MD80 CREW TAXIED PAST THE HOLD SHORT SIGNS ON RWY 17R AT DEN.

Narrative

DURING TAXI OUT AT DEN IN THE EARLY MORNING DARKNESS; WE OVERSHOT THE RWY 17R HOLD SHORT POINT. OUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI TO RWY 17R. I REALIZED THAT WE MAY HAVE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE WHEN I NOTICED RWY LIGHTS COMING INTO VIEW. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND CALLED THE TWR TO ADVISE THEM THAT WE MAY HAVE CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE. TWR ADVISED US TO TAXI ON THE RWY AND TO EXIT AT THE FIRST TURN AS TFC WAS ON SHORT FINAL. THE TFC LOOKED TO BE ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. WE IMMEDIATELY CLRED THE RWY AS DIRECTED WITHOUT REQUIRING A GAR OF THE LNDG CARGO ACFT. APCHING THE HOLD SHORT LINE AGAIN; WE NOTICED A FEW THINGS. FIRST; THE RWY 17R/35L RED HOLD SHORT SIGN HAD A FEW BULBS INOP AND WAS NOT FULLY ILLUMINATED. SECOND; THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS FROM THE TXWY TO THE RWY WERE ON. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THOSE LIGHTS ARE PART OF THE SMGCS 'LOW VISIBILITY TAXI LIGHTING SYS' AND ARE DESIGNED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN YOU ARE CLRED ACROSS THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I BELIEVE THAT DEN WAS USING THE SMGCS LEAD-IN LIGHTS WHILE NOT USING SMGCS PROCS -- NONSTANDARD. IN-GND HOLD SHORT LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED AND IN GENERAL THE RWY 17R HOLD SHORT POINT WAS HARD TO FIX -- EVEN THE SECOND TIME AROUND.