Tail lamps and side lights

[Jon Fitness]

I've fitted working side and tail lamps to a 7mm scale Slaters LMS brake van. (Battery powered, will switch on and off by pressing the stove chimney when finished). The side lamps are red/white LEDs so in theory, with a bit of complicated switchery I could have whites on the sides.

The question is, when were the side reds altered to white during the trains journey?

Cheers

Jon F.

[Miss Prism]

As I understand it, brake van side lamps showed white toward the front, so that drivers could see they were still attached. The side lamps were presumably not demounted until the goods duty was completed. No doubt the 'sperts will be along soon to give chapter and verse!

[Poor Old Bruce]

I think I am right here: on double track lines, a goods train was expected to display three red lights at the rear - one tail light and two side lights. On multiple track lines, the side lamp nearer to the Main Line was to be altered to show a white light to the rear (as Tea Boy says to indicate to trains on the Main that the goods train was in fact on the other line).

 

What I am not sure about (this one has just occurred to me) is whether a goods train on the main line should show a white rear side light on the goods line side or whether fully fitted goods trains required side lights.

 

HTH

Richard

[The Stationmaster]

I think I am right here: on double track lines, a goods train was expected to display three red lights at the rear - one tail light and two side lights. On multiple track lines, the side lamp nearer to the Main Line was to be altered to show a white light to the rear (as Tea Boy says to indicate to trains on the Main that the goods train was in fact on the other line).

 

What I am not sure about (this one has just occurred to me) is whether a goods train on the main line should show a white rear side light on the goods line side or whether fully fitted goods trains required side lights.

 

HTH

Richard

 

This can be an area of great fun and entertainment - I have in my possession several nice little drawings of very multiple track areas where someone in the Rules Section had the job of working out (for publication) which lamps should be displayed on what line

 

We've got the most basic stuff already - 3 reds on ordinary double line (or a single line), change the side light nearest another running line to white when running on a Slow/Relief Line (or when in a goods loop etc). Where it could get really complicated was if there were three or more lines in the same direction - and that's when special Instructions were isuued in the relevant Sectional Appendix etc (from those little drawings which had been used to work out a method for that location). The usual Instruction for a Goods Loop on the GWR for instance was that the side lights were not to be exhibited; another GWR difference (prior to 1941) was that if a train was running on a Relief Line the sidelight nearest to the Main Line was to be removed.

 

The 1950 Rule Book brought about a number of changes - fully fitted trains only carried a tail lamp (prior to then only LNER fully fitted freight had run without side lamps while Southern freights had only had side lamps and no tail lamp). The ruling for Goods loops also changed (from what the GWR had done, not sure about other Companies) and freights on loops adoining Relief or Slow Lines carried three reds (on a loop adjoining a Main or Fast Lne it was a white on the side nearest that line and still a white on the Main Line side when running on a Relief Line etc)

[LNERGE]

sounds like someone needs to produce a special function decoder so we can change our sidelights depending on which line we are on to comply with the rulebook. I'm still getting my head round fitting one tail light but sidelights were as important as tail lights.

[Penrhos1920]

I've fitted working side and tail lamps to a 7mm scale Slaters LMS brake van. (Battery powered, will switch on and off by pressing the stove chimney when finished). The side lamps are red/white LEDs so in theory, with a bit of complicated switchery I could have whites on the sides.

The question is, when were the side reds altered to white during the trains journey?

Cheers

Jon F.

 

 

Jon,

 

You could use a DCC concepts FlcikerFree unit instead of the batteries. That way you'd never need to change the batteries as the charging is done from the track. And presumably a little flip flop circuit that could change your side light colours to suit the direction of travel?

 

Richard

[Jon Fitness]

Many thanks for all the replies chaps, it's certainly given me food for thought. As I'm all DC I can't chip anything although the control methods of the lights you've suggested sounds superb. I was thinking something along the lines of a reed switch on the wagon and a magnet at each end of a loop line. I've tried the LED's on the 4.5v of 3AAA batteries but it isn't enough to change the Red/White LEDs to a proper white (more orange!) so more experimentation is required. I'm also having trouble with the wagon itself! I had some ball bearing races in stock but the I/D was 1.5mm so I used some Haywood wheels that had the correct diameter axle ends. Don't know if anyone else has used Haywoods but the wheels I've got are ummm.... more like the eccentrics on inside valve gear . Bearings are superb though.

Back to plain bearings and some old HOG wheels.

Thanks lads.

JF

[JeremyC]

Taken verbatim from my copy of the 1950 rule book:

 

Tail Lights on Goods Trains.

 

• Rule 120: Every train on a running line must always have a tail lamp attached to the rear of the last vehicle.
• Rule 121: Additionally unfitted trains must carry:
  • On Main, Fast or Single lines - two side lights showing red to the rear and white forward.
  • On Slow, Relief, Goods, Adjoining Main or Fast lines and running in the same direction - One red light on side furthest from the Main or Fast line and one white light on side nearest to the Main or Fast line.
  • On Goods lines adjoining Slow or Relief lines and running in the same direction - Two red lights.
  • In sidings or loops - No side lights.

[Jon Fitness]

Many thanks to those who answered on this thread. Here's the finished brake van c/w guard and the lights are just visible. Lights are switched on/off by prodding the stove's chimney.

 

JF