Re: Questions about headlights?

Additionally, the standard 32 volt locomotive headlight bulb is 250 watts and draws about 7.8 amps. Properly adjusted this will light up the track for a considerable distance. At the speed most narrow gauge trains run this provides sufficient illumination to stop short of an obsticle. A possible exception might be when a train is decending a steep grade with a heavy brake application. In this case the emergency stop feature looses some of its effectivenes. Anyway, on a typical narrow gauge line the biggest limiting factor on sight distance is curvature and not even an aircraft landing light will improve this.

In my opinion the detrimental esthetics of dual sealed beams peering out of the headlight shell of an historic narrow gauge locomotive is not worth whatever slight increase in lumens might be achieved. About the only thing hokier looking is a fake diamond stack.