Headlamp codes

[Andrew]

Whilst in France on holiday I have been re-reading various railway books. In two of them, I have found captions to photographs showing station pilots (steam) at work, with comments in the captions to the effect that "it seems unusual for the loco to be sporting Express Passenger headlamps on pilot duties". Am I not right in thinking that in fact one would be red and one white, on either end of the buffer beam - ie where express passenger lamps would be? In both b/w photos, one glass does look darker than the other.....

[get_that_bus_out]

I think you're right. A light engine engaged on shunting movements within station limits would carry one red and one white at opposite ends of the buffer beam. From memory I think when shunting a yard the white light should be on the side towards the main line.

Having said that it's entirely possible that there may be oddities as far as station pilots go - maybe some of the old railwaymen on here might be able to help out. Incidentally, it might not always be easily possible to tell the shade of a headlamp from a photo (B&W or colour) taken during the daytime as often the red aspect is obtained by using a red filter inside the body of the lamp, rather than a lamp with a red bullseye.

[Andrew]

I think you're right. A light engine engaged on shunting movements within station limits would carry one red and one white at opposite ends of the buffer beam. From memory I think when shunting a yard the white light should be on the side towards the main line.

Having said that it's entirely possible that there may be oddities as far as station pilots go - maybe some of the old railwaymen on here might be able to help out. Incidentally, it might not always be easily possible to tell the shade of a headlamp from a photo (B&W or colour) taken during the daytime as often the red aspect is obtained by using a red filter inside the body of the lamp, rather than a lamp with a red bullseye.

I can't remember which side was red and which ws white, but when I was a Secondman at Reading in the early '70s the station pilots (a class 08 on the Up side and usually a 47 on the Downside, which also served as a "standby" for failures, had the red and white markers on at either end.

[Rich_Eason]

I always assumed the use of the combined Red and White light positions was simply due to the nature of the backwards and forewards work involved as a pilot/shunter.

To keep changing lamps from forward running to reverse running would have been a nightmare, and time consuming. I know 08's frequently used the Red/White combo. Although easier with electronic lamps, it would still be a pain to keep flicking switches and easily forgotten.