Railway Signal Lights - Voltages?

Question

What voltage do railway signal lamps operate on in Australia?

A rail-working friend of mine gave me a lamp that had been replaced with a newer one - but still works. We have (for non-Aussies) a 240 Volt mains power supply (16 Amp I think) but was wondering if that'd be too much power to hook up to these?

Would a 12V battery work?

Does anyone know?

ANY help appreciated!

Answer 1

12 volts may indeed work, as most signals in the US have battery back-up.

The safest way to go is to apply a low voltage, which a lamp will accept, and gradually increase voltage until the desired brightness is achieved.

Good luck, mate.

Answer 2

Railways mostly use 24V DC,however be sure to check the bulb with a volt meter before usage.