Class 317/1 with 3 lights.

[jon0844]

Saw this tonight and it stood out as rather odd. Any idea why there was a third light attached?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The high intensity headlight looks to have failed.


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[NSE]

No idea I'm afraid, but what time where you at Kings Cross? I have a feeling I was sitting on the 365 next to you!

 

[fgwrich]

Saw this tonight and it stood out as rather odd. Any idea why there was a third light attached? ]

Agreed. It's a Bardic Lamp acting for the failed high intensity headlamp - the top one of the original 3.

 

[jon0844]

No idea I'm afraid, but what time where you at Kings Cross? I have a feeling I was sitting on the 365 next to you!

That became the 2035 train and it came in around 2022 so around then.

 

[edwin_m]

Agreed. It's a Bardic Lamp acting for the failed high intensity headlamp - the top one of the original 3.

A Bardic was the type of lamp issued to crews in BR days, but it doesn't look like one of those (unless this type is known as a Bardic too). The Bardic had a lamp bracket attachment and could be used as an emergency head or tail lamp in the past, but even if any are still in use I doubt they would meet today's rules for high intensity.

This looks like the lamp used on steam specials, which appears to be the same casing as the standard flashing tail lamp but with a white high intensity headlamp instead. I wonder what the battery life is like...

 

[NSE]

That became the 2035 train and it came in around 2022 so around then.

Would you Adam and Eve it, I was. I was on the 20:22 to Peterborough. I saw that come in to clear the way for mine to leave. Dammit for sitting on the side of the train for Hornsey depot.

 

[380101]

Agreed. It's a Bardic Lamp acting for the failed high intensity headlamp - the top one of the original 3.

It's an emergency headlamp - allows a top speed of 75mph. A Bardic was the old handlamp issued in BR days.

 

[bengley]

It's a portable headlight. The train's headlight has failed. The speed of the train is restricted to 75mph when running with the portable headlight.

 

[Tomnick]

A Bardic was the type of lamp issued to crews in BR days, but it doesn't look like one of those (unless this type is known as a Bardic too). The Bardic had a lamp bracket attachment and could be used as an emergency head or tail lamp in the past, but even if any are still in use I doubt they would meet today's rules for high intensity.

This looks like the lamp used on steam specials, which appears to be the same casing as the standard flashing tail lamp but with a white high intensity headlamp instead. I wonder what the battery life is like...

There are still plenty of Bardic lamps around but most (if not all) companies are issuing a more lightweight equivalent nowadays. They're certainly not high intensity by any definition! They can be used to display a white light forwards in the case of a complete failure failure of the headlight and marker lights, but only 20mph max.

 

[bramling]

There are still plenty of Bardic lamps around but most (if not all) companies are issuing a more lightweight equivalent nowadays. They're certainly not high intensity by any definition! They can be used to display a white light forwards in the case of a complete failure failure of the headlight and marker lights, but only 20mph max.

Yes we were issued with an LED lamp for a short while, not long after they were issued a notice came out saying they weren't to be used any longer. Some time after a rather plastic lightweight lamp came out, not sure what type as I don't have one as I prefer to use the Bardic (not been issued with anything to say the Bardic can't still be used). The only snag is that batteries for the Bardic are no longer issued, although there are still plenty sitting in cupboards for the time being.

The old-fashioned heavy Bardic lamp also has another benefit which I won't detail further here!