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Day and Night lights


pidder

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Hi Pidder. On modern british locos there are 2 headlights at each end, a left and a right (and additionally lower intensity "marker" lights both left and right and possibly top too). The right hand headlight is turned on for day running and the left hand one is off. It is the reverse for night running. For normal running the marker lights would always be on if the headlights are on, and both head and marker only on in the direction of travel. It can vary by loco but that's the principle.

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Learn something new every day. But as wtd says, why switch, the lights are just to give approach warning or, perhaps,  indicate  train type, not to illuminate the track ahead. Don't see the point.

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My analogy for switching between 'right' and 'left' for 'day' and 'night' would be car dipped headlights. At night, using the light on the left would be less likely glare into the eyes of oncoming loco drivers. During the day, the light on the right would give maximum visiblity of an approaching train to oncoming drivers. Just a possible theory.....

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Whilst that document gives some info on this system of lighting for day/night running etc. it is not comprehensive. At least a quick glance through gives me that impression.

I've been trying to figure out what all the differences are with this stuff for a few years now on and off and have never really found an answer.

It begs the question as to how many modellers actually accurately represent this type of lighting on their layouts... or do they just have them on/off front and rear without all the detail?

I've got plenty tea and a good supply of biscuits if anyone can come up with something comprehensive and which explains all this... 😀

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