Re: Another interesting question . . .

RichB Wrote:
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> How does the backup light operate? Is it con-
> nected to the reversing mechanism so it comes
> on automatically, and at the same time the
> headlight dims?
>
> The older I get, the more questions about the
> little things pop up due to curiosity.

IMHO, there's no such thing as a dumb question — what's dumb is NOT asking a question when you need to, or at least want to, learn something new.

MD Ramsey Wrote:
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> Just a switch in the cab over the engineers seat,
> the engineer has to turn it on/off, same as the
> headlight.

BrockD&RGW488 Wrote:
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> [www.worthpoint.com]
> The type of switch is different depending on the
> type of locomotive.


Thank you for the illustration, Brock -

In the case of the one shown – and pretty much the same as I remember most of them – it's a five-way switch, with the center position being "OFF", and mounted so that moving the handle one notch forward turns the headlight 'ON Dim' and the second notch 'ON Full', and moving the handle back one notch from center is the tender light 'ON Dim' and backward to the second notch is the tender light 'On Full'.

- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y Verdes,
aka Der Grossväterlich DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHabender