02-01-2023, 03:00 PM
(02-01-2023, 01:02 PM)Zurdo Wrote: It's one way to indicate which way it is travelling, which may seem obvious...but so too with cars - no white lights to the rear, and there are rules for reversing lamps. You may have noticed headlamps on trains too - why ? It's daylight, there are no other vehicles on it's track, why are those headlamps on ? So we know which way it's travelling...if there is a loco on the end of a train, it will show red lamps, showing which direction it is moving. Obviously this is only for stupid people...right ?
Many years back in the age of steam, it was noticed that the locomotives are more easily seen with their headlights on which is useful when they are approaching crossings and such like. So their headlights have been on ever since.
Also, the NZ loco drivers sound their horn when approaching a crossing which activates the flashing ditch lights as well.
Interestingly, the British locomotives have never had headlights and they have many more trains than we do.