Locomotive lighting, German/Austrian narrow gauge

[buffalo]

A couple of narrow gauge, overseas and one DCC question so I'm a little uncertain where to put it. I'll start here and see how we get on

 

Does anyone have one of these? If so, I wonder if your's exhibits the same behaviours. Firstly, on DC or DCC (using a Digitrax DZ1251N), all six lights, i.e. front and rear are on together irrespective of the direction of travel. edit: just to clarify, that is identical behaviour on DC without decoder but with original blanking plug, and on DCC with the decoder.

 

Secondly, on DCC, it is prone to uncontrolled runaway if F0 is off (no lights) but works fine if F0 is on (all lights on).

 

Thirdly, mine came with a small bag of bits which I first assumed were detailing parts. However, on closer inspection this contains ten identicall dumbell shaped objects, each about 7mm long. I've no idea what they are...

 

Any/all thoughts welcome...

 

Nick

[Guest 009matt]

I fitted mine with a Bachmann 6 pin decoder. I have not had the running away problem, but yes all of the lights are on regardless of direction etc. The parts sound like they are 'dimple' couplings, that fit in the hole in the coupler (rather than the loop) and attach to stock, for close coupling. I will check mine and see.

 

Matt

[buffalo]

Thanks for confirming the lights behaviour, Matt, and the suggestion about dimple couplings. I'd not encountered the latter before.

 

Now, a subsidiary question on the lighting; is it correct behaviour to have all lights on all the time? I notice there is a moulded, non-working, red light above the front and rear right hand lights. I would have assumed that only the forward lights would be lit and the rear red light if running light. However, I'm basing that on UK practice and know very little about how they do things in Germany and Austria. I was even more uncertain after looking at this photo on Geoff Plumb's site. The caption on this and the following photo suggest that the loco is travelling in the forward direction, yet at least one of its white rear lights is on. Unfortunately, it is uncertain whether the front lights are also lit.

 

Nick

 

edit: thread title updated to match this question

[Guest Phil]

Thanks for confirming the lights behaviour, Matt, and the suggestion about dimple couplings. I'd not encountered the latter before.

 

Now, a subsidiary question on the lighting; is it correct behaviour to have all lights on all the time? I notice there is a moulded, non-working, red light above the front and rear right hand lights. I would have assumed that only the forward lights would be lit and the rear red light if running light. However, I'm basing that on UK practice and know very little about how they do things in Germany and Austria. I was even more uncertain after looking at this photo on Geoff Plumb's site. The caption on this and the following photo suggest that the loco is travelling in the forward direction, yet at least one of its white rear lights is on. Unfortunately, it is uncertain whether the front lights are also lit.

 

Nick

 

As answered in your other post, older Austrian locos particularly steam, had all lights switched on, when on. The steam loco lights and train heat in some cases were powered by the turbo generator(s)

These class 298s generally had a turbo for the lights and one for the train supply (little cable and socket on the headstock).

 

I was lucky to have a couple of trips on the Steyrtalbahn in 1981, but it had closed prior to our 1982 trip.

 

Heres 2095.013 at Kilb on a local train for Ober Grafendorf. Notice headlights bright.

 

http://phil-bartlett.fotopic.net/p15517415.html

[TWG]

Christian Hager's book Eisenbahnsicherungsanlagen in Oesterreich Vol. 2 Signale(p.137) confirms that shunting locomotives must show white lights at both ends.

[buffalo]

Christian Hager's book Eisenbahnsicherungsanlagen in Oesterreich Vol. 2 Signale(p.137) confirms that shunting locomotives must show white lights at both ends.

 

Many thanks for confirming this. Since first asking these questions, I've seen many photos that suggest this might be the standard practice in several countries though, of course, none of the photos have shown both ends at the same time

 

Nick

[Herr Dienstleiter]

Recent Austrian practice - at least from 1990 - is that three forward facing white lights are shown when running but, you DCC types will love this, the lights should be extinguished as the loco reaches the platform. No rear lights are shown on service trains because it is the end marker board that shows the train is complete, in Austria a white disk with a red border.