I believe thats what they are called, the two lights low and to the outside on the front of locomotives. Can anyone tell me when they were a mandatory item on US locomotives? And what event may have prompted their use?
Jason
They are called ditch lights, not trench lights:
Ditch lights: A pair of lights, usually found on modern locomotives, located several feet below and outboard of the main headlight, that may alternately flash when the train is sounding its horn.
"Ditch light" refers to the "ditch" or area of the right-of-way located immediately forward of the locomotive, to either side of the track that this light illuminates. These lights are designed to increase the visibility of the train crews themselves, thus providing an added margin of safety against potential hazards that might exist in those areas. This explains, also, the use of a wider focal angle than that recommended for "crossing lights."
Sec. 229.133 Interim locomotive conspicuity measures--auxiliary external lights. 1993