Seeing as the subject of headlights has been a recent topic, I'm curious about the headlight
on the locomotive shown in the photo link below. It's a tandem lamp nestled within a larger
traditional "single" lamp housing. I dread pleading naivety to the subject among the many
archival experts here... perhaps I need to look closer at steam locomotive headlights in the future,
for I've never noticed this style before.
Wondering if this would have been a retrofitted new technology arrangement for the era?

http://www.pbase.com/powerandbeauty/ima ... 5/original

Always enjoying the forum,

John

It's a twin sealed beam headlight, similar to what N&W 611 is carrying today. Off the top of my head they were also carried by the B&O EM-1 2-8-8-4 and the New York Central Niagaras. Many diesels were so equipped also.

Finderskeepers -

Which brings up an interesting question. Some of the railroads mounted the twin lights horizontally (like on the B&O 4-6-2) while other used a vertical arrangement. Was always curious about this. Was there a manufacturers recommendation? Why the difference between railroads?

Les

I guess it was a road specific preference. I did come across this while doing some digging, thought it might be interesting for some
http://www.pbase.com/paulv99k/image/53671962
...and I had forgotten that 2716 had carried a twin headlight during her Southern steam excursion years

Here is a close up of the style B&O used

I have seen at least one picture of a PRR T1 (in 1948) equipped with a vertical double sealed-beam light. It is not the Pyle-National 'outie' type, and I don't now recall whether there was full headlight glass across the sealed-beam units.