I read someplace that some yards have proximity lighting, where an approaching train or car movement triggers temporarily lit stretches (programmable for various distances) of track- like when you go into a particular aisle of bookshelves in a library and the lights turn on for a while. That might require more, rather than less, light towers- but they are not always on (although the intial capital outlay for such might be a bit of change!). That would be an interesting thing to recreate as an oprating feature on a yard layout space!
Cedarwoodron
tomikawaTTWithout doing any research (my bad) I imagine that there's some standard for minimum illumination (set by the railroad, local code or OSHA.) The illumination plan then provides for that standard, plus one lumen per square whatever, in the most poorly lit part of the yard.
Chuck,
I suspect there's not a standard, at least for RR yards per se. Instead, what I've noticed about yard lighting is that it tends to be task-oriented. There's almost always a reason for the initial investment or continuing expense of running an outside lighting system.
Places where I've noticed lighting associated with yards are locomotive service facilities, around station areas and platforms, hump yards, TOFC/COFC lifts, caboose tracks, inspection points, RIP tracks, etc.
But there a lot of unlit area in yards that do have overhead lighting. And there are lots of yards with little or no lighting. Since RRs are a 24/7 business, they often need illumination for certain tasks, but they rarely just leave the lights on without a good reason.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Just took a look at Bailey Yard. The tall light towers are at least 150 feet high, appear to be spaced about 200 yards apart and have a lot more than two or four floodlights. These are modern, single-pole towers. Can't help but wonder how anyone gets up there to change light bulbs. Ladder on the inside, perhaps?
There was another photo, location unidentified, where the towers were tapered steel trusses. Height, spacing and lamp count were similar to the Bailey Yard specimens.
Without doing any research (my bad) I imagine that there's some standard for minimum illumination (set by the railroad, local code or OSHA.) The illumination plan then provides for that standard, plus one lumen per square whatever, in the most poorly lit part of the yard.
The best bet is to try to find out what your prototype was doing during the era you model.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with ill-lit yards)
Joe Staten Island West
I based my yard lighting of the UP Denver North Yard.
I placed mine about 12" apart. I also included a larger tall light post you see in the background here.
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
Every yard would be different, so I don't think you're going to find anything to go by for setting up your own.
How far apart were the yard towers & where were they used, can't find any info on them. That's the towers that had either 2 or 4 spot lights attached to them.