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129:-fueled headlights were developed as well in the 1850s. The discovery of electricity soon led to experiments with using it to power locomotive lights, with the first-known example, a battery operated light, being tested in Russia in 1874. In 1883, a railroad company in France also experimented with electrical lights, but the first example to go into production was designed by an American inventor in 1897. In 1915, the United States Congress passed a law mandating every train be equipped with an electric headlight, ending all debate about their utility. Twin-sealed beam headlights were also invented after the end of
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Despite experiments and advances in headlight technology in the 1800s, the very idea of using headlights on trains was for a long time controversial. As late as 1886, a railroad official in the United States was quoted as saying "On a road engine the headlight is of no earthly use to the engineer; it
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made them a requirement on locomotives. The United States followed suit with a
December 31, 1997, deadline for all "equipment operating over public grade crossings at speeds greater than 20 mph" to be equipped with ditch lights. Limited exceptions exist for historical equipment. Regulations set out
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that are positioned closer to the track than normal headlights. They are used to make trains easier to spot, for safety. Many ditch lights are also designed to flash when a train sounds its horn, for additional visibility. Early versions of ditch lights were introduced on railroads in North
America
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In the 21st century, the first two types of classification lights are seldom used, but several railroad companies continue the use of red marker lights to indicate the rear of a train. This is particularly used when locomotives are pushing a train from the rear - seeing red marker lights indicates
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Also known as marker lights, these are used to provide information on the type and status of a train. Traditionally, classification lights existed in three colors: white lights indicated an "extra" train (a train that is not scheduled but added due to demand), green lights were displayed on a
314:, there are often indicator lights above each external door that illuminate when the door is open. These allow the train crew to ensure a train does not leave a station until all doors are closed. In newer trains, they also flash when the door closes.
46:, and frequently on the rear as well. Other types of lights include classification lights, which indicate train direction and status, and ditch lights, which are a pair of lights positioned towards the bottom of a train to illuminate the tracks.
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obstructs his vision so that he cannot see his switch lights, and I think that every thinking engineer will come to the conclusion that he would rather run in the night without a lamp, than with it, as he can see better in the dark".
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97:: a box made of sheet metal and incorporating a reflector. Mass production of locomotive headlights was started in 1838 in that state, and by 1850 they were a common sight on trains in the United States. By the dawn of the
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74:, followed by a giant reflector on a second flatcar, pushed by a locomotive. While this method of illumination was impractical, other experimentation continued. One early method was to hang a number of
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To ensure that the rear of the failed train is always visible, all trains are required to display three red lights at their rear: two tail lamps plus the red portion of the destination roller blind.
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The
Locomotive Headlight: A Review of Their Development and Aid to Train Movement, with Especial Reference to a Reduction of the Dangers Involved. The Merits of Different Lights by Those who Know
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The earliest trains did not run at night, but the need for running trains at night soon became apparent. In the United States, early records of headlight usage date back to 1832: that year,
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A door indicator light is located above this Amtrak conductor. An internal door indicator light can also be seen behind him. To his left are brake indicator lights.
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the position of ditch lights, including how far apart they are from each other and their height above the rails. The predecessor of the ditch lights was the
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is often used to indicate the locomotive is not occupied. Strobe lights are also used on normal locomotives as a means of making the train more visible.
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Despite the widespread use of locomotive headlights in North
America, in the United Kingdom trains typically ran without true headlights at night.
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Trains include a variety of types of lights, for safety, illumination, and communicating train status. The most universal type of light is the
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Ditch lights, also known as auxiliary lights or crossing lights, are additional lights at the front and sometimes rear of a locomotive or
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regularly scheduled train that was being followed by additional sections (extra train(s)), and red lights indicated the rear of a train.
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The
Locomotive Engine and Its Development A Popular Treatise on the Gradual Improvements Made in Railway Engines Between 1803 and 1892
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devised the first known locomotive headlight - though his "headlight" consisted of a burning pile of wood on a
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was not built with ditch lights, but has had them added later, as can be seen by the exposed wires
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Meza-Arroyo, Manuel; Shibata, Peggy A.; Sprague, James K.; Capser, Shawn (October 2020).
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In the later 1830s, the first proper train headlight was built by two mechanics in
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which was delivered in 1832 had a coal basket that acted as a head and tail lamp.
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432:"Compliance Testing for Locomotive LED Headlights and Auxiliary Lights, Phase II"
671:"Prospects for improving the conspicuity of trains at passive railway crossings"
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Trains in the United
Kingdom have separate headlights for day and night usage.
579:"Pyle National Raiload Locomotive Dual Beam Headlight Conversion | #309701665"
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766:"The derailed locomotive was remote-controlled: Train technology explained"
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208:. Here, they are used to indicate the line and destination of the train.
101:, nearly every locomotive in the country was equipped with a headlight.
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Work
Instructions for D.C. Electrified Lines on the Northern City Line
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off the front of a locomotive. In 1892 Clement E. Stretton writing in
795:"Interim locomotive conspicuity measures - auxiliary external lights"
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The two lights above the coaches' letters are door indicator lights.
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that the train is moving away from the viewer, not towards them.
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A History of the
American Locomotive: Its Development, 1830-1880
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came with a twin-sealed beam headlight for most of its life.
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The headlight on this train helps it stand out at night
229:. Emergency lights are usually red, and often flash.
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includes a typical 19th century locomotive headlight
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British Rail Class 444036 has it day headlights on.
711:"The history behind a locomotive's ditch lights"
8:
472:. Marshall & Bruce Company Print. 1911.
225:These lights activate when a train makes an
125:Early headlights were fueled by oil, though
825:"Passenger Train Exterior Side Door Safety"
603:"Visibility of trains – what's changing?"
80:The Locomotive Engine and Its Development
204:Classification lights on a train on the
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29:
805:from the original on September 12, 2021
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874:. London, UK: Network Rail. June 2007.
745:from the original on November 2, 2021
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687:from the original on January 20, 2017
536:. CrosbyLockwood and Son. p. 41.
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42:, which is included on the front of
764:Mayhew, Chris (January 25, 2021).
709:Guss, Chris (September 26, 2022).
678:Australian Transport Safety Bureau
641:"Locomotive classification lights"
448:from the original on July 18, 2021
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851:"Railway Safety Regulations 1999"
735:"Headlights and auxiliary lights"
639:Schauer, David C. (May 1, 2006).
84:Stockton & Darlington Railway
669:Cairney, Peter (December 2003).
396:
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160:
776:from the original on 2021-03-03
651:from the original on 2021-03-25
476:from the original on 2021-11-02
439:Federal Railroad Administration
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530:Stretton, Clement E. (1892).
503:White, John H. (1979-01-01).
799:Code of Federal Regulations
739:Code of Federal Regulations
227:emergency brake application
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379:
280:remote control locomotives
27:Lights installed on trains
259:Canadian National Railway
243:Canadian National Railway
617:"Log in to keep reading"
551:"Locomotive Headlights"
509:. Courier Corporation.
312:passenger railroad cars
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298:Door indicator lights
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196:Classification lights
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60:Union Pacific No. 119
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382:End-of-train device
376:End-of-train device
261:, and by the 1970s
831:. December 7, 2015
352:. You can help by
322:The rearlights on
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172:. You can help by
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99:American Civil War
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801:. April 9, 2012.
741:. April 9, 2012.
516:978-0-486-23818-0
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403:Trains portal
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109:Nickel Plate Road
86:locomotive No.23
82:claimed that the
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380:Main article:
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833:. Retrieved
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770:The Enquirer
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361:October 2022
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354:adding to it
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284:strobe light
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233:Ditch lights
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181:October 2022
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174:adding to it
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131:World War II
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18:Ditch lights
835:November 3,
809:November 2,
749:November 2,
691:November 2,
563:November 2,
452:November 2,
324:locomotives
206:Chicago "L"
88:Wilberforce
44:locomotives
886:Categories
780:2021-11-02
720:2022-10-03
655:2021-11-02
588:2022-01-07
583:Worthpoint
480:2021-11-02
417:References
268:Mars Light
40:headlight
803:Archived
774:Archived
743:Archived
682:Archived
649:Archived
474:Archived
443:Archived
411:Headlamp
387:See also
332:railcars
127:kerosene
95:New York
76:lanterns
556:The Day
254:cab car
246:EMD FP9
115:No. 765
72:flatcar
50:History
715:Trains
645:Trains
513:
854:(PDF)
685:(PDF)
674:(PDF)
446:(PDF)
435:(PDF)
241:This
140:Types
112:2-8-4
837:2021
811:2021
751:2021
693:2021
565:2021
511:ISBN
454:2021
330:and
282:, a
356:.
310:On
278:On
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
