The comments about 745's ditch lights raise a question in my mind.

FRA rules about certain safety appliances on steam locomotives are, in effect, "if you don't have it, no problem. If you put it on, you can't take it off. And if you have it and it doesn't work, problem." In other words, where a safety appliance is not required by the regs, it might be better not to have it at all.

Would ditch lights fall into this category? If a ditch light wasn't working, for example, would the locomotive be able to leave the terminal? And could the operator remove the ditch lights, either to remove the defect, or for e.g. a photo special?

JAC

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Somewhere along the line I've gotten confused, then. I was thinking that it was a no-no to, for example, remove try-cocks.

Anyway, thanks for the answer.

JAC

2816 on it's first run from Vancouver to Calgary had the ditch lights removed for a photo runby at Marants curve. Of course this was Canada, where ditch lights are required on steam and FRA rules don't apply. I know that's a great help.