Hello, since the Class 20 was released i have a question and today i found a small picture: Is it correct, do the headlights work like this?
They don't work like that on Tees Valley, as headcodes were no longer displayed on the front of trains after 1976 (apart from the Southern region). Disk headlights were set to class A (express passenger) no matter what the train actually is, headcode displays were set to 0O00 (except the Class 52s which had them set to the running number of the loco, so D1015 would have its headcode set to 1O15). You could run with headcodes on West Somerset. I did a manual (well, it's more of a quick guide) that you can download here that explains it all: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/class-20-quick-guide.23613/
Just to clarify - the bit that says 1A01 in this image is the headcode display https://www.flickr.com/photos/86020500@N06/10665334103/ I think it's actually called a headcode box. Either way, they were either filled in (and used for marker lights, like the 47 in North Trans-Pennine) or the loco was scrapped during the late 1970s and early 1980s
That headcode list goes back to the days of steam, when it provided a quick guide to the make up of the passing consist. Useful for signal boxes in poor visibility. White disk by day and lights by night.
Of course signal boxes were still in use after 1976 (in fact there's still some around today), so are they hindered by headcodes not being displayed or does the signaller know through other means what's coming?
They will have a working timetable apart from that I am not sure. I don't think train reporting numbers have always been around. I have a WR working timetable from 1953 and that doesn't include any reporting numbers and a NER one which has a train reporting number but not in the style of a modern headcode, just a number like 22157. Headcodes only started being displayed in the mid 50's I think and then only on expresses. I think the Southern had their own system.