Locomotive lamp
Since the construction of the first railway lines , the locomotives , following the example of the long-established carriage lamps, have been equipped with locomotive lamps for journeys in the dark on the forward-facing side .
In the early days , the special lights of the locomotives contained oil lamps , which, based on the principle of the argand burner, had a container filled with vegetable oil, a burning attachment and a small glass fireplace. Around the middle of the 19th century, the kerosene lamps replaced the old oil lamps in the locomotive lamps. Outside the operating hours, the removable lamps were stored in lamp rooms (lampisterie) in the locomotive depot.
The early lights of the steam locomotives served more as warning lights to indicate the direction of travel of the machines from a greater distance. They could only dimly illuminate the route in front of the locomotive. Only the electrically operated headlights generated a stronger light cone.
In the 19th century, the locomotives initially only had two lamps attached directly to the frame. Later, in some countries, a group of three front lights was prescribed for rail vehicles, with the third light higher up on the vehicle and in the middle above the two lights on the triangular base ( three- light peak signal ).
The early locomotive lamps could also serve as red tail lights with colored inserts. Popping cartridges, which were carried in sleeves on the lights, were intended to warn subsequent trains of the collision in the event of an unexpected stop on the open route.
Today, the electrical signal lights on rail vehicles are regulated in UIC Code 534 (signals and signal supports for locomotives, multiple units and multiple units). Two electrical signal lights must be attached to both end walls at the same height between 1.5 and 1.7 m above the upper edge of the rail ( also higher for the Norges Statsbaner ); the horizontal distance should not be less than 1.3 m. With DB AG , DSB , MÁV , NS , ÖBB and SBB , a third signal light is also required in the top center (height not specified).
The light intensity for white light must be between 300 and 700 candela in the axis for the lower signal lights (dimmable to 100 cd), for the upper signal light 150 to 350 cd (dimmable to 50 cd); The lights must be bundled in such a way that the light intensity at an angle of 45 ° (horizontal) is 20 to 40 cd. The lanes can design the headlights as headlights with a light intensity of 12,000 to 16,000 cd, with high-speed traffic of more than 250 km / h the light intensity of the lower headlights must be able to be increased to 40,000 to 70,000 cd.
In addition to halogen lamps , light-emitting diodes are also used today .