The Classic Trains Special Issue, Fantastic 4-8-4 Locomotives, just arrived. I noticed that several of the locomotives, but far from all, had a red headlight. See the cover and page 64 in particular.What was the purpose of this red light?
When was it used?
When used, was it steady or flashing?
Why did some roads have them while most others did not?
Modern locomotives don't have a red headlight, so when was this practice abandoned?
See, for example, http://www.flyerguide.net/viewphoto.php?id=382182
RJ Emery near Santa Fe, NM
These are not "headlights." They were in use, burning steadily, when the engines were being run in reverse, and then were markers, indicating the end of the train. It was the prerogative of a road to have such lights permanently mounted; there was no requirement. Of course, any time that an engine was operating in reverse on a main, it had to show red to what was the rear of the train.
Back in the fifties, I saw a diesel engine moving light through a station with red markers at the rear; I do not recall the exact lashup, but I think it was an A-A.
Johnny
I've read that the 844 would use her light when in a station stop at night to indiacate to to passing trains, and workmen, that passengers were loading and unloading from the train.
-Justin
The road to to success is always under construction. _____________________________________________________________________________ When the going gets tough, the tough use duct tape.
The light was used by a locomotive when the track next to it had people fouling the main line. It would typically be used during a unscheduled stop where passengers might get off. It would be used to warn the train coming in the other direction that there maybe people on the tracks. Some examples would be....
A passenger train broke down and the passengers are crossing the tracks to get to the road or bus on the other side.
A steam or diesel locomotive has broken down or derailed and there is people or machinery on the track next to it.
Special trains such as ski trains letting passengers off at a stop not normally serviced by the train.
The light moves back and forth just like a Mars light.
I believe the majority of railroads that carried passengers both in the steam and diesel era had red lights on their locomotives...Union pacific, Southern pacific, Milwaukee road, CB&Q, etc.
The red lights were probably abandoned around the late 1970's when Amtrak took over passenger service. Since the red lights were used mostly in passenger service there was really no need to keep them on the locomotives used by freight service.
Southern pacific was the last of the railroads to have those red lights installed on their locomotives mostly on their SD40T-2's in the early 1970's. That light along with the Mars light was gradually removed over the years. One of the rules of the FRA is that everything including the lights must be in operational condition. If a Mars light didn't work or the red light on the nose didn't work the locomotive could not be used. Compounding the problem was a shortage of parts and lens from a company that no longer existed.
Since SP no longer hauled passengers the red lights and the Mars lights were removed to keep problems down to a minimum for the mechanics. The would typically be removed when they broke, when the locomotive was getting a new paint job, or a major overhaul.
If you ever see the 844 early in the morning before it departs they will test all the lights including the red light. You have to be fast as it is only on for a few seconds.
The red light on SP locomotives would be illuminated when an emergency brake application occured.
Several modern passenger locomotives, including Amtrak's AEM-7 locomotives, have a red strobe that flashes in case of an emergency stop. The purpose is to advise any trains approaching the stopped/stopping train that an emergency has occurred, and to be on the lookout for anything from debris or persons on the tracks to a derailed car.
Thanks for the question and info, everyone. I rode behind #844 last fall on the steam special and also saw her come into town after our route won the Facebook contest. I've noticed the red light and figured it was there for a reason, but didn't know why.
Now I do.
From the 1968 Uniform Code of Operating Rules (because I had a copy handy)
"Rule 17 (b). Red Oscillating Headlight.-- On engines equippped with a red oscillating headlight, such headlight will be displayed by day or by night when train is stopped suddenly under circumstances in which adjacent tracks may be fouled, or when head end protection is required.
The red oscillating headlight must be extingquished when necessity no longer exists.
A headlight burning red is a signal for an approaching train on the same or adjacent track to stop before passing such headlight, and be governed by conditions."
Some railroads in the late steam era added these lights to some of their steam engines, both freight and passenger. Mars was one of the manufactures of such lights.
Jeff
FWIW, Metra F40's are all equipped with oscillating red lights. I've never used one, but they are there.
This use was also specified for the red light on the CNW H-class Northerns, according to a 1932 employee timetable. In addition, the red light was to be illuminated any time the train was stopped other than in response to action by the engine crew. The instructions in the employee timetables also provided for use of this as the headlight (with the red element removed) in the event that the normal headlight was inoperable. Hope this helps, Art
artpeterson ... the red light was to be illuminated any time the train was stopped other than in response to action by the engine crew ....
... the red light was to be illuminated any time the train was stopped other than in response to action by the engine crew ....
Art,
What are some of the ways the train would be stopped involuntarily? Passenger pulling an emergency cord? Broken air hose? What else? Why wouldn't the red headlight be illuminated in such circumstances as well?
Also, when the red light is on, is the headlight switched off?
My experience, YES, swithced off so as not to blind the hogger of an oncoming train so he would be sure to see the red light. On the New York Central, a red headlight was not used. But there were the two electric marker lights each side of the front of the top of boiler, and these had multiple filters, white for an extra, green for second section, and red for running in reverse at the rear of a train or for all emergencies. There may have been a yellow filter as well, but I don't know what it would be used for or whether it was included. When running at the front of a scheduled train in the usual direction without a second section, the markers were not lit, just the white headlight.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.