Ditch lights are mounted on small stands directly on the locomotive pilot. They usually stand no higher than the walkway. They are a challenge to model in N and Z because of their size and location. They are used for added visibility and will flash alternately when approaching a crossing or station. You can see the ditch lights clearly in this photo: www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/42552/Tuesday June 24, 2008 006.JPG They are mounted on the pilot, just above the plow. The locomotive in this image does not have classification lights. In very few instances, ditch lights are mounted higher up; this is the case on some passenger equipment; most of the time, however, they are down low, near the ground, which is how they got their name.<br /><br />Classification lights are usually located on the nose, toward the left and right sides of the locomotive body. This image of a locomotive shows both ditch lights and classification lights, and they are both illuminated: ldbert1.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2396445 In this case, the class lights are near the top left and right corners of the loco's nose. Classification lights can be illuminated in various colors to indicate the particular status of a train. They are seeing increasingly infrequent use as time passes; many locomotives don't even have them, and others have had the class light openings covered over with metal plugs.

Ok ok.... I stand corrected!! Just wanted to share what I thought was cool. <br />The lights on the nose, done with fiber optics carefully drilled out and routed <br />through the shell to the LED inside.

I see no ditch lights there are, however classification lights.

Wait... where are the ditch lights?

Looks nice, I'll have to look into doing my SD40-2s :-)