Railworks America

I haven't seen any yet, or maybe I'm just not aware that they can be activated... Are there any loco's with flashing ditch lights?

G-TraX's P42DC Genesis has flashing ditchlights. Also the Acela Express.

I would like to know how these could be added to other locomotives, it would be nice to have on the SD40-2.

Csxgp38-2 wrote:I would like to know how these could be added to other locomotives, it would be nice to have on the SD40-2.

It can be done, but it involves rewriting the .lua script and hacking the .geo file for existing locomotives. PapaExpress has made a ditch light that can be added as a child to any loco AND made to flash, including switching the light beams. We will soon release a couple of locomotives that have the new ditch lights. So please watch for them.

Also looking at them - I'd like to know when they flash, and when they're just on or off though.

Kali wrote:Also looking at them - I'd like to know when they flash, and when they're just on or off though.

One way to do it is to slave the flash animation to the bell. That way, you can let them turn on and off with the headlights, test if the headlights and bell are on, and if they are flash them in time with the bell.

Ah, so they're just a visual bell? well I presume they're on when the headlights are otherwise. I don't know the rules for them... actually I'm not entirely sure when you use the bell other than on a street.

Flashing ditch lights are only activated at crossings and it is the horn not the bell that causes them to activate on locomotives.

Nick

Was that always true? or well, did they always flash, too; was there ever a time they were just low-level extra headlights?

Kali, I can see how this whole thing is confusing for someone not familiar with US procedures. Only certain railroads use flashing ditch lights, for others they are simply extra headlights. CSX and NS use flashing ditch lights, as well as Amtrak and some shortlines. Ditch lights flash only when the horn is sounded on locomotives equipped with flashing ditch lights, therefore a locomotive can be ringing its bell, but the lights stay solid, however even blowing a "shave and a haircut" at a railfan on the horn will trigger flashing ditch lights, any slight touch of the horn. I believe CSX/NS have a rule stating none of their locomotives without flashing ditch lights should pass a crossing at over 20 mph, but I'm not sure. Ditch lights can also be manually activated on some locomotives via a toggle switch labled "crossing lights". Hope this helps, this is based on my observations as a CSX railfan. Also, bells are to be used at crossings, stations, when in a locomotive terminal area, servicing area, some yards, interlockings (back when they had towers), and many locomotive's bells are hooked up to the horn, when the horn is sounded it activates a bell and/or ditch lights.

Out here in So Cal, BNSF and UP don't use flashing ditch lights. And there are noise restrictions on the horn, a short 2 second blast only. At least where I'm at, it's mostly residential.

I can't remember which loco's in game have them, but a few do, and they do tie into the horn/ bell. Might be the Dash 2's?

Kali,

As is typical in railroading here...engines within the same railroad behave differently. Sometimes this is because of a malfunction other times shop forces hurry something out and do not worry about the fine details that really do not directly affect loco performance. For instance I had CSX and NS literally steps from my door. CSX has some engines that flash and others that do not. Almost all NS do use flash but there have been multiple occasions where one or both bulbs are burnt out meaning you have two blind eyes adding little to the safety at crossings.

Most of the time they are acting as an extra set of headlights and it can make a difference at crossings particularly in rain and fog situations.

It is true though that western US roads really have steady ditch lights 100% of the time. Those are much easier to model.

Nick

ya the only reason they might get confused that they are connected to the bell is that through crossings,stations, and railyard the bell must be active to warn workers cars or civilians that there is a train near by

Ian Allen's payware GP60M and Dash 8s all have flashing ditch lights http://eyein12.blogspot.co.uk/

i would rather just have the ditch lights added to defult es44acs and sd40-2