Best hood forward.

[Electroliner 1935]

Yes, Even our 1902 Interurban Car #20 headlight has a three position switch, Off, Dim, and Bright. Just like the big boy's

[jeffhergert]

BigJim

 

 

jeffhergert

I've had the chance to run some with the flashing ditch lights.  I prefer the ones that don't.  Especially in foggy/misty conditions.

 

 

I never had any problem with the flashing ditch lights. Didn't bother me at all. However, what did drive me crazy was that the NS purchased SD70's with a bell that was automatically turned on when the horn was blown and you COULD NOT turn the **** thing off!!! You had to wait until it cycled off...grrrr!!!

 

 

I suppose it has to do with what you're used too.

I remember once back when I was a conductor, we were on an SD60 where the railroad had wired in an after market alerter.  The engineer called my attention to the fact that everytime he blew the horn the sanders came on.

The bell did too, but all the ones we have where the bell comes on with the horn one can shut off the bell.  There are times when the bell button won't turn on the bell and you have to blow the horn to get it to ring.  The button will still shut it off.

Jeff 

[SD70Dude]

tree68

Paul of Covington

  I didn't know you had multiple settings.  How many are there?

I think most units have two (plus off), ie, low and high.

We have one unit that has three, plus off.

If you see a DPU on the rear of the train, the headlight will be at the low setting, serving as the rear marker.

It varies between locomotive models and the individual railroad's specifications.

Most modern units have dim, medium and bright.  If the ditchlight switch/breaker is turned on, the ditchlights come on automatically when the headlight switch is moved to bright, and turn off again when it is moved to medium. 

On CN, SD70 and newer EMD units have ditchlight switches on the control stand.  The Engineer is able to select whether or not the ditchlights will turn on at each end of the locomotive when the headlight switch is moved to bright.  It's been a while, but I recall the SD60F's as being similar, they of course did not have rear ditchlights. 

This setup also allows for proper ditchlight operation at the rear of the locomotive consist when multiple units are coupled together. 

The C40-8M's (cowls) and C44-9WL's (four window CN cab) are similar to the EMD's I described above.  The rest of the Dash-9's allow you to select which end of the locomotive they will turn on at, but you can only turn them off completely by flicking the breaker.

On all the GEVO's the ditchlights turn on whenever each headlight switch is moved to bright.  But GE forgot how to send the ditchlight signal to trailing units.  When you have a mutiple unit consist and turn the rear headlight switch to bright the headlight turns on at the far end of the last unit, but the ditchlights only turn on at the rear of the controlling unit.  The only way to override this is to turn the ditchlight breaker off. 

Older units that have been retrofitted with ditchlights often have a separate on/off switch for them on the control stand, they are not affected at all by the headlight switches.  On these units it is possible to turn the headlight off and still have the ditchlights on, thereby unknowingly blinding oncoming trains/traffic during the day.

[Paul of Covington]

   Thanks, SD70Dude.   And I thought the video arcade dashboard in my new car was confusing.

[zugmann]

SD70Dude

Older units that have been retrofitted with ditchlights often have a separate on/off switch for them on the control stand, they are not affected at all by the headlight switches. On these units it is possible to turn the headlight off and still have the ditchlights on, thereby unknowingly blinding oncoming trains/traffic during the day.

Some of ours had the ditchlights wired into the reverser.  So they would "follow" the reverser and shine whichever way it was thrown. 

[jeffhergert]

We have some light switches that have Dim, Medium, Bright, and Bright + Auxilary positions.  You would think every order would always have the same arrangement, but they don't.

Usually turning the switch all the way to the right would give you bright and ditchlights.  One order of GE's had that position as Dim and Ditchlights.  Bright and Ditchlights was one position short.  One becomes use to turning the switch all the way after dimming the light when required.  That set up made one keep on their toes.  I haven't seen one like that for awhile.  They may have changed out that positioning arrangement.

Jeff

[SD70Dude]

zugmann

SD70Dude

Older units that have been retrofitted with ditchlights often have a separate on/off switch for them on the control stand, they are not affected at all by the headlight switches. On these units it is possible to turn the headlight off and still have the ditchlights on, thereby unknowingly blinding oncoming trains/traffic during the day.

Some of ours had the ditchlights wired into the reverser.  So they would "follow" the reverser and shine whichever way it was thrown. 

We still have some older units running around with portable ditchlights that run off the MU plug.  They turn on whenever the reverser is moved to their direction.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/367717/

Note the 'white fleet' boarding cars (Atco trailers on flatcars) farther back in the train.

Jeff - I had forgotten about those GE units with the extra position on the headlight switches.  Some of our ES44DC's have it too.

[zugmann]

I always tell new guys (or my conductors that I ramble off to in the hope they may some day find a kernal of wisdom in my fields of free advice) to always go outside and check their headlights when it's daylight and they are taking over a train/swapping an engine/changing ends etc.  Just in case a headlight switch is messed up, or a breaker is dropped.