FRRYkid, I am not a BN guy, but the lighting would depend on the importance and activity level of the yard. In most yards, lighting is mostly concentratedin the areas of human activity: yard office, crew caller's office, engine terminal/service area, car repair, the pin pulling area of a hump or flat switching yard. Most yards are pretty dark, places once you get away from the afore mentioned locations. Remember, there is a reason railroaders carried lights, even in the mega-yards. Yards are not lit up like Sunday night football!
Got yet another one for my Forum friends: How well lit would one expect to find a rail yard in the 1970s? Just curious if I need to order more lights for my layout. If it helps, the prototype railroad is the Burlington Northern.
As usual, thank you for any assistance that can be provided.