Question about european train headlight

I can tell you, that especially old trains in Germany/Europe really don´t have bright headlights.
But I´m not sure about the true reason.
Modern trains with LED´s are different. Their lights are much brighter.

@ES64F4 I think, the frontlights of a train are onliy for other workers oft the railway. (white lamps on the front mean "attention" and the both red at the end mean "the train is completely at the train station arrived and don't loose a car" In the past this information was important for the signalbox worker.)
So the task of the light is not to illuminate the tracks at night. The reason is: You can't drive a train like a car. So we drive faster then we can react if a signal is red (as an example) and so we need "pre-signals" to know what the next signal exhibit. All in all, we don't need see the signals (also because they have lamps). Important track signs are build reflected and so they reflect the inforamtion for the driver by the "smale light" oft the train because it is bright enough.

This ist my standpoint of inforation and I hope, this was the inforamtion you had searched.

Even modernised lamps, as for eexample the BR 218 has gotten, are still really dimm in real life. The reason, why even those headligts are made brighter in TS, is, because you can not build reflective signs, so you need to illuminate them, otherwise you are not able to see them.

The real porpose of the "headligs" or more realistic possition markings are, so that a train can be seen by workers, trains and cars at level crossings.
The modern High beams are simply to help the driver to see a bit more, this may be important while shunting, so you can see how far you need to go.

FabiaLP

The headlights on old German trains were not for the driver to see in the dark but for other drivers to see the train.
Maybe the technologie of the train lights wasn't good enough then to see far away. Most trains from the 1980 or 1990 where designed and build decades ago.
With light technology advancing especially on cars with halogen and LED lights the purpose on trains may have been changed from "to be seen only" to see something self in the dark to increase safety.

Trains are not cars, we don't run on sight but by signales tough. Headlights have the only purpose, to be seen not to see.

I only use the bright lights whist shunting or when get a order to proceed on sight (Zs 7 in Germany). Because then, you have to see what's in Front of you.