Rail safety has always been a high priority.  Technology has provided the industry with a wide variety of devices to keep us safe, and the railroads from being sued.  Even so, railroading is still a dangerous profession, and grade crossings still claim many victims.

Ditch lights, those twin headlights about five feet apart at eye level on the front of locomotives create a triangle of bright light on an approaching train.  When the engineer blows the whistle, the ditch lights flash alternately as an added alert for the wary automobile or pedestrian.

It’s been widely reported that ditch lights were the creation of the Canadian railroads in their western mountains. These lights could peek around tight corners spotting fallen rock or other problems. Soon other railroads went along and by the mid-90s most railroad locomotives in the Americas had them. The Federal Railway Administration has since mandated them.

But, wait a second.  Look at the second picture to the right.  Seems the Russkies beat us to the punch just like Sputnik in 1957.   The Russian steamer appeared in the August 1958 TRAINS Magazine.  Photo Credits: B&LE 905 – Michael S. Murray, Russian Steamer #251 – J. N. Westwood