Almost all locomotives I have seen have ditch lights on the front, but a few have ditch lights only on the rear. For example, an SD70M rolls by with frobnt DL's only. A GP38-2 rolls by backwards with a string of 10 or so boxcars and the DL's are on the rear, but leading. I haven't though to look at both ends to see if there lights on both ends of the locomotives. Does locations very randomly by lomotives that are generally switching-designated (GP38-2, GP40-2, RDMT's)? I know the larger locomotives that are generally used for the main-line trains have them on the front, are the installed on the rear or also very by locomotive? When did the FRA require ditch lights to be installed? I have pictures from 1996 and 1997 of engines with out any. sorry for the long post.
The FRA made them a requirement on 12-31-97. If a locomotive is to be run backwards except for re-attaching to it's own train or making terminal movements, it is required to have them on both ends. The BN had some flashing strobe lights that were legal until 03-06-00. They had to be changed out by that date.
