I don´t know which rules apply for american, british and german trains, so probably someone can help me here. Which rules should I apply to set the engine tail lights? As some engines and shunters have the red tail lights, my questions are: - Do they need to be on when hauling a train or just when running a single engine? - Do they need to be on when engine is pushing the train (like in the case of the Dostos or the Peninsula Corridor trains)? - While shunting, do you need to switch them everytime you change direction (e.g: if you reverse) or only when changing cabs in the bi-cab locomotives? - With engines like GP38, shall the rear headlight be on while shunting (acting as a tail light) or just when reversing (acting as a headlight)? Cheers
You are correct about the GP38-2. If you are a light engine and switching in a yard, you should have both front and rear headlights set to dim. With the Caltrain stuff, put the rear marker lights on the end that is the back.
Sorry for highjacking this thread but could you perhaps answer me these questions? While switching as a light engine: Do you activate the ditch/aux lights? From my limited knowledge of American trains I thought ditch/aux lights have to be on when the loco is moving. But if the headlights should be on dim then that‘s not possible for all engines. If the answer to 1. is yes: Should the ditch/aux lights be on for reversing. I‘m specifically thinking about reversing with a 2x GP38-2 layout where you reverse with the trailing unit forwards. What brightness is the headlight of bankers/DPUs supposed to be at. As far as I know, helper engines at the end of the train are supposed to have their headlights (but not the ditch/aux) on. But on what setting? Dim, medium max? More generally: In what situation do you use the medium setting? I think dim is for waiting in siding etc. and bright for running on mainlines. I know I‘m jumping on you a bit but I don‘t know where I could find that sort of information online.
Thanks for reply Anthony. No problem at all Lamplight. Indeed I also have the same doubt about the american locomotives lights setup, so thanks for bringing this topic here. Cheers
Max headlights and ditch lights while running forward on the mainline. if stopped or working in a yard, use dim. Rear helpers/DPUs have their headlight on dim, whichever light is facing the rear. I hope that helps.
In Britain, when not shunting, there should always be taillights at the rear of the formation, it doesn't matter whether its just a light loco or a loco hauling coaches. For reversing, I'm pretty sure that if the move is under a certain distance (possibly 400m but don't hold me to that), it's acceptable to leave the taillights as is, so there's white on the back on red on the front. Some locos (such as the class 08) are capable of displaying both red and white at the same time on both ends, to save the shunter having to change them every time they change direction.
I can answer this for Germany. What I write below applies to the Netherlands too, if anyone is interested in that. Configurations: 3 white lights in triangle "A" shape Used when the train is running normally, you will use this almost all the time. Always used on the first locomotive on the front. If 2 locos are used as a double header, only the first loco has the lights on at the front. If you are in a cab car in a push-pull configuration and the cab car is the first coach in driving direction, the cab car needs 3 white lights. 2 red lights (one left and one right) Used on the last coach of the train. Also applies to banking locomotives at the back, such as on Main-Spessart bahn. 1 white light on front and rear When shunting, 1 light needs to be on at both sides of the locomotive. It doesn't matter which of the 3 lights is on, just make sure 1 light is on. If you can't set just 1 light to on, put 2 lights to on at both sides (BR 146.2 and BR 185 for example). Notice: with these "shunting" lights the personnel around you can't see which direction you are going, since both front and rear have 1 light. In real life you need to be careful when around such a locomotive. It is easier for the Driver, since he doesn't need to change lights when he changes direction of travel. No lights on When parked, basically. These are just the basic configurations, if you do train driver's school like I do, there are a few more to learn. But for TSW, these are pretty much the only ones you will be using. Brightness This is where I'm only 99% sure about. From the top of my head, you always use "Dim" in normal situations. You can set it to "Bright" though, when sight is poor (rain or mist for example). I haven't seen any train using "Bright" setting on sunny days, that's where I'm basing this off. Again, not totally sure about this. Haven't had this on school yet.
Is bright used at night? (for example in the UK, most trains built since around the 1970s/1980s has a 'day' headlight and a 'night' headlight - the night being on the driver's side of the train and much brighter)
Many thanks guys, that´s why I was looking for. For the UK case I found some time ago the following: - Front headlights Day Mode: 8am to 8pm - Front headlights Night Mode: 8pm to 8am, or to improve visibility during day I don´t know if that has changed, but here it is in case it helps. Cheers
I thought it was the other way round, the bright headlight is for daytime running and the dim one for night running.
How does one turn on the tail lights on the ICE ? There is only a headlight switch on the dash and checked all the switches and knobs and nothing Do the ICE trains not use tail lights IRL ? -edit- Just to clarify, it seems to be only the 403 ICE on HMA. I took a look at the 406 ICE on SKA and the tail lights work there
That's also how I understand it. The dim ones are used at night to prevent the drivers of passing trains being dazzled and bright ones in the day so that they can easily be seen when it's light.
The difference between the two headlights to prevent drivers being dazzled (on the stock I drive anyways) is that the night is angled towards the ground and bright to increase track and obstacle visibility and the day is angled upwards to be in the viewpoint of other people/trains. The night light isn’t always brighter but shouldn’t be dimmer.
In the UK we have rear indicators on units which seemingly are only lit when the unit is under power (so the rear unit of DMU, EMU or where the rear loco is also powered) If the rear unit is NOT powered (so dragged locos, wagons etc) there is a flashing beacon put on the rear to alert following trains. This isn't from procedural knowledge but observation so I'm sure someone can correct or confirm
Not entirely true - DVTs, for example, are unpowered but have a full headlight cluster. Also, mk4 coaches used in the IC225 sets have tail lamps built into the coachwork: Also, it's not to alert following trains. If you can see a flashing tail lamp of another train in front of your train, something has gone seriously wrong. It's used to tell the signaller (in places where there are signal boxes), or any other railway crew working on or near the line, that the whole train has passed and it hasn't become split further up the line, therefore, no danger of an accident or runaway wagons.
Yep, tail lights at the back to indicate the train is complete. Unpowered multiple units have batteries to maintain the tail lights and failing that will be fitted with a portable tail lamp like wagons have
Thanks for feedback. More or less the procedures are similar then, despite small deviations like the 1 light per side in Germany as a minimum, the tail lights only on if engine is powered and the rear headlights as DIM for shunting in USA. So I would summarize it as in the attached table, in a simplified way just for me to have it as reference during gameplay. The passenger Multiple Units rear engines can be covered by this if we see them as either passenger cars o banking engines. Feel free to use it if it helps. Cheers
The UK shunting one is a local instruction and is not a rule - ie: you couldn’t do that at some places unless specifically told. For shunting in a depot it’s Marker lights only and you’d be expected to change them in each direction AFAIK unless the depot had their own way of doing things. I’ll try and find it in the rulebook but I think you’d only put whites on both ends if assisting a failed train.
Addition to UK below rear red markers ON : Rear flashing red beacon - when rear unit or wagon is under tow (ie unpowered)
That makes sense. I’d read a specification/standards document somewhere which stated maximum light levels for the lights and was initially surprised that the figure for the daytime light was higher. If the spec was for viewing the front of the train from a certain distance then an angled down lamp of the same brightness would not emit as much light straight ahead. I did try to find what I’d read to see exactly what it said and when it was from but I had no luck.
Not really a surprise. Don't have to fight the sun at night and light pollution is a thing. Don't need to see a light from 3 miles away when one mile would do
I seem to recall the current requirements for UK tail lights requires either a single Flashing red lamp OR 2 steady red lamps. The 2 steady reds are typically as you might expect found on locomotives or units where they actually have power. While on Wagons and dead locomotives you'd use a portable tail lamp, which since there is usually only a single lamp bracket is provided or only one is carried it has to flash.
The current rulebook excerpts are attached for clarity if anyone is so interested. This does not include local instructions (such as at Clapham Yard where markers and tails both on means the train has been prepared for service) which will only apply to one area/region/depot.
They do actually turn on, it is just that they are unreasonably dim. Look very closely. Probably a bug.
In the ICEs the tail lights are connected automatically as soon as in any of the cabs (in this case in the rear) you have: - reverser set to 0 - light switch at any position different to OFF I don´t own the new route, but if they are not showing with that config then it´s a bug. In the route included with TSW2 they work well. Cheers
