Train Sim V Reality: Cab lighting in tunnels/darkness

[Egg Centric]

In (most of) the train simulators I have used, you have instrument lights and cab lights and by default neither are on. When you get to a tunnel (or it’s after bedtime) instrument lighting alone is sufficient to give eg your speed, but cab lighting is absolutely necessary to give your instrument positions and generally is sensible to turn on.

My assumption is that in real life you can get the latter from feel (like driving a car or flying a plane, both things I have experience of sadly unlike trains but cheapo pacer experiences beckon) and there’s no need to turn on cab lighting whilst instrument lighting is essential to tell you what the instruments say. Is this correct or do real train drivers often run with a different lighting configuration?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

You’re right. It’s like driving a car, you know where everything is by feel. Most traction has a small light to illuminate the clipboard where you can hang your diagram and that can generally provide a bit of ambient light without throwing up huge reflections on the windscreen.

 

[75A]

Never heard of any Driver putting the cab light on because he was in a tunnel.

 

[ChampsRacing]

I try have as little light inside my cab as I can at night. 455’s I have the indicator light’s dimmed the brightest thing in the cab infront of me is the Speedo, 458’s the TMS goes into a dark screensaver style on so again just the Speedo is bright, Desiro’s the TMS I Dim it as much as I can otherwise it reflects off the top of the window which I find distracting.

 

[Lewlew]

Never heard of any Driver putting the cab light on because he was in a tunnel.

Lots of drivers on the underground like having the cab light on in the tunnels for some reason. I've never understood it as all you can see is the reflection of your ugly mug staring back at you.

 

[Dieseldriver]

Lots of drivers on the underground like having the cab light on in the tunnels for some reason. I've never understood it as all you can see is the reflection of your ugly mug staring back at you.

A myth I had heard is that some Drivers believe it could reduce your chance of having a one under as the person sees a human at the front of the train.

 

[4F89]

The less light in cab the better, so long as I can see my speedo and brake pipe, that's all I need 95% of the time. Try driving your car with all internal lights on and see how annoying it is

 

[75A]

Lots of drivers on the underground like having the cab light on in the tunnels for some reason. I've never understood it as all you can see is the reflection of your ugly mug staring back at you.

I should have been clearer, I meant the 'normal' railway.
Hat's off to the Underground boys, never appealed to me, being slightly claustrophobic. the tunnels on the Brighton Main Line were long enough for me.

 

[physics34]

Lots of drivers on the underground like having the cab light on in the tunnels for some reason. I've never understood it as all you can see is the reflection of your ugly mug staring back at you.

Might have something to do with eyes needing adjustment when going from light to dark.

I know of a driver who had a bit of light on at night all the time (noticeboard light)

 

[FOCTOC]

Never heard of any Driver putting the cab light on because he was in a tunnel.

Try a class 56 then.......

 

[Wyrleybart]

Try a class 56 then.......

Going back to around 1981 and I had several rides with old hands on "classic traction" and a couple used to switch the cab lights on in tunnels. Could never figure it out then, and still can't.

In answer to the earlier comment you mostly drove by touch in the dark

 

[Biscuit 56]

I remember driving a 56 and having to shine my bardic on the speedo to see the speed, it was so dim to read

 

[themiller]

In 2013 I rode in the cabs of an SBB Re460 from Berne to Brig and an ETR610 from Brig to Lausanne and the light from the various screens gave enough illumination to see in the cabs whilst in the various tunnels.

 

[Mojo]

Lots of drivers on the underground like having the cab light on in the tunnels for some reason. I've never understood it as all you can see is the reflection of your ugly mug staring back at you.

I worked with a driver once who decreed that any fellow who did the following was strange:
- drove with the cab light on
- wore their hi vi everywhere, even when not on the track or in the depot
- drove whilst standing up
- carried two bags

We had a couple who did any three of the above but I don’t recall ever meeting someone that managed all four...

 

[43066]

In (most of) the train simulators I have used, you have instrument lights and cab lights and by default neither are on. When you get to a tunnel (or it’s after bedtime) instrument lighting alone is sufficient to give eg your speed, but cab lighting is absolutely necessary to give your instrument positions and generally is sensible to turn on.

My assumption is that in real life you can get the latter from feel (like driving a car or flying a plane, both things I have experience of sadly unlike trains but cheapo pacer experiences beckon) and there’s no need to turn on cab lighting whilst instrument lighting is essential to tell you what the instruments say. Is this correct or do real train drivers often run with a different lighting configuration?

Basically correct.

In tunnels (and generally after dark) you can’t really see anything other than the back lit instruments and GSMR. There’s no requirement to turn on cab lights because, just as you say, you drive by feel and don’t generally need to look at the controls to make inputs. One “gotcha” is missing the AWS button if you can’t remember where it is by muscle memory, and also doing things like (depending on stock) switching your hazard lights on instead of washing the windscreen.

Some stock has clipboard lights to illuminate your diagram, and a type I sign has useful adjustable spotlights which can illuminate any part of the desk without ruining your night vision.

I worked with a driver once who decreed that any fellow who did the following was strange:
- drove with the cab light on
- wore their hi vi everywhere, even when not on the track or in the depot
- drove whilst standing up
- carried two bags

We had a couple who did any three of the above but I don’t recall ever meeting someone that managed all four...

I’d agree all of those are “unusual”. Constant hi-vi wearing while driving always strikes me as odd (and irrationally irritates me!) but quite a few seem to do it. Driving with the cab light on isn’t sensible as it will degrade your night vision, and indeed some driving policies prohibit it for that reason. Nothing wrong with briefly flicking it on when necessary, though. Sometimes done to wave to people!

I’ve never seen a driver with two bags (unless you mean of the tea variety, of course)…

 

[4F89]

I’ve never seen a driver with two bags (unless you mean of the tea variety, of course)…

1 bag for work, 1 bag for snap!

 

[LowLevel]

1 bag for work, 1 bag for snap!

I know several old hand drivers who are never seen without an old carrier bag full of such items as well as their driver's bag! The contents are often mysterious as the bags are as full at the end of their shift as they were at the start

 

[Wyrleybart]

Constant hi-vi wearing while driving always strikes me as odd (and irrationally irritates me!) but quite a few seem to do it.

Nothing annoys me than NXWM policy for bus drivers in the West Mids to wear hii viz whilst driving their buses. I reckon the driving cab of a bus is one of the safest places for an employee, and totally dilutes the whole hi viz reason for wearing such kit.