SEPTA Headlight Usage

I'm surprised to see that in the Phila. area SEPTA and Amtrak trains normally run with only the top headlight(s) on. The only time I ever see the lower set of headlights used is when the engineer sounds the horn and those lights alternate for a short time.

I thought the use of the "auxiliary headlights" or "ditch-lights" along with the top headlight was now pretty much standard in America. It is normal on Long Island Railroad and Metro-North trains in the NYC area. Does anyone know why they are not in standard use on SEPTA or Amtrak in the Phila. area?

I have seen many occasions of only one top headlight on and the other out (remember there are two lights on the top).

I believe the current FRA regulations state that ditch lights are only REQUIRED to be lit when going over public grade crossings, and even that is at over 20 MPH. On many locomotives, the ditch light control is tied into the horn or bell, and come on automatically when either is activated, such as approaching a crossing or station. Many shortlines, with marginal track, don't even have ditch lights, and keep their speeds over crossings below that 20 MPH threshold.

You'll see them on the locomotive-hauled trains more often than the EMUs.

Why is that Scotty? Shouldn't their use be standard whether it's a locomotive, cab-car or EMU train?

Also, bear in mind that there are no grade crossings between Trenton and Newark, DE, and between Philadelphia and Thorndale; Jenkintown; Chestnut Hill East and West; Cynwyd; and Ryers (Fox Chase Line); and that when an engineer dims his headlight for an opposing train the ditchlights are extinguished.
(Amtrak trains on the NEC regularly display ditchlights.)

Also no crossings on the airport line.

Okay, I guess different railroads set the lights up differently. On the Long Island RR, the aux-headlights are on at all times, even in the "low-beam" mode. And they don't use alternating at all. It's all good.

Re: no grade crossings on the "main-line" between Phila. and Thorndale, I did once see a pedestrian cross the tracks in front of an approaching train at an intermediate station on that line. Are there any actual pedestrian crossings at stations on that four-track line?

There's a grade crossing at Eastwick, a station where all trains stop, so presumably the 20-mph exemption would let them do without ditchlights, but if they whistle for the crossing I think the ditchlights will flash anyway, even if not switched on.

Head-end View wrote: Are there any actual pedestrian crossings at stations on that four-track line?

Actual, quite likely; legal, no. However, some people are intent on catching their train if it's the last thing they do.

There's usually a lot of passenger-use overpasses or underpasses on the Paoli/Thorndale Line

SEPTA is the only railroad where you'll also see headlights left on the rear of the train from a sloppy engineer who forgot to turn them off.

It looks silly but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. When running light, freight locomotives will run with their rear headlight on for safety. Heck back when Conrail was still around their locomotives would regularly run around with their red marker lights on.

I've seen trains with the marker lights on in the middle of the train.

ekt8750 wrote:It looks silly but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. When running light, freight locomotives will run with their rear headlight on for safety. Heck back when Conrail was still around their locomotives would regularly run around with their red marker lights on.

At times in the past, in the winter months, the crew of 6576 would leave the rear headlight on as a safety device for passengers exiting from the rear of the train at North Wales. While the rear of the train would clear the Walnut St. crossing & the crossing gates would rise, it was still dark enough that the headlight made a difference.