My grandfather (an electrician) would always do this with a Shorted Circuit in a house, If the breaker would just trip right away, he would connect it between the circuit breaker and the wire to the circuit. Forget if he used just a very large wattage bulb or a 250v bulb, but it was VERY bright.
Then we could go around and try and figure out what was shorted or on causing the problem. When the problem was found the light would go dim or out depending if anything was still completing the circuit.
Never saw anyone else use this approach, and I never tried when I had my business.
OT: just saw someone connect a few compact florescence in series (messed up wiring a Switch Leg) and they all lit but dim