Sink down light. Why?

[Shortline]

So, just a dumb question. I’m on my 6th night out of the last 7 onboard, with 3 of those being in Viewliners. I am in a Viewliner often enough, between BHM and NYP/WAS, but guess I never really thought about this.

The big red “Sink Down” light. What, pray tell, could possibly be the purpose of this thing? It must be important, they wired lights and switches to every roomette on every view liner. But I’m at a loss as to what practical purpose it could serve. Who is it warning? The room is what, 6x4 or something close to that? If I can see the light, surely I can see the sink is down.....and if it IS down......is that bad? Is that why there is a big red light, to get me to put it up?

Probably not the most intellectual question here, but honestly......I just don’t see what could be so important as to add the wiring, and complexity to add a light to make me aware the sink is down in my tiny room.

 

[Maglev]

It's for a person in the top bunk, so they don't step down into the sink.

 

[Shortline]

Ok. I suppose that makes sense!

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Also if you fail to lock it in the closed position you don’t have it come crash down on your fingers. Warning light.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Also if you fail to lock it in the closed position you don’t have it come crash down on your fingers. Warning light.

Locking them in the Closed position also helps cut down on the rattle and hum as the Cars bounce around on the rough sections of track.

 

[Steve4031]

I’ve wondered myself. Never thought about a person in the top bunk stepping onto an open sink. But it’s possible.

 

[Shortline]

Locking them in the Closed position also helps cut down on the rattle and hum as the Cars bounce around on the rough sections of track.

Nah. I think the first poster was right, surely had to be to keep people from stepping down on it. At least, that makes sense.
If they put a light on everything that would rattle in these things, it would be lit up like a Christmas tree.

 

[railiner]

Could be like the "door ajar" light in some auto's....

 

[20th Century Rider]

Locking them in the Closed position also helps cut down on the rattle and hum as the Cars bounce around on the rough sections of track.

So they don't step down when the sink is open.

Would you want someone's toes in your sink???

 

[bratkinson]

For the 25 years or so I've been riding in Viewliner roomettes, I've always wondered WHY would they put in a sink down light? Maybe they should add a 'please flush toilet' light as well after the lid had been raised?

I'm glad somebody figured out (or found out) WHY it was put there.

On the other hand, I started thinking it's a safety feature for the sink...as mentioned above, protect someone from smashed fingers. But also someone from using that as something to push down upon while getting out of the seat or bed. At night, the light is certainly bright enough to annoy every one to the point of fully closing the sink so they can get a nights' sleep. And yes, sometimes, even when fully latched, it rattles. Wood shim stock is a cheap fix-it for all Amtrak squeaks and rattles.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

It seems like the light resolves a relatively minor problem with solution that makes using the sink a routine annoyance. I'm thankful we don't have this issue on the Western routes. Otherwise I'd have to bring even more tape to cover it up.

 

[John Santos]

Why would you want to leave the sink down? The water doesn't train until you tip it up. Or do you tip it up but not latch it securely, thus letting the light stay on? If it's not latched and the train hits a bump, it could fly down unexpectedly and break something or hurt someone. Why is it annoying to have the light on when the sink is in user? I just don't see an issue with a light that is only on when the sink is not secured.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I rarely ride Eastern trains and have no desire to leave the sink down. That being said when I imagine a light connected to a mechanical device in a Superliner bedroom it makes me shudder. I've run into a lot of latches/levers that only work some of the time (if at all) and connecting a bright light or loud buzzer to such a device would drive me crazy.

 

[railiner]

These type of warning lights are operated by "micro-switches". Modern intercity buses have tons of these, telling when various doors, windows, and hatches are not completely closed. These are not exactly precision made, and often cause "false alarms". Ones that gave me a lot of grief, were those in the wheelchair lift door, that were interlocked with the transmission and parking brake. Sometimes, no matter how carefully you closed and secured that door, the light would not go out, and consequently immobilized the coach. Same with the switch showing the complete stowing of the lift. You had to either bend the bracket holding the switch, secure it with duct tape, or in some cases, completely disable the switch, in order to move on. What a PITA!

 

[PVD]

Maybe I'm lucky, but having been in the VL sleepers many times, I have certainly encountered things that don't quite work the way they should, but have never had a sink down light switch issue.

 

[TrackWalker]

I would rather be annoyed by the red light being on than by the yellow one when the black button needs to be pushed.

 

[John Santos]

I rarely ride Eastern trains and have no desire to leave the sink down. That being said when I imagine a light connected to a mechanical device in a Superliner bedroom it makes me shudder. I've run into a lot of latches/levers that only work some of the time (if at all) and connecting a bright light or loud buzzer to such a device would drive me crazy.

So this is all based on an imaginary problem? I've never had a sink light stay on when the sink was closed, or fail to light when the sink was down. Okay...

 

[Devil's Advocate]

So this is all based on an imaginary problem? I've never had a sink light stay on when the sink was closed, or fail to light when the sink was down. Okay...

What evidence do we have that a "real" problem required this solution in the first place? Do you know anyone who injured their fingers or toes by accidentally misusing a folding sink without a hideous industrial light to warn them?

 

[PVD]

At night with roomette lights out, it as a useful warning not to step in it or bump into it, which could be dangerous. It has a purpose, and I think it's more about people leaving it down, rather than it falling on its own or because it wasn't latched correctly.

 

[bms]

Nobody said the light is a problem, it seems like the OP just asked out of curiosity.

 

[John Santos]

Nobody said the light is a problem, it seems like the OP just asked out of curiosity.

DA, how does it feel to be called "Nobody"?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Nobody said the light is a problem, it seems like the OP just asked out of curiosity.

DA, how does it feel to be called "Nobody"?

He's not exactly wrong. The hideous light did an amazing job of avoiding my awareness for many years. If a Viewliner tries to invade a Western route we might have a problem on our hands ⚔ but other than that we're all good.