What Colour Lights Does a Train Show At the Rear?

[mattdaniels]

Coming up to the midlands on Friday evening, my London Midland train was overtaken by a Virgin Express. The speeds were so similar that I thought I'd get the camera phone out to get a nice pic of the rear of the Virgin train as it overtook in sharp focus, with a blurred background to give a sense of speed. All well and good bu.....the Virgin train seems to be showing white lights at the rear? Whts that all about?

[mattdaniels]

ps. Having just posted this and looked at the pic - I'd swear the virgin train was moving right to left not left to right. Bizarre! I can honestly asssure you that the virgin train was disappearing off to the right at a rate of knots1

[StripeyNick]

Red lights are always shown at the rear.

It's difficult to see any lights on that photo. The only 'light' I can see is the mirror in the headlight surround.

[Pugland53]

Yes, red lights at the rear. A lot of trains now have these led lights and if you look at them from an angle they can sometimes look like they are not illuminated.

[anonymous-user]

Was it actually showing white light to the rear, or did you just see the light units in the fairings?
Most modern stock has both colours at both ends now for omnidirectional running.

[neilb62]

I Drive these... All I can see as said is the headlight reflector.

If the tail lights weren't illuminated the Driver will be getting earache from the Train management System alerting him to the fact the tail lights are off!

Its hard to see them at that angle as said before!

[W124Bob]

Two red (single a on freight)at rear,modern LED's now used which all but invisable from anywhere other than directly behind.

[onyx39]

on the subject of train lights, I use SWT trains daily and have noticed they always seem to only have one headlight illuminated, I assumed at first it was a fault, but it seems to be on prety much every train.. If so, why do they do this?

[neilb62]

onyx39 said:

on the subject of train lights, I use SWT trains daily and have noticed they always seem to only have one headlight illuminated, I assumed at first it was a fault, but it seems to be on prety much every train.. If so, why do they do this?

Its all that required by group standards. We run with one high intensity light and either one or two marker lights (depending on whats fitted, modern trains have a high level marker light up on the roof) , at night the L/Hand high intensity light is used, and during the day the right. The front lights can also be flashed as a 'hazard warning' to oncoming trains.

All our speed restriction and other lineside signs are now reflective so we use the L/Hand light at night to better illuminate these.

BR introduced twin headlamps on the Inter City 125 and 225, but these remain the only trains so fitted.

[mattdaniels]

neilb62 said:

I Drive these... !

Give us a go!
I'm on the 6:38 Milton Keynes to Euston every day .

[neilb62]

mattdaniels said:

Give us a go!
I'm on the 6:38 Milton Keynes to Euston every day .

Not one of ours (I'm based at Preston) we only have a couple of MK stoppers with 'pendo's, usually its on the Voyagers doing the Chester/North Wales route.

[mattdaniels]

neilb62 said:

mattdaniels said:

Give us a go!
I'm on the 6:38 Milton Keynes to Euston every day .

Not one of ours (I'm based at Preston) we only have a couple of MK stoppers with 'pendo's, usually its on the Voyagers doing the Chester/North Wales route.

Shame
I was looking forward to asking the nice lady with the frown and the tattoos who pours coffee on my laptop if I could go up the front to see the pilot.