The discussion on nose doors made me think 1. Why do railroads place an order for locomotives with high headlights and then the next batch might be ordered with low headlights?
2. Is there a difference in price for locomotives with high and low headlights?
caldreamer The discussion on nose doors made me think 1. Why do railroads place an order for locomotives with high headlights and then the next batch might be ordered with low headlights? 2. Is there a difference in price for locomotives with high and low headlights?
1. Whims of the Chief Mechanical Officer, based on the latest expert opinion du jour. For a while the thoughts were that the more openings cut into the nose walls (headlights, door, number boards) the more likely the nose wouldn't hold up as well in a catastrophic incident. OTOH, placing the headlight up high, in fog/mist/rain/snow, the light's reflection off the weather conditions is more blinding to the crew.
2. I don't know.
Jeff
SP had the (b)right idea .. use both locations .. :)
I remember after the BNSF merger the countless SD40s with nose jobs.
Over time, there did seem to be a preference (not universal however) of having the headlight lower down. The earliest passenger diesels with two headlights usually had the regular headlight on top, and the Mars/strobing light on the bottom. By about 1950 that had reversed so the regular headlight was the lower (door mounted on an E or F unit) light, and the Mars or emergency red light was in the upper position.
jeffhergert OTOH, placing the headlight up high, in fog/mist/rain/snow, the light's reflection off the weather conditions is more blinding to the crew.
OTOH, placing the headlight up high, in fog/mist/rain/snow, the light's reflection off the weather conditions is more blinding to the crew.
As far as I've heard before, this is often given as one of the reasons low headlights were basically universal on Canadian locomotives. Also, most Canadian locomotives had the bell mounted up between the numberboards in place of the high headlight position, where they wouldn't get plugged up with ice/snow vs. being mounted under the frame by the trucks.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
Units with the headlight above the windshield are referred to as "cyclops" units by Canadian crews. They are not popular due to the aforementioned glare.
I've heard that NS likes the high-mounted headlights because they are afraid of someone filing a injury complaint after burning themselves on a hot lightbulb.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
SD70DudeI've heard that NS likes the high-mounted headlights because they are afraid of someone filing a injury complaint after burning themselves on a hot lightbulb.
So no industrial engineers out there thought of potentially recessing the headlight or placing it behind a protective lens? Even mounting it on the external side of the handrails?
SD70Dude I've heard that NS likes the high-mounted headlights because they are afraid of someone filing a injury complaint after burning themselves on a hot lightbulb.
Been there, done that. Nasty burn..
they are afraid of someone filing a injury complaint after burning themselves on a hot lightbulb.
They ARE HOT!
Thank You!
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