RailRoadFan.com

I’ve recently had a couple of people ask some questions on a few videos of Amtrak trains with chargers that I’ve uploaded in the past year, in my most recent video (insert shameless plug here), the leader on Amtrak 353 had…what’s the way to word it…a delay on the timing of the ditchlights flashing. Like one side would flash longer than the other, and the other one faded in and was on for less time than the first.

My viewers (and myself to be honest) would like to know, what causes that? I’ve never found out a good reason as to what causes it.

This also is a follow up question from me, how do railroads program the ditchlights to flash? It’s something that’s always interested me.


If anyone needs the link to the video I’m referring to so you can see what I’m talking about, here it is, it’s the first train in the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39CZPO9G80U

What you're seeing is your camera being unable to properly capture the look of an LED light. LEDs refresh at a rate faster than the HD average video camera can capture. It's the same reason why crossing signals sometimes appear to fade in and out or not be flashing at all in videos.

SD80MAC wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 14, 2022 3:47 pm

What you're seeing is your camera being unable to properly capture the look of an LED light. LEDs refresh at a rate faster than the HD average video camera can capture. It's the same reason why crossing signals sometimes appear to fade in and out or not be flashing at all in videos.

Nope, It’s like that even in my own eyes. Should’ve clarified that. I know what you’re talking about though, and it is very annoying when I’m trying to video a street view video of a CSX train (CSX has been really going hard with the new lights) going over a crossing that has the new LED’s on it.

David Collins wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 14, 2022 4:26 pm

Nope, It’s like that even in my own eyes. Should’ve clarified that.

Can confirm that the ditchlights on these units flash oddly, in typing up my rant on now awful they look I wondered, they are more noticeable than a synchronized pair, maybe that's on purpose? To make the locomotive stand out compared to say, the little windows on the sides of the crossing lights.