Standard stock headcodes

[neilw]

Were the headcodes of the standard stock used right up to their withdrawal even when mixed in with 59/62 stock or were they used as marker lights for a while?

[roythebus]

As far as I remember proper headcodes were carried until final withdrawal. Old traditions die hard. The lights on the standard stock weren't individually switchable as they were wired in series from line volts.

[t697]

Jan 17, 2022 13:22:50 GMT roythebus said:

As far as I remember proper headcodes were carried until final withdrawal. Old traditions die hard. The lights on the standard stock weren't individually switchable as they were wired in series from line volts.

So were the headcodes all about the same number of lamps? Or did the switching system bring in substitution resistors instead perhaps?  I seem to recall these trains had a lot of rather horrible looking edge wound resistors on mica strips with end pieces that clipped into fuse clips. All rather vintage!

[Dstock7080]

Jan 17, 2022 16:32:24 GMT t697 said:

Jan 17, 2022 13:22:50 GMT roythebus said:

As far as I remember proper headcodes were carried until final withdrawal. Old traditions die hard. The lights on the standard stock weren't individually switchable as they were wired in series from line volts.

So were the headcodes all about the same number of lamps? Or did the switching system bring in substitution resistors instead perhaps?  I seem to recall these trains had a lot of rather horrible looking edge wound resistors on mica strips with end pieces that clipped into fuse clips. All rather vintage!

Headcodes on Standard, '38, CO/CP Stock were from fixed lamps covered by internal shutters

[roythebus]

The bulbs were wired in series and as Dstock7078 says were covered with sliding or pivoting shutters. One light in the series was switchable to feed either the cab light or the air gauge light. 38/COP etc were low voltage lamps fed from battery or MG at 110v if I remember correctly. Q and standard stock were the same bulbs but with 6 or 7 in series, probably 7 to take into account over-voltage. Trying to rememebr this from 1970 is sometimes difficult!

[brigham]

My only recollection of 5-lamp headcodes is that, if the middle one is lit, it's going via the Bank.

[neilw]

Jan 18, 2022 8:41:05 GMT brigham said:

My only recollection of 5-lamp headcodes is that, if the middle one is lit, it's going via the Bank.

On the Central Line, highly likely 😀😀

[t697]

That many incandescent 60W lamps must have made quite a contribution as a cab heater!

[ted672]

There's an interesting piece on marker lights here: www.trainweb.org/tubeprune/Marker%20lights.htm#Marker%20Lights In reference to the original post, Central line headcodes were used until 1963.