No headlights on small freight train

[NE933]

I'll assume it is ok to post this here on the Amtrak forum because the following observation took place on the Northeast Corridor yesterday.

So I enjoyed myself yesterday trainwatching at Edison NJ. Lots of Amtrak and NJT action, including dramatic overtakes. But here's what concerned me. A small CSX freight, complete with a caboose, rolled off a branch line and onto the Corridor on track 4. Some time passed and the sun set, so much that facing the tracks south they were nearly pitch black. I noticed a flashing red light way up in the distance. It took me a while to perceive that it was getting closer, and then realized it was the same train that crossed over to track 1 and came back probably to go to Metuchen yard or perhaps further up. My point is that the crew on the caboose had no white lights that would alert the train's approach. The blinking red light initially gave the impression that this train was moving away; someone unalert could get taken surprise and have something go wrong.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I'll assume it is ok to post this here on the Amtrak forum because the following observation took place on the Northeast Corridor yesterday.

So I enjoyed myself yesterday trainwatching at Edison NJ. Lots of Amtrak and NJT action, including dramatic overtakes. But here's what concerned me. A small CSX freight, complete with a caboose, rolled off a branch line and onto the Corridor on track 4. Some time passed and the sun set, so much that facing the tracks south they were nearly pitch black. I noticed a flashing red light way up in the distance. It took me a while to perceive that it was getting closer, and then realized it was the same train that crossed over to track 1 and came back probably to go to Metuchen yard or perhaps further up. My point is that the crew on the caboose had no white lights that would alert the train's approach. The blinking red light initially gave the impression that this train was moving away; someone unalert could get taken surprise and have something go wrong.

Well, no other trains would be on that track in that area at that time as the track was “assigned” to the freight and other trains would have either stop or proceed with caution signals as they approached the area.
I’m also guessing Track 1 is a low speed track and therefore the NERs, LDs, and Acela’s would unlikely be on it unless there’s track work happening on one of the high speed tracks. Or, as in the case in Newark, DE a late NER is making a stop to pick up passengers and another train will need to pass it on Track 2.

And for your “someone unalert could get taken surprise and have something go wrong.”, if you mean a trespasser, they shouldn’t be on the track in the first place.