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Railway Lighting.

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In North Norfolk we have a preserved steam railway line. It runs from Sheringham to Holt. The Christmas train is covered in coloured lights. The line is not electrified. How are the lights powered? I have not had time to find out. Any ideas?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-norfolk-50504911/norfolk-lights-express-makes-poppy-line-debut


Z.
  • 0
    Not this particular line, but on another (steam) line the problem was with the emergency lighting.  This was I believe solved using LED's driven from sealed lead acid batteries charged from axial dynamos.


    David
  • 0
    I presume that the festive lighting on the train in Norfolk is powered by a modern diesel generating set. Many railways have special "generator vans" to be attached to a train in order to provide electric power. Often an old newspaper van to which 2 or 3 generators have been added, often either a duty/standby pair or 2 duty/ 1 standby.


    For short term use, a transportable generator in a guards van or an open wagon is a cheaper alternative.


    The "normal" lighting of an older railway coach is from a belt driven dynamo and a lead acid battery. The equipment is rather complex since the dynamo must maintain the same polarity when the train reverses, the battery charging voltage must be regulated, and the voltage on the lamps separately regulated. A 14 cell battery of 28 volts nominal was often selected, with a regulated 25 volts supplied to the lamps.

    Keeping the equipment in good working order, and the batteries charged can be a challenge. Many heritage lines removed half the lamps to reduce the load, and fitted the wrong lamps to the rest. 25 volt 15 watt pilot lamps were often used in place of 25 volt, 25 watt or 40 watt GLS lamps and gave a truly miserable light.


    At my suggestion, one heritage railway fitted modern HGV alternators with a two stage speed increasing belt drive to charge a 24 volt deep cycle battery. The alternators and batteries are standard items and relatively cheap due to mass production. No regulation of the lighting voltage is needed if modern LED lamps are used.


    Small scale festive lighting that uses 24/25 volts DC may be connected to the existing train lighting by means of b22 lamp holder plugs. That used on the Christmas train looks too grand for connection to the existing train lighting.

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