KMRC Skrifa – SR Tail Lamps and Brake Van Lamps

Following the arrival of our lovely Exclusive ex LSWR/SR Road Van models and our recent Skrifa posts regarding SR locomotive headsignals and other company steam / diesel headcodes, this Skrifa post takes a look at the requirement for tail / side lamps on brake vans etc. to denote the rear of the train.

Firstly, a reminder about our ex LSWR/SR Road Vans to Diagram 1541, almost 500 of them were built between 1886 and 1905 making them the most numerous LSWR Goods Brake Van.  Brake Vans with side doors through which parcels or other goods could be loaded were known as road vans. The full details of our Exclusive range of ex LSWR/SR Diagram 1541 Road Vans available can be read here>>>


Now on to tail lamps, using the Southern Railway Rule Book 1933 (Reprinted 1945) as a guide, Rules 120 to 123 stated:

120. (a) Each train when on any running line must always have a tail lamp, properly cleaned and trimmed, attached to the rear of the last vehicle, and this lamp will furnish evidence to the signalman and others that the train is complete.  After sunset, or during fog or falling snow, the tail lamp must be alight and show a red light and except in the case of passenger and other trains composed of coaching stock, and light engines, two red side lights must also be carried.

London and North Eastern Railway Freight trains operated throughout by the vacuum brake, do not carry side lamps.

Southern Railway Goods trains must carry on the last vehicle two side lamps, viz., one on each side showing a white light forward and a red light at the rear.

(b) The Guard must see that the tail lamps, and side lamps where provided, are kept properly burning when necessary.

121. Where trains travel in the same direction on parallel lines, special regulations for head side and tail lamps will be issued as necessary.

122. (a) An engine without a train must, when on any running line, always carry a tail lamp at the rear.
(b) When two or more engines are run coupled together without a train, the last engine only must have a lamp attached.
(c) Any engine or engines drawing a train must not carry any lamp in the rear.
(d) Any engine assisting a train in the rear must have a tail lamp attached; when more than one engine assists, the tail lamp must be carried on the rear-most engine only.

123. Engines employed exclusively in shunting at station yards and sidings must, after sunset or during fog or falling snow, carry head and tail lamps both showing a red light.

As can be seen above goods trains were required to carry a red tail lamp and side lamps, except on the LNER for fully fitted freight trains, and relevant to our Road Van, when working on the Southern only side lamps were required.

Brake vans were therefore fitted with both a central lamp iron and also higher mounted side lamp irons at each end, as can been seen below as separately fitted parts on our Road Van.

Southern Railway yard or station pilots would therefore carry a lamp at each end of the locomotive showing red, and as per our recent Skrifa posts regarding steam / diesel headcodes those post 1950, would show a white lamp bottom left, red lamp bottom right  on both ends of the locomotive (although some instuctions required the white lamp to be on the main line side if adjacent to such). 

To compliment your ex LSWR/SR Road Van and locomotives, we stock Springside lamps, for example:

• SR Head and tail lamps
• Guards van side lamps - pack of 5
• Guards van side lamps - pack or 10 

Click here for the full Springside range>>>

These can either be glued in place or held on small amount of blu-tac or similar. It is also possible to drill a suitable small hole in the underside of the lamp body to enable it to sit on the lamp iron.

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