Critical Characteristics of Locomotive Lighting
According to Allied Market Research, an analyst firm that studies market growth and its fluctuating trends, choosing train lighting is one of the most critical decisions railways must make to ensure not only passenger and crew comfort, but, most importantly, to help train operators to maintain visibility on the track. There are different types of train lighting used for various purposes in both internal and external applications, such as multi-purpose lighting and external ditch lights and head lamps. This makes understanding what different manufacturers offer worth the time spent doing your own research.
One key driver in selecting the best external lighting for locomotives is reliability. The time and labor cost of replacing lamps is high. If an exterior lamp burns out on a locomotive, it doesn’t involve just unscrewing the lamp and screwing in another in the same place. A maintenance crew must reach in to remove the lamp, a time-consuming project. Choosing a lamp based on its lamp life means it will need to be replaced less often, translating into less time and less money spent.
Amglo’s PAR Series halogen locomotive lamps are designed to offer unmatched visibility in all conditions and help rail companies reduce maintenance costs due to their proven reliability, durability and long-lasting lamp life. Our PAR Series offers an increased lamp life of 2,000 to 4,000 hours versus 500 hours for incandescent, decreasing replacement costs and improving operating costs.
Additionally, PAR Series halogen lamps easily handle a wide range of operating temperatures (-40°C to 70°C) that make it possible to deploy a locomotive anywhere extreme weather conditions exist. Unlike legacy incandescent bulbs that dim greater than 20% within the first 25 hours into FRA non-conformance, the PAR lamp maintains its candela output throughout the entire lamp life.
In selecting a multi-purpose lighting solution for locomotives, once again several things should be taken into consideration: cost, durability, longevity and ease of use. Amglo’s A19 LED lamp is designed to illuminate locomotives that require bright lighting in locations such as walkways, stairways, engine rooms and electrical cabinets. The lightweight PVC/acrylic construction of the A19 decreases vibrations and improves heat distribution, leading to longer lamp life. A single LED lamp lasts up to 50,000 hours.
Amglo continues to be the leader in halogen and LED technology for railroad and commuter rail with the most reliable lamps in the industry. With 85 years of experience behind us and a mission to provide our customers with a quality product and positive customer experience, you can count on all our locomotive lamps to lower maintenance and operating costs and improve safety. While cost-efficiency is always a consideration, quality and reliability are just as important to us, if not more so, as we continue to develop new products for the locomotive industry.