RMweb Premium Daddyman Posted September 10, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 10, 2011 Hello, Does anyone know when flashing tail lights were introduced? Thanks in advance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beacon Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 A quick search on Google leads to http://www.railwayforum.net/archive/index.php/t-8698.html which suggests 1987 in a reply from 21st October about half way down. I'm no expert myself but hopefully it helps as a starting point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 I first saw these on the back of WCML trains at Glasgow Central in November 1985 if this is any help to you. Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted September 11, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 11, 2011 When did BR start phasing out parafin tail lamps? IIRC the only reason for flashing tail lamps was to increase the time between battery replacement / charging as in a comparison test a parafin lamp lasted longer than a battery lamp that stayed lit all the time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Daddyman Posted September 11, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 11, 2011 Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 11, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 11, 2011 When did BR start phasing out parafin tail lamps? IIRC the only reason for flashing tail lamps was to increase the time between battery replacement / charging as in a comparison test a parafin lamp lasted longer than a battery lamp that stayed lit all the time. Battery electric tail lamps came into regular use around the mid 1970s although initially for restricted types and numbers of trains. Development versions had been around a little longer as far as I can recall. I think the main reasons for oil lamps lasting so long were cost, durability, and reliability but tinsmithing prices began to rise sharply in the 1970s (not helped by BR cutting back ever more on its own repair and manufacturing capability) while at the same time advances in battery technology were making possible reasonable sized lamps which could last a round trip on some freight flows and by 1976 BE Tail lamps were being used on a limited number of passenger stock diagrams as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stuartp Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 When did BR start phasing out parafin tail lamps? They were increasingly rare from the late 80s, and they were banned altogether sometime in the early 90s (1994 ?). I had one in my office at Appleby in 1992-4 for emergency use, which of course was never issued on the grounds that we only had one and someone else mght need it, and the guard should have a Badic in any case. In restrospect I should have made the effort to use it on something - a sprinter with an oil tail lamp would have raised a few eyebrows ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Accord Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 BR did produce a last batch of Oil lamps in the early/mid 80s, however since the 'electric' revolution was in full swing these were stashed away in a store for many years. In the mid 90s they eventually found their way to the much lamented BR Collectors Corner (which by this time had migrated to York) and I purchased one of said lamps whilst on a visit to the NRM. It was still wrapped in the original brown paper packaging and brand new - it now adorns my railway room! Oil lamps lasted in revenue service in Scotland until the late 80s - I'm pretty sure I saw one as late as 1990 on the Far North line. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
6Y99 Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 The Battery Electric Tail lamps saw greater use after an accident at Wigan in the early 1980s a Speedlink Train ran into the back of an Freightliner train who's oil lamp had gone out the train was on a permissive goods line at the time and didn't see the stationary container train till the last moment and ran into the back of the train at slow speed but it was still enough to kill the driver of the Speedlink train. The accident report can be found on the railways archive website and the main recommendation's was to phase out oil tail lamps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Page 31 of this paper refers to introduction of a flashing LED tail lamp from 1987. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 The main reason was the introduction of DOO trains for the use of BETL's. Mark Saunders Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpole Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I remember seeing a documentary filmed at Swindon in 1984/85 featuring a tinsmith making a brand new paraffin tail lamp, I can't quite remember the name of the programme though; quite an intricate and skilled process, and I was surprised to see it was being perpetuated at such a late date. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Daddyman Posted September 15, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 15, 2011 Thanks for the posts since my last thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggy1953 Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Sorry to tag onto this post, but are the tail lamps on a carriage sited on the Left or right looking at the back, or does it not matter. Only reason i ask is i want to fit one to a 00 gauge parcel van. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted October 18, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 18, 2012 Sorry to tag onto this post, but are the tail lamps on a carriage sited on the Left or right looking at the back, or does it not matter. Only reason i ask is i want to fit one to a 00 gauge parcel van. They go on the easiest side to reach - if the Guard etc is on a station platform when the train is lamped he will plonk it on the nearer of the two brackets. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggy1953 Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 They go on the easiest side to reach - if the Guard etc is on a station platform when the train is lamped he will plonk it on the nearer of the two brackets. Many thanks for your reply. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdseyecircus Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I always thought they were introduced following the inquiry into the collision at Salford when 45147 ran into the back of an oil train in the late 80's Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I first saw flashing tail lamps around 1988.....on the North wales coast... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol_Rich Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 This thread has just reminded me... Recently I noticed the use of 'different' tail lamps which have a different flashing sequence to tradtitional tail lamps...are these new lamps? Instead of the typical 2 flash per sec, I noticed that these have a higher frequency of flash 3-4 per sec and then followed by a long pause - 1sec followed by 3-4 per sec? From memory they also appeared to have red reflective 'marker stickers' all over the vertical faces? New style lamps...LED? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Can some body remind me who does these in 4mm scale. Non working please. Merf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 8, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 8, 2013 When did BR start phasing out parafin tail lamps? IIRC the only reason for flashing tail lamps was to increase the time between battery replacement / charging as in a comparison test a parafin lamp lasted longer than a battery lamp that stayed lit all the time. The idea of flashing tail lamps was to make them distinguishable from signal lights and handsignals as well as making them more 'obvious' and to prevent them being pinched for other jobs where a red light was required.. Instructions wise the original battery charging arrangements and time in service for both the flashing and non-flashing versions were basically similar. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted July 8, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 8, 2013 Can some body remind me who does these in 4mm scale. Non working please. Merf. Springside do nice cast ones that I often drill out and fit fibre optics to. Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Springside do nice cast ones that I often drill out and fibre fibre optics to. Cheers, Mick Thanks Mick, will give them a go. I had some years ago but forgot where from. Merf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Scott Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 They go on the easiest side to reach - if the Guard etc is on a station platform when the train is lamped he will plonk it on the nearer of the two brackets. Not allways true. The LH bracket on a MK1 is higher than the RH side. Both are easy to access from a platform but LH a bit of a from the ground. If its oneself who has to remove it one might take the trouble to use the lower bracket if you expect the platform to be on other side. If someone else is to remove it different matter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrel Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 I seem to recall oil lamps coming to an end when I was a junior railman at Glasgow central. So that would be 1990 / 91 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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