Tail lights

[clickertyclack]

Hi Gents,

 

I have decided to add lighting to my stock including directional tail lights. But when did they change from a steady lamp to the flashing ones I have noted? Also what are the govening rules with repect to stock being pulled or propelled.I am guesing that when stock is propelled into a siding etc, the guard would change the red aspect to white.Anybody know the rate of strobe on the new lights ie Hz, mark to space ratio?

Would apreciate your guidance.

CC

[Edwin_m]

Flashing tail lights came in during the 80s I think. By then there were virtually no guards so no question of a red lamp being changed to white, basically it just stays on until the train reverses or finishes its journey. There is a white headlight which uses the standard tail lamp casing but I've only ever seen it used on steam specials.

[Guest stuartp]

There is a white headlight which uses the standard tail lamp casing but I've only ever seen it used on steam specials.

 

There are a number kept at strategic points around the network to be used when the train headlight fails, so you won't see them very often. Without them the train is restricted to 25mph, putting a Bardic on the front doesn't cut it anymore.

 

I'm struggling to remember when oil tail lamps were finally withdrawn, 1994 rings a bell. There was a fairly long changeover period when both were types in use.

[clickertyclack]

There are a number kept at strategic points around the network to be used when the train headlight fails, so you won't see them very often. Without them the train is restricted to 25mph, putting a Bardic on the front doesn't cut it anymore.

 

I'm struggling to remember when oil tail lamps were finally withdrawn, 1994 rings a bell. There was a fairly long changeover period when both were types in use.

 

Thanks Gents,

 

What happens when a train is reversed, maybe at the end of a journey? Is the tail aspect not changed?

What is a Bardic? I imagine that would be the strobe (flashing) light.As I am modelling the period mid 70's to mid 80's I believe that flashing aspects would not be required. Shame, wanted to add that feature to my tail light as well as changing colour!

 

Clickertyclack

[Pugsley]

A Bardic is the standard BR issue torch, which can be changed to show red, yellow and green in addition to white. It was used for shunting at night, amongst other things:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/B-R-STAMPED-DRIVERS-BARDIC-LAMP-WITH-BATTERY_W0QQitemZ230443459594QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_Railwayana_RL?hash=item35a780240a

 

When a train is reversed, the tail-light is taken from the end that was the rear and moved to the end that has become the rear after reversing. During the day it is the presence of the tail light that indicates the rear of the train to signalmen, it didn't even need to be illuminated (although it had to be at night).

[Guest stuartp]

Sorry Clickerty, should have explained that.

 

It was used for shunting at night, amongst other things:

 

Indeed, they were fairly indestructable - apart from (as mentioned) ad-hoc head/tail lights, they could also be used for knocking in point scotches, fending off passengers who had had one too many, and many other applications where a weighty lump of cast metal with a built-in handle might be useful. Unfortunately they were fairly useless as torches, at least all the ones I was issued with were.

[The Stationmaster]

Sorry Clickerty, should have explained that.

 

 

 

Indeed, they were fairly indestructable - apart from (as mentioned) ad-hoc head/tail lights, they could also be used for knocking in point scotches, fending off passengers who had had one too many, and many other applications where a weighty lump of cast metal with a built-in handle might be useful. Unfortunately they were fairly useless as torches, at least all the ones I was issued with were.

 

But then they weren't really meant to be torches anyway as they were basically a replacement for the previous (lamp oil fuelled) handlamps, which were even worse for 'lighting your way'.

 

Bardics were much better for shunting as they give a consistent light and the knack of changing the colour of the aspect with one hand is, I think, much more easily acquired as it is a simple finger movment to switch from white to green or white to red. They also have the distinct advantage - leaking batteries apart - of being fairly indestructible.

[Edwin_m]

During the day it is the presence of the tail light that indicates the rear of the train to signalmen, it didn't even need to be illuminated (although it had to be at night).

 

It also had to be illuminated in fog, falling snow and in certain tunnels IIRC, and I think these days a portable tail lamp has to be lit whenever it is in use. Not surprisingly where a built-in tail light on a loco or MU is being used it has to be illuminated.

 

When a train is moving, under no circumstances should any vehicle end other than the extreme rear carry a tail lamp or have a built in red light illuminated. Manufacturers of RTR diesels please take note...

[clickertyclack]

Hi Gents,

A quick line to thank you all for your posts, apologies for not coming acknowledging sooner - away from home all week working!

Clickertyclack

[sooty]

There are a number kept at strategic points around the network to be used when the train headlight fails, so you won't see them very often. Without them the train is restricted to 25mph, putting a Bardic on the front doesn't cut it anymore.

 

 

Each fairly major staffed station should have al least one in it's emergency equipment. Also a train that is carrying an emergency headlamp is restricted to 75mph. Which is why steam loco's get away with using them.

 

Bardic's can be & still are used as emergency headlamp/taillamp which is the main reason why traincrew are issued with them. It was only a few months ago I caught sight of a 185 which had a bardic as a taillamp because the unit's own were faulty. Some TOC's refuse to issue the new plastic Halo lamps to their staff simply because the rubbishy Halo's don't have a lamp iron attachment & can't be used as an emergency headlamp/taillamp. Besides the Halo would not only fall apart if you tried to fend off a punter with it the coloured LED keep blowing - they're awful!!!!

[pilkko]

i started working on BR in 1990 in the midlands and never touched an oil tail lamp. they may have moved them all to scotland like the vac wagons . the propelling into a siding the lights would not be changed because,

 

a) they only need to be changed for propelling movenents over 1/4 of a mile (gaurd or shunter riding in the last coach with head out of the door window)

 

B) coaching stock would not carry a white portable for changing over incase of this type of movement

[34040]

The Southampton-based firm Bardic made the first two-lens electric tail lamps (in addition to the torches mentioned above). The tail lamps were trialed on Fawley services in about 1974. They had conventional bulbs and were charged up on return to "base". Unfortunately, the batteries were of the type that developed a memory when repeatedly charged and the lights would often fail in transit.

 

LED lamps came along to solve this problem. LEDs would overheat if energised continuously so they were turned on and off to give a flashing light. The benefit was that they used very little current and could be powered by a non-rechareable battery, replaced when a tell-tale light indicated that it was running low.

[Trog]

When a train is moving, under no circumstances should any vehicle end other than the extreme rear carry a tail lamp or have a built in red light illuminated.

 

 

Slip coaches?

[The Stationmaster]

Slip coaches?

 

 

Were distinctively lamped - so Signalmen knew the train was carrying a slip portion.