Class 156 door closing strobes

[ukrob]

What was the thinking behind them? I suspect they were not built with them and were a modification under BR?

 

[Failed Unit]

What was the thinking behind them? I suspect they were not built with them and were a modification under BR?

Maybe a visual aid to let deaf people know the doors are about to shut. You are right they were a modification, under BR the fact the door was closing was enough to let you know you should get out the way of it. (and the light on the open / close buttons went out)

 

[ukrob]

Maybe a visual aid to let deaf people know the doors are about to shut. You are right they were a modification, under BR the fact the door was closing was enough to let you know you should get out the way of it. (and the light on the open / close buttons went out)

Well of course it is a visual aid, but was more interested in the thinking behind it, and why it was never applied to anything else? Surely to test something they would fit it to a handful of units, rather than fleet wide to 115 odd units as a modification. It would be different if they were built like that of course.

Was the hustle alarm fitted at the same time or where they built with that? I suspect that was a modification done at the same time?

 

[driver9000]

Not sure when they were fitted, definitely not from new. They are handy for people who are deaf and cant hear the hustle alarm and on the original door buttons the halos werent that bright so it could be easy to miss them going out. Personally I think it was a good idea but dont think it was a BR innovation. As far as Im aware the hustle alarm was fitted from new. The flashing light was probably done as an experiment and then forgotten about as with so many trials.

 

[metrocammel]

I've always found that light quite ironic that it's a 'disabled aid', however, if you are photo-sensitive epileptic, it has the potential to cause an epileptic fit! I've always thought a simple flashing filament bulb (or nowadays an LED) could have been fitted instead, and not caused anyone any problems!

 

[driver9000]

Im not aware of anyone having had a fit enduced by the flashing light - certainly not on any of the 156s Ive ever worked!! Its not actually that bright either by day or at night when the saloon lighs are on.

 

[metrocammel]

Im not aware of anyone having had a fit enduced by the flashing light - certainly not on any of the 156s Ive ever worked!! Its not actually that bright either by day or at night when the saloon lighs are on.

I'm not aware of anyone having a fit, but I seem to recall a fellow crank who has epilepsy getting a headache if he was to stand near the door of a 156. I think he has some sort of medication so the strobes don't trigger fits, but still, it doesn't seem ideal to have strobes in a place where you can't really avoid them.

 

[Pumbaa]

They're used on the 377s, as far as I can tell all the Southern spec have them, Im' not sure if any other Bombardier family have them.

 

[TEW]

I'm not aware of anyone having a fit, but I seem to recall a fellow crank who has epilepsy getting a headache if he was to stand near the door of a 156. I think he has some sort of medication so the strobes don't trigger fits, but still, it doesn't seem ideal to have strobes in a place where you can't really avoid them.

My epileptic uncle has absolutely no reaction at all to strobe lighting. In fact a group of epileptics including him went to a bowling alley with strobe lights and no one had a fit.