Was flashing ditchlights a fed mandate & if so what year precisley did this law take effect. This has been brought up several times at our club, no one wants to install them in trains.
The first use of Ditch Lights started around 1956 on the Canadian National. They were originally used illuminate trackside ditches. By the late 1980’s the U.S. railroads began to use them as well with Gyroflexes (Beacons). One of the first noticable railroads with ‘ditch lights’ was the Burlington Northern, whom began to use ‘Strobe Lights’ on the anticlimbers.
In October 1992, President Bush signed a law into a bill telling the DOT to require regulations up to June-July 1995 to add ditch lights. By 1997, all railroads were expected to have ditch lights.
Why did the US do this? There was a Railroad Crossing accident that happened on the Southern Pacific that killed three teenagers (I believe it was in Hutchinson, KS or around there…not sure when it exactly happened).
The lights are a FRA requirement, however they do NOT have to flash. I know all of the old SP C44AC’s are set up to start flashing when the whistle is blown.
KIM when doing research on this that the meaning of “ditch lights” has changed over time. Many early diesels had small lights that illuminated the area around and under the front and rear steps (like on say a GP); these were commonly called “ditch lights” since they illuminated the area (such as drainage ditches) that laid along side the track. A reference to “ditch lights” in the 1950’s probably referred to these.
Later - maybe the 1970’s? - the Canadians adopted a European-style lighting system with one headlight and two lower lights forming a triangle. These lower lights have come to be called “ditch lights” too.
On BC Rail, the earlier units had two sets of ditch lights. One set crossed each other, while the other set pointed straight.
In some cases, other railroads had been using ditch lights before they were required. The UP for example, modified SD40-2’s 3396-3399 and 3410-3414 for leading-position trains on the Canadian Pacific along Eastport, Idaho. This was in February 1978.
Interesting comment on the father-Bush’s participation in mandating ditch lights. Regardless of motivation, what the heck??? What? He was bored after Desert Storm? Unfortunately, foolish behavior and plain old inattention have not improved that much due to extra lights on trains.