Head light on the BNSF GP38-2.

[Anonymous]

I have a Question.
Why does the BNSF have the head light on the Nose of the Locomotive and not on the Cab anymore? And not just the BNSF but other Railroads too.
And alot of other Power there are so many Locomotives that have Head & Nose lights. Thanks.
BNSFrailfan.

[nanaimo73]

Canadian railways prefer the lights on the nose to reduce the glare in the crew's eyes at night.

[eolafan]

For what it's worth, this is the reason so very many (most) locomotive had hte top of hte short hood painted a mat black or some other mat dark color so as to minimize the reflection of the top mounted headlight off of the nose and annoy the crew in the cab.

[kenneo]

On the GP 38, look for a "blank" welded where a headlight would normally be mounted above the cab windows. You should find one there and it would be for a MARS/GYRALITE that had been removed. Probably an ex "Q" unit or perhaps ex-ATSF. ATSF had them both ways on their GP-39's. The "normal" (non-oscillating) headlight would be on the nose.

With the light up high, the light will illuminate farther down the track. However, as stated above, there are reflection problems.

The worst reflections come in fog where the crew has to look through the lit up fog to see anything when the light is mounted on the cab. With the light mounted on the nose, the crew looks over the top of the light and vision is relatively good, for fog. Same problem for rain and snow.

To fully understand the problem, you might mount a temporary light above your car windshield and then try to drive at night with your regular headlights out and the temproary light on. Then drive with the temp light out and your headlights on. The difference is VERY noticable.

[eolafan]

Next time you see a hood unit with the headlights mounted "high" you wil notice that many have a small "deflector" (for lack of a better word) mounted onto the headlight housing and jutting out from below the lower of the two headlights (from both lights if they are mounted side by side rather than one over the other). These are intended to minimize the reflective glare to the cab crew.

[BNSFGP38]

Momma, why did the man ask about my headlights????

Oh you, wernt talking about me. Tah Tah.[C):-)][D)]

[fuzzybroken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kenneo

With the light up high, the light will illuminate farther down the track. However, as stated above, there are reflection problems.

The worst reflections come in fog where the crew has to look through the lit up fog to see anything when the light is mounted on the cab. With the light mounted on the nose, the crew looks over the top of the light and vision is relatively good, for fog. Same problem for rain and snow.

To fully understand the problem, you might mount a temporary light above your car windshield and then try to drive at night with your regular headlights out and the temproary light on. Then drive with the temp light out and your headlights on. The difference is VERY noticable.

That's an awesome analysis of the situation! Might be worth trying sometime too...[}:)]

-Mark
www.fuzzyworld3.com

[Anonymous]

Second all from the BNSF GP38-2 Head light Question.
If there is a problem that crews don't like the head light glair from cab head lights then why did the Union Pacific order over one thousand SD70M's with the head light on the cabs? And also the SD70ACe's have them too. The AC44CW's & the ES45AC CTE's have the head light on the nose. Now I am lost. If the crews don't like them because of the light glair then why order them? BNSFrailfan.

[kenneo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

Second all from the BNSF GP38-2 Head light Question.
If there is a problem that crews don't like the head light glair from cab head lights then why did the Union Pacific order over one thousand SD70M's with the head light on the cabs? And also the SD70ACe's have them too. The AC44CW's & the ES45AC CTE's have the head light on the nose. Now I am lost. If the crews don't like them because of the light glair then why order them? BNSFrailfan.

The simple answer is that that is the way EMD and GE designed the locomotives. To move the headlight costs money -- lots of it.

There are FRA issues involved with moving the light, also. The FRA treats modifications to Safety Appliances (which headlights are) in much the same manner that the FAA treats modifications to aircraft. Total recertification required of the redesigned item and its application to the locomotive.

The wishes of the crews seldom (almost never) have anything to do with what the mechanical department purchases. The PM usually doesn't care whether the item makes the job harder to do or easier to do.

[Gluefinger]

I remember reading that a couple of years ago, UP ran a study about cabs during crashes. If I'm not mistaken, it was found that the nose door windows and headlights broke first in a collision, and so were going to be moved (or plated over in the case of the windows) on the new locomotive orders.

Now the high mounted headlight reasoning makes sense with the SD70Ms, but it still doesn't make sense for the GE's- it's not that GE has stopped offering high-mounted headlights (NS still orders them)

[arbfbe]

Each railroad CMO has their idea about which location works best. The ATSF had settled on the lower location and after the BNSF merger the new management started moving the lights to the nose with a vengence. The FRA sets a spec for the headlight and it appears both the high and low mounting meet that spec so I doubt any railroad needs specific permission to relocate from one to the other. The headlights in the nose location are backed up with a solid metal plate and there is no danger of flammable liquids reaching the cab from those lights if they are broken out. In the higher location there is the number board box behind the bulbs and that no longer has access from the cab so there is no danger of materials getting to the cab from there either. GE doesn't care if they are high or low, they build the cab sheet metal and wiring harnesses both ways.