Class 43 HST Lighting

[Lord Grabham]

I watched a couple of HST night time cab rides the other day on YouTube and was surprised by the dim light given out by the front headlights. The driver was driving blind! I know it's on rails and the signals can be seen but seriously 125mph in darkness really?! Are all trains like this?

[amsie]

I don't know as im not a driver but i've always assumed that the driver just has to trust the signalling in the dark, and hope that nothing serious lies ahead.

Im sure we'll have some drivers on this forum who will know the answer.

The only cabrides i've done at night have been between New Cross & London Bridge when I was on the railways years ago, usually on a tamper, and there was enough illumination from being a heavy residential urban area to see ahead but in the country, i've often wondered myself.

[llanigraham]

The only things the driver needs to see are the signals, so why have a powerful headlight?

[hairyhandedfool]

Headlights are for people to see the train, not for the driver to see other things. The driver is expected to know where they are at all times and not to have to see where they are.

[martin_l_jones]

Most of the new stock all has bright headlights, Voyagers, Pendos....

[TK421]

the bright headlight is so the train can be seen by trackworkers. You'll steam specials also carry a bright headlamp on the front these days too.

[stuartp]

Most of the new stock all has bright headlights, Voyagers, Pendos....

Yes but the function is exactly the same as the Wipacs on HSTs and other units/locos from the early 80s onwards- to be seen, not to see by.

[Ecobwg]

It would have to be a massively powerful headlamp to throw a beam far enough ahead to see any more than a couple of seconds up the line at 100mph plus. No reaction time at all.

Think of how short dipped beam seems on a car travelling on an unlit motorway at 70mph, even main beam only gives you a few seconds before you've travelled the distance you can see.

[56038]

Headlights are for people to see the train, not for the driver to see other things. The driver is expected to know where they are at all times and not to have to see where they are.

The Yeoman 59's had the bright mode of the headlamp removed beause they were blinding other trains. Even on dim mode most drivers would switch them off when another train was approaching so as not to blind the driver.