substitutes for headlights.
CSX Operating Rule 17-A does have these requirements for an enroute headlight failure. However an exception at the end of the rule states “These restrictions do not apply when the train has operable ditch lights.”
is that in the new rule book efective october 1st 04. or an older book?
now im going to have to digging out the books tomarrow and see if it is thier
csx engineer
“no you cant…if your head light burns out…you have to display another white light of some kind…and the bell and horn must be sounded frequenly…and the locomotive has to be reparied or set out at the next place where mechanical people can repair it…or it has to be switched as a trailing unit when the next calander day inspection is due…”
Well, if you want to go to all of that trouble and listen to all of that noise, go right ahead. To me it’s a WHOLE heck of a lot less trouble to just stop the train and go get a bulb from a trailing unit and fix the problem then and there.
well …im telling you what the rules say to do and what has to happen…what you do is your biz… and for the most part… unless your carring a tool box in your grip… locomotives dont have the tools needed to change a head light bulb…
csx engineer