Question & Answer Board

 Q3669 Dressel Arlington Lantern  I recently purchased a Dressel Arlington NJ lantern. It has a cracked Handlan Fresnel globe. I am replacing it with a Dressel Fresnel globe that appears to be correct for the lantern. I have some questions about the lantern and the oil tank. My first concern is the material inside the tank. Is it likely to be asbestos? Whatever it is, I don’t want it in there unless there is a good reason to keep it. It is spongy, dry, and smooth to the touch. Assuming it is not asbestos, is it OK to take it out or should I just get a replacement tank? I have noticed that some of these lanterns have smooth globes and others have Fresnel. What was the Fresnel used for? Do you have any idea of the age of the lantern? Do you have any idea where it would have been used? Thanks,   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Friday, September 6, 2019 by Mark   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Usually the fonts for lanterns like this were stuffed with cotton waste. It belongs there, as it it helped keep the kerosene in place. Posted Friday, September 6, 2019 by BobF

A. I don't burn my lanterns, just display them so I always remove the cotton waste from the fonts with a tweezers. The only asbestos I have seen in RR lanterns is the ring gasket that sits between the bottom of the globe and the body of the lantern in the Armspear 1925 lanterns. There maybe others I'm not aware of though. Posted Saturday, September 7, 2019 by LC

A. Per "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Railroad Lighting Vol. 1: The Railroad Lantern" (Barrett) : The Fresnel (pronounced Fray-nell) globe is named after Augustin Jean Fresnel (1788-1827). Fresnel was a French physicist and engineer who did much research on the light conditions governing interference phenomena on polarized light and on double refraction. He developed a method of producing circulatory polarized light. [Fresnel globes] were used in railroad applications because they reduced globe breakage and, under many conditions, gave better light. They were ideally suited for some railroad applications because they produced a beam of high intensity light with limited vertical spread. This made them ideal for use in crossing gate lanterns and rip track lanterns. Posted Saturday, September 7, 2019 by JMS

A. The NJC initials may stand for New Jersey Central. The Central RR of New Jersey also went by CNJ as well as several other abbreviations over their long history which ended in 1976 with absorbtion into Conrail. One piece of the former CNJ became the State of NJ's North Jersey Coast Line commuter service, which is another possibility. There are likely many other possibilities.  Posted Monday, September 9, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3668 Pullman Table Lamp?  I was wondering if anyone could ID this lamp base as railroad or not. I assume its a lamp base. It looks a lot like Pullman table lamps I have seen but not the same. It came from an estate in Topeka, Kansas and a locomotive gauge was found in the estate as well so I thought that the owner may have worked at the railroad and brought it home. There aren't any markings other than some numbers stamped into the bottom. Any help would be appreciated,   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Friday, September 6, 2019 by Nick   Post a Reply  Email a reply

 Q3665 RR Marker/Signal?  Would you please tell me what kind of a railroad marker/signal this is and perhaps how it was used? Thank you.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Wednesday, August 21, 2019 by Shanna   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. These are 'day markers' that were used by some RR's to mark the rear of a train. The shoes fit the standard marker brackets on the rear of almost every car and locomotive. See Prior Q 3115 for related discussion. These were adequate daytime markers and were acceptable for use by some RR's until the late 1970's when the Federal RR Administration issued a national rule requiring illuminated rear end devices with a required minimum brightness that essentially mandated electrically-lit markers on the rear of every train.  Posted Thursday, August 22, 2019 by RJMc

A. I have one of these also just found out what it was from this post. Posted Thursday, January 9, 2020 by Cooter

A. Does anybody know if these are collectable? Posted Wednesday, January 15, 2020 by Cooter

 Q3661 Handlan Light  I recently attended an auction which included both railroad & nautical items from the same estate. One of the items was this unused Handlan cast aluminum light that was factory set up with a flashing mode red bulb. Has anyone ever seen a similar light? or have any information on this item? Thank You!   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Wednesday, August 7, 2019 by Dave F.   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Some kind of size reference would help in identifying the intended uses of this - this kind of thing came in a very wide variety of sizes. Also, what working voltage is the bulb set up for? Was there a plug or connector on the cord, or just a 'pigtail' end? Posted Thursday, August 8, 2019 by RJMc

A. The overall diameter is 12", The voltage is 110 & it has a connection for 3/4" electrical conduit. Someone installed a short cord but this is not original to this light Posted Thursday, August 8, 2019 by Dave F.

A. This kind of fixture was often used as the backup light on the rear of steam locomotive tenders as well as early diesel units. See prior Q 3395 (also see Link), including a light that seems to have the same kind of open back as yours, but on a clear white light. The flashing red bulb implies use as a marker, but the 110 V bulb makes me think somebody wanted this for a ground-based application since most steam locos were 32 VDC and most diesels were in the range of 64 to 72 VDC.  Link 1  Posted Thursday, August 8, 2019 by RJMc

A. The Link is to a similar light (but clear, not red, for lighting backup moves) on the rear of a newly-delivered B unit diesel in 1954. Note the conduit connection.  Link 1  Posted Friday, August 9, 2019 by RJMc

A. Could they be used on the back of a passenger car where those scissor type gates closed off the open vestibule? Hung on the gate, the clear lens outward for tail marker, with the red spot forward for crew to monitor operation without casting excess light into the car. Maybe a photo can be found? Seem to recall last run of a city train (Los Angeles?) with a simple marker hung out? (Not by any of my resources right now.) Posted Saturday, August 10, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A. The Link below shows a Lackawanna steam locomotive with the single red marker light beneath the regular headlight. Although the lamp fixture is somewhat different, the size is very similar to yours when compared with the approx. 14" headlight diameter.  Link 1  Posted Monday, August 12, 2019 by RJMc

A. I am still puzzled by the 'red spot' as to whether it is a lens allowing light out the backside, or an image of the red bulb in a mirror-type reflector. While the light could be hung on a gate, I don't see any signs of hooks or clamps needed to use it that way -- just the usual cast feet which would be used to bolt it to a flat surface. Also its my impression that flashing type markers came into fashion much later than when this type of fixture was popular. (Not to be confused with oscillating tail end lights such as Mars and Gyralight, which were popular much earlier and usually used with constantly-lit marker lamps.) That said, it would make sense for this light to be used on the front of a locomotive to indicate when the train was in emergency, the way current Amtrak units have red flashing strobes to indicate emergency. That would have been something that SP might have done.  Posted Monday, August 12, 2019 by RJMc

A. The Link shows a DL&W electric MU car with a single red marker lamp mounted under the regular headlight. The red light on the MU car is similar in style but not identical to yours, snd apparently was constantly lit when in use and not flashing. Some of the steam locomotives from that same area abd era also had a single red light on the front, but I haven't been able to come up with a good enough pic to see what kind of lamp was used.  Link 1  Posted Monday, August 12, 2019 by RJMc

A. I'd be inclined to 5"-6" red lens, possible rings seen upper right, sun passing through bulb on right and drowned out on the thick glass to left. If it was a mounted reflector, would you really need an adjustable lens ring? Also, the depth looks somewhat flat rather than a "deep can" for a permanent fixture out front. Reminds me of the Highway Patrol problem of red light in back window that drunks would drive straight into. A red flash out back would separate the source from all those other solid reds encroaching around rail lines. Posted Tuesday, August 13, 2019 by ShastaRoute

 Q3658 Adlake Font Lens Holder  Has anyone ever seen one of these before? This lens holder (?) soldered to the top of an Adlake font is a first for me. This came out of a recently purchased Adlake square top semaphore lamp with one clear lens. When the font is correctly installed the lens holder sits directly between the flame and the semaphore 5-3/8 inch lens. I assume that the semaphore color can be quickly changed by installing a colored lens in this holder, rather than changing out the semaphore lens itself, a slower process. A 3 to 3-1/2 inch lens will fit this holder. Any information greatly appreciated. Thanks.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Tuesday, July 30, 2019 by JEM   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Hello JEM, This holder that is soldered to your oil fount out of your semaphore lamp is actually there to hold a polished glass reflector.This was an option and did help to intensify/concentrate the light from the flame.There are illustrations of this piece in the various railroad lamp books so you will soon see how this piece worked.I don't have this info to share at this time. DJB Posted Tuesday, July 30, 2019 by DJB

A. DJB- thanks for the info. In the one lens semaphore lamp this apparatus came in, a reflector (mirror) would block the light from the flame to the lens. Given how stuff like fonts and burners moved around, this is probably not original to the semaphore. In my quick look through the "Encyclopedia of RR Lighting" and Hobson's "Lanterns That Lit Our World", I did not see anything like this lens / mirror holder.  Posted Tuesday, July 30, 2019 by JEM

A. Hello again,These oil founts had the slip collar arrangement so the burner could be rotated as needed to get the reflector behind the flame yet in line with the lense.The long burner shaft had to be rotated so as to pass out the slot near the inspection door as well.Many of Adlake's signal lamps took the large rectangular 31 ounce fount like yours and those founts could be rotated 180 or 90 degrees as needed and once in placwe,the slip collar on the burner bottom could be rotated so the shaft lined up with the slot in the body.The other possibility is that your lamp originally came with what was referred to as a "tall" semaphore oil fount,which was like a marker lamp fount only twice as high and held about 22 ounces of oil and these had a cage/holder so they could only slide in one way.Railroads were great for modifying lamps/parts to increase oil capacity and reduce trips by the signal maintainer having to fill the founts.I have 2 or 3 signal lamps that have been modified over their life and I was in fact a 40 year signal employee and saw much of this signal equipment modified as well to electric or put on a shelf only to be saved later or scrapped.When the old oil lamps were converted to electric,parts such as the oil fount,burners,reflectors,vents and baffles were discarded.DJB  Posted Wednesday, July 31, 2019 by DJB

A. Hi again- DJB. You are correct - I had the tank installed backwards; what was I thinking! But it was that way when I got it - a feeble excuse. But without a reflector either way works and when "backwards" the fill cap access is right there when the access panel is up. The burner / tank has the slip collar arrangement and the burner shaft lines up with the body slot when the reflector holder is towards the lift access panel. The only issue I see with this arrangement is the tank has to be pulled completely out in order to get to the tank fill cap, so there is a little extra maintenance time needed there. Thanks so much for your insight, DJB.  Posted Wednesday, July 31, 2019 by JEM

A. Hello DJB! Your answer above is perfect timing to raise a lamp-related question which came up while looking for the answer to #3663. You mention 'larger founts' and the catalogs show some signal and grade crossing lamps with huge 1-gallon (!!) or 31-day (!!)founts. My question: I understand not needing to refill the tank for 30 days, but how did the WICKS run lit for a whole month with no attention?? (Maybe they were asbestos rope?) Regards, RJMc Posted Wednesday, July 31, 2019 by RJMc

A. Hi RJMc. I have a Northern Pacific large tank semaphore lamp made for hard to access places, that supposedly will burn for 28 days on a tank full of kerosene. My understanding is that the wick's function is to wick up (pun intended) or transport fuel to the flame and if properly set up, will itself burn very little, and last at least 28 days. But they do slowly burn, so need adjustment and trimming periodically. A web site selling wicks says that an eight inch wick will last through 15 gallons of oil. JEM  Posted Thursday, August 1, 2019 by JEM

A. Hi RJMc and JEM,Re those distant signal lamps with the large 28-30 day oil founts and the wick maintenance needed,I had occasion to talk to one of our oldest retired signal maintainers and also an older retired section foreman about the subject of maintenance needed to the lamp wicks,burners and oil supply for these distant lamps as well as the switchlamps that were still in use when I started in the signal dept in 1971.They both said that the purity and standards for the oil used in these lamps was very high and the biggest warning re the wick maintenance was never to let the lamp flame run out of oil which caused it to burn and build up charred material on its end and in the burner/wick guide.If this was not allowed to happen,only minimal wick trimming was required during a year's time.When I speak of a distant signal lamp,that was signal speak for an approach signal to an interlocking,that was located about 1-2 miles out from the actual interlocking and since electricity wasn't available until later times,these lamps burned oil,had high capacity founts and later were converted to low voltage electric lamp lighting when electricity became available. DJB Posted Sunday, August 4, 2019 by DJB

 Q3657 What andWhere was This?  I picked up a lantern/headlamp on my travels and I was wondering if you knew anything about it. I can't find anything similar in my online searches and was curious what type of engine this was on and what years? It's a heavy lantern at 20lbs, and I was told it was once kerosene. The front glass measures 9 in. My goal is to try and find any missing parts or recreate them. Any help would be appreciated!   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Tuesday, July 30, 2019 by Eric   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Also the very top comes off exposing a vent type system again it was mentioned it was from France. Posted Tuesday, July 30, 2019 by Eric

A. Two immediate thoughts: (1) this is probably not of North American origin. The ID tag should provide some clues on that. (2) There doesn't seem to be any provision for the ventilation needed to burn kerosene -- either for inlet air or outlet exhaust air. Other possibilities: incandescent lamp -- no ventilation needed. Or electric arc? or acetylene gas? But both of those require SOME ventilation. The pix don't seem to show any carbon residue from any of the combustion processes.  Posted Tuesday, July 30, 2019 by RJMc

A. Here is a pic of the top vent. Link 1  Posted Wednesday, July 31, 2019 by Eric

A. This lamp reminds me of an auction I attended years ago. The auctioneer had called me to tell me of a lamp like he had never seen before. He was correct. On arrival, the lamp turned out to be a put together from four different makers. While your main body is original, I believe the top is from something else. I think I see a space for a font and a chimney, but without any exhaust draft. You need to start looking at photos of European locos , if you want to restore it.  Posted Saturday, August 3, 2019 by HVColl

A. Thank you Hvcoll. Can you help me understand exhaust draft? To me looking at the top it is a double walled ventilation it has a heat break or wind plate at bottom of copper stack then at the top bulbous part inner holes at the top that appear to vent out bottom edge.aka the bulb on top. I will move to looking at loco’s In Europe I did find that the BRC could Stand for Boas, Rodrigues& co. A lamp maker out of Europe. Thanks again. Posted Monday, August 5, 2019 by HVcoll

A. It's a French locomotive headlamp from the Chemin de Fer de l'Est (Eastern Railway) which ran between Paris and the German border until the company was nationalised in 1938. Posted Wednesday, August 7, 2019 by JAJ

A. Thank you JAJ for the info! It’s great to finally have a locomotive and a time in history to help appreciate this lamp even more! Thanks to all that helped in search! Posted Saturday, August 10, 2019 by JAJ

 Q3653 Lamp ID Needed  I recently acquired this Adlake Caboose lamp from eBay. I've been trying to figure out what model this lamp is with a hinged door to access the fount.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Saturday, July 27, 2019 by JL   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Barrett and Gross's Illustrated Encyc. of RR Lighting, Vol. II, on RR Signal Lamps, has nothing under Adlake like yours. But it shows two essentially identical lamps by Dressel, with hinged doors but no model numbers. Both were markers for the PRR, one painted black and one yellow (which was a sometime PRR practice) and they note in the text that New Haven also used them. By coincidence, our favorite (??) online auction site just this morning lists one by Handlan, from the New Haven, also with the hinged door and no model number. As with many other things, the PRR considered themselves (modestly) 'The Standard RR of the World' and went their own way on almost everything. So this design of lamp was probably a PRR standard and ordered in sufficient quantities that all the mfgrs. ended up getting to make some of them. And they didn't NEED to assign their own model numbers, other than the specs tha PRR used to order them. And the mfgrs. were happy to supply the lamps to that design, to anybody else who wanted to order them, such as NH. [In retrospect, I am kind of surprised that the PRR used the same track gauge as everyone else, but then again, there were very compelling reasons that they couldn't go their own way on that!!]  Posted Tuesday, July 30, 2019 by RJMc

A. Another reason that the New Haven might have shared a PRR design: Since 1917 the New Haven operated many passenger trains over the Hell Gate Bridge line (see Link) into PRR's New York Penn Station and freights as well. So NH would have needed to follow PRR (or jointly agreed) practices to do that. That operating arrangement lasted until both NH and PRR were absorbed into Penn Central and survives today under Amtrak and Metro North and the freight RR's serving NY City.  Link 1  Posted Friday, August 2, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3649 Dietz 39 Brass Lantern  I recently picked up this all brass (except for the bail which is steel) Dietz 39 lantern. The only markings on this are on the bottom: RE DIETZ COMPANY US NEW YORK with the number '39' in the middle. Overall the metal seems rather thin to me. The bail attach point seems lower than that of some other lanterns I’ve seen in pics. Globe and baffle plates missing, along with the fount and the wick raiser. I wonder what other company's fount might be compatible with this model? Anybody know of the approximate age of this lantern? If it's railroad or a specific Fireman's lantern on a railroad, or just a city fire department lantern? Thank you.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Saturday, July 20, 2019 by James L.   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Hobson's "Lanterns That Lit Our World" shows both the Conductor's #39 and Fireman's #39 lanterns as being identical except the fireman's lantern has a ring or loop attached to the top. Hobson says the lanterns were made from 1888 to 1905. He states the "fireman" refers to a locomotive fireman. Kirkman (Link 1) says the ring or loop was for use with a truck hook - presumably a fire truck. Hobson's lantern picture shows the bail attached to the lantern top at the vent area, while pictures in the Encyclopedia of Railroad Lighting show the bail attached at the top wire of the globe cage. The bail attachment point surely move around during the years this lantern was manufactured. A brass Dietz #39 I once owned had the bail attached to the lantern top, and the top was smooth. Your lantern appears to have had the ring or loop attached to the top at one time, so maybe it is a fireman's lantern.  Link 1  Posted Monday, July 22, 2019 by JEM

 Q3648 PB Blaster Okay to Use on Lantern?  I want to clean a Dressel switch lantern and am having a difficult time getting the panel to slide up so I can take out the kerosene pot (see pic). I have used WD-40 with limited success. Would PB Blaster be okay to try, to unfreeze it? I don’t want to immerse it with the pot inside. Thanks.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Saturday, July 20, 2019 by Vicki   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. WD-40 isn't really designed to be a lubricant (WD = water displacement). Any kind of lubricating oil should help here, including silicon lube spray, 3 in 1, or motor oil. Sometimes I have had to turn to my trusty plastic "persuader" hammer to tap the bottom of the panel lip to get it to move.  Posted Monday, July 22, 2019 by JEM

A. On second thought, don't use a silicon spray, because it is very difficult to remove properly and paint doesn't stick to it. Use an oil based lubricant.  Posted Monday, July 22, 2019 by JEM

A. Thanks! I was able to get the slide panel up to get the pot out. Just one more question, I need to replace the 5 3/8” O-rings that were mounted behind the lenses. Does anyone know where I could find replacements? I tried contacting JerrysRR but get no reply. Posted Thursday, July 25, 2019 by Vicki

A. Try Larry and Doris Krise, they have a lot of lamp parts - Link 1! Good luck!  Link 1  Posted Thursday, July 25, 2019 by JMS

A. The seals behind the lenses were not O rings, but flat gaskets. You can easily cut your own out of bulk rubber or cork flat gasket material available at any auto parts store or Big Box lumber/home supply place. See the Link to one of the pages in the Archives on this site with an 'exploded view' of all the parts it took / you need to re-assemble your lamp. This kind of view is available many different places from the various mfrs., and most were very similar since the lamps were made to RR industry standards to be interchangeable. Adlake may still be selling some of these parts.  Link 1  Posted Thursday, July 25, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3646 Lake & River Lantern  I hate to sound ignorant, but what does 'Lake and River' mean when referring to a railroad lantern? In the 1907 Adlake catalog shown on this site (see link) there is a reference – but I can’t find any explanation. Is it as simple as a lantern/globe made for use on lake and river vessels ? Thanks! Posted Friday, July 12, 2019 by JMS  Link 1     Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Yes. If you note in the Link, the globe is for the "No. 7 Steamboat Lantern" obviously for use on lakes and rivers and canals. Waterways were a big market for lanterns, both for use on the vessels and at the land facilities. For just one example, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal between Washington, DC and Cumberland, MD, about 150 miles, in its heyday had 500 (five hundred!) mule-powered canal boats operating on it and 18 or more locks and dams, each with a locktender and each needing more than one lantern. So definitely a significant market for the lantern manufacturers. Often lanterns targeted at the marine market were made of brass, because salt water rapidly corroded the usual tin plate. But 'Lakes and Rivers' probably implied freshwater, so more steel could be used than for Navy equipment.  Posted Sunday, July 14, 2019 by RJMc

A. RJMc - thank you for a terrific and informative answer! Posted Tuesday, July 16, 2019 by JMS

 Q3643 Adlake Lamp  I just bought this brass Adlake lamp on Ebay. Could you please help me determine its history? It stands just 8.5 inches high, 5 inches wide and has three-3 inches diameter glass lenses (2 red and 1 green). For purposes of scale, I have it resting next to a traditional black inspector lamp. Thanks.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Friday, July 5, 2019 by Jerry H   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Does it have any kind of (or any signs of having had) a side mounting bracket or socket for mounting on the base? Is there any evidence it was refinished (maybe such as originally painted black?) Posted Saturday, July 6, 2019 by RJMc

A. I am including a few more photos. It is original brass and has never been painted. Also, the only defect that I can see is there is no clasp to keep the door containing the green lens shut properly. Hope someone can help. Link 1  Posted Saturday, July 6, 2019 by Jerry H.

A. The side mount and size really reminds me of a buggy or wagon lamp. These weren't usually made of brass but maybe this was a fancy example. Posted Saturday, July 6, 2019 by PEK

A. More guesses - a horse drawn fire pumper? a tug or some other navigation related railroad owned use ?  Posted Saturday, July 6, 2019 by JMS

A. THe 'socket' question refers (not to hacked electrical parts) but to the female rectangular socket used to mount many switch lamps. The red and green lenses would work either for a marker (which would need a side bracket) or for a switch light. Does it have a burner? I am wondering now if it might have been produced for decorative use only, the way the now-defunct Victoria Station chain restaurants were decorated.  Posted Saturday, July 6, 2019 by RJMc

A. Adlake is still in business and has a website. Perhaps if you asked them, they could give you an idea of its intended use. Posted Sunday, July 7, 2019 by LC

A.  This item is a great candidate for Nice, but not really railroad! Posted Sunday, July 7, 2019 by KM

A.  It is a side marker or tail lamp for an automobile, that is the mounting bracket that they used. The electric socket is factory original, note that the mounting bracket is shaped to go around the socket. The socket should have a rubber insert in it which has holes for two wire in it. Now for give me for asking, have you put a magnet on the lamp, is it solid brass or just brass plated? see the link for the Model T Ford Forum which shows an identical lamp which is nickel plated. The fact that the lamp came from the factory with an electric bulb in it and not a kerosene burner gives a clue to the age. Some trucks used kerosene lamps up into the 1920's.  Link 1  Posted Sunday, July 7, 2019 by KM

A. I checked the lamp with a strong magnet. It is definitely brass. The only attraction to the magnet is the spring steel wire that holds the glass in place. Even though it says it’s a Adlake non sweating lamp, I believe it never had any oil burner inside. It looks like it was electrically lighted. It is rather small, about half the size of a switch light. It is very attractive wherever it was used.  Posted Sunday, July 7, 2019 by JPH

A. Here’s a close up view of the missing door clasp. Anyone know what it once looked like? I would like to repair this. Link 1  Posted Monday, July 8, 2019 by Jerry H.

A. An Adlake "Trade Show" sample Carriage Lamp. Period photos show their trade displays had many polished brass lamps on exhibit. This one is not "Railroad" as even the smallest of switch lamps; those of the accepted "Spherical" designs were considerably larger than this. The reason is an interesting one: on very hot summer days with continuously lit lamps (as switch lamps were)small-sized examples as this one with confined ventilation, raised the internal lamp temperature and therefore that of the oil in the fount to the point necessary for ignition. The entire lamp would often go up in flames! Posted Sunday, July 28, 2019 by PKL

 Q3632 Mounting a Circa-1895 A&W Wall Sconce  I have an Adams & Westlake wall sconce that I want to mount and be as period correct as possible in what it would have looked like in the 1890's. I'm hoping you can help me. (1) Indicate if it's for a passenger train or an office, and(2) indicate how it would have been mounted (chimney holder, reflector vs canopy, etc). Thank you very much for any assistance.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Monday, May 27, 2019 by David M   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Maybe begin search with "bunk car lamp" (no quotes) and see where that leads? Posted Thursday, May 30, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A. See prior Q 2024 for a mostly-assembled similar lamp. Lamps like this were used in so many places (and RR cars) and over so many decades that there is no 'right' answer to your questions. The good news in that: any respectable way you asswmble it and mount it will probably have been used in 'revenue service' somewhere at some time. Also enter 'caboose lamp' (without the quotes) in the word or phrase search box to see many prior Q's about these and similar lamps. One note: the one I have of these mounted as an emergency light in my house appears to have been painted at one time (green) and subsequently stripped to the bare metal. So that would be another option if you chose to do that. Posted Tuesday, June 4, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3627 Boston Elevated Ry Lantern  I am a relatively new collector of oil lamps. I have always loved the rail (great grandfather worked on the Boston/Albany Line) and have recently started collecting railroad memorabilia. I came across this lamp that I was trying to identify the maker. It has a Dietz FITZALL globe, but I think it's a replacement. I was hoping that someone could help me identify this lamp and it's former life! It reads: No. 0. TUBULAR on the tank. It is missing the filler cap. I would like to identify the proper globe it would have originally had. Thanks in advance.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Wednesday, May 15, 2019 by Lucy   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Without a manufacturer's name on it, your lantern might be hard to identify. According to "Lanterns That Lit Our World", Dietz made a No. 0 Tubular lantern from 1870 to 1884, but it doesn't look like yours. Dietz also made a Monarch lantern model which was a large font version of the No. 0 Tubular lantern. This web site has information about tubular lanterns that are marked for traction companies, inter-urbans, and even railroads. See Link 1, which has information about lanterns associated with Boston Elevated Railways. From the information on the Link 1 page, a red globe was most likely original to your lantern.  Link 1  Posted Thursday, May 16, 2019 by JEM

A. Here is a Link 1 to detailed descriptions of Dietz lantern models - scroll around to find drawings and examples and descriptions. Link 2 is to Wikipedia information about the Boston Elevated. Good luck !  Link 1  Link 2  Posted Thursday, May 16, 2019 by JMS

A. You might check out listings on eBay for tubular lanterns (try the links) - you will have to look to find any No.0 in the list - look for an identical lantern frame. Also try searching on Etsy. Without the maker mark the placement on yours of No.0 TUBULAR is important ... I hope you should be able to find a replacement cap at a hardware store, if I'm not mistaken these are pretty standard. Or try a flea market or antique shop - this is a wonderful lantern, it is so difficult to find them in this condition AND with railroad markings.  Link 1  Link 2  Posted Saturday, May 18, 2019 by JMS

 Q3626 Lantern?Lamp Info?  I was given this lantern and would like more information on what it was used for. I was told (not sure) it was a train bridge lantern. When the bridge was up the train engineer would see red and the boats would see white. There is NO markings anywhere on the lantern. Any help would be greatly appreciated.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Wednesday, May 15, 2019 by Brian   Post a Reply  Email a reply

 Q3624 Grandfather's Lanterns  I'm hoping I could get some assistance identifying these oil lanterns. I do not know what type of lamps these are, or if they were actually railroad or other vintage. Thank You.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Sunday, May 12, 2019 by Ronnie   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. These lanterns are not railroad related in any way. They appear to be decorative type lamps.  Posted Sunday, May 12, 2019 by JEM

 Q3622 Found RR Light  This light was found in a junkyard. Can you help me identify it?   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Wednesday, May 8, 2019 by Ron   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. The raised PRR in a keystone is the Pennsylvania Railroad mark. Posted Saturday, May 11, 2019 by JMS

 Q3618 Caboose Lamp  Great web site and very informative. I bought a caboose lamp marked PRR Urbana. I'm pretty sure it's not a repo but it did not come with a mantle or globe. I was wondering if there is a certain style globe that I need and how tall is the globe? I don't have any pictures to provide but can if needed. Any info would be appreciated. Keep up the great job.  Posted Thursday, April 18, 2019 by splumber   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. The maker was Johnson, located in Urbana Ohio. While the structure is still there, the company closed a few years back. HVC Posted Thursday, April 18, 2019 by HVC

A. See prior Q 2560 for a pic of an assembled caboose lamp, including the clear (when new, anyway) glass chimney, the clip that kept the chimney in place, and the soot-catcher guard cap above the top opening of the chimney. The chimney on my similar lamp is about 10" tall and about 4" at the widest part. Urbana Industries stamped out (literally) many thousands of these. This type of lamp used a burner and wick, but no mantle. Many were used assembled just as you see the one in Q 2560, screwed to the wall of the caboose or other car, but some fancier installations had lamp shades also. Enter 'caboose lamp' in the word or phrase search box (without the quotes) to see a lot more discussion of this topic.  Posted Thursday, April 18, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3616 Odd Tubular Lantern  I recently bought an oddball tubular lantern. Although it may not be railroad, perhaps someone might have some knowledge about it. It takes a standard tubular 'barn' size globe, and has unusual tapered vent fins that fit into the tubes. Also unusual is the way the lid hinges on one of the tubes. The smoke dome is marked 'A W PAULL / PATENTED', and I think the brass lid latch is marked 'J.P.S. SON & Co' with the 'J' being questionable. Online I found a reference to Joseph Paull Senior, brother of A.W.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Tuesday, April 16, 2019 by MP92   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Try Link 1 for a google search that hopefully offers a whole bunch of leads. It appears Kirkman may sell workable parts for Paull lanterns too. Good luck !  Link 1  Posted Thursday, April 18, 2019 by JMS

 Q3615 L M S railway lamp made by ADLAKE  I wondered if you could tell me anything about this vintage railway lamp?   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Tuesday, April 16, 2019 by Peter   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. This is an indicator lamp, made for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway. A glass slide fitted over the square aperture, usually showing a letter C or T, indicating the commencement or termination of a temporary speed limit, or sometimes other indications. These lamps were made and marketed by the Lamp Manufacturing and Railway Supply Co. of London under licence from Adlake. Posted Tuesday, April 16, 2019 by JAJ

 Q3612 Adlake Conductor Lamp, No 31-C  I bought an Adlake railroad lamp, 31-C while junking through some antique malls yesterday. It’s pretty rusty, and there is no battery. But I was able to disassemble it and discovered the battery compartment. I need help with getting the lamp in shape to use the battery, which I assume is a standard 6-V lantern battery. I bought one today. There is a single round contact at the bottom of the battery compartment. Inside the switch compartment, directly below the battery, there are two contact poles. I assume the switch makes contact with either of these contacts to make one of the bulbs burn, and in the mid-position, the switch is off since it does not make contact with either pole. The contact points are rusty, so I am prepared to use a very fine sandpaper to expose fresh metal so they will make contact to light the bulbs. Surprised to discover the filaments in the two bulbs, and the two spares in the top of the battery compartment are intact. My question is should there be some wiring involved to get the lamp to work? Or is the battery just placed upside down in the battery compartment, in which case the negative pole would be touching the round contact at the bottom of the compartment, and the positive pole would be making contact with the metal base of the compartment. There is no evidence of there ever being any wires inside the compartment, so I am assuming this would work just as a regular flashlight does. Thanks for your help.  Posted Monday, April 1, 2019 by Glenn H   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Your assumption is correct; the body of the lantern is the other contact and the second spring terminal of the battery is supposed to seat against the bare metal top of the battery compartment. This means the battery can be inserted in any position; the centered battery terminal always contacts the insulated center lantern terminal and the other battery terminal can touch the lantern body at any point to make contact. Also enter 'lantern battery' (no quotes) in the Word or Phrase search box to see lots of prior discussion of this kind of lamp. Unfortunately, the electrolyte that leaked out of worn-out 6V lantern batteries was/is extremely corrosive to the metals in the lantern (as with many, many flashlights, tape recorders,cameras, etc etc!!). It often ate away protective plating inside the battery compartment and corroded the copper-strip switch parts. While it IS possible to work hard and get a lantern like that to light, the internal corrosion often makes them unreliable ever after.  Posted Monday, April 1, 2019 by RJMc

A. Thanks for the information. Fortunately, the battery compartment does not have any corrosion from a leaking battery. Just rusty contact points. To be clear, the battery compartment top (or removable lid) in this lantern has two spare bulbs in a clamp in the top of it. I believe that I will have to put the battery upside down in the compartment to make contact with the round contact in the center, and the other to make contact with the metal compartment bottom. Posted Monday, April 1, 2019 by Glenn

A. Sorry about the confusion. You are correct. When the lantern is in use (hanging from the handle) the battery spring terminals ARE pointed down. The battery compartment cap with the two spare bulbs is then the top of the lantern body. Its just that you have to turn the thing upside down to work on it. By the way, there are many different screw-base light bulbs which will fit that lantern, as well as many types of batteries in the same size. Some very bright and/or very expensive, with differing power requirements and corresponding different battery lives. Shop around before spending a lot of money on bulbs or batteries. There are even lead-acid and NiCad rechargeable batteries in that same 6-Volt package.  Posted Monday, April 1, 2019 by RJMc

A. See particularly prior Q 2195 for more info about bulbs and batteries for these lanterns. Somewhat sad to note, Radio Shack is no longer a source for any of this; they are completely out of business (at least as retail stores) since that answer was written. Posted Tuesday, April 2, 2019 by RJM

 Q3609 Round Top Adlake Lamp ID?  Bought this Adlake lamp last year. Was thinking it's an earlier version of a 270 marker lamp. The bottom looks like it’s been cut off exposing the bottom of the fount. There's a hole that's been enlarged on the side. Was thinking the bracket with the pin that can attach or release the lamp from the bracket was mounted on it. Not sure what bottom could have been riveted to this unit. The sight glass bezel which is brass screws onto the side of the lamp. A woman I got this from on ebay said her grandfather owned it and he worked for some railroad in the San Francisco Bay Area. Any ideas on what model this might have been? Was also thinking this was a #52 Gate lamp.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Monday, March 25, 2019 by JL   Post a Reply  Email a reply

 Q3607 Adlake Switch Lantern Targets  I was given several Adlake square top switch lanterns and boxes of parts. After reading through the Q & A section of this site which had a wealth of information that was very helpful I still have a question. The day targets of these lanterns come in red, green, yellow and white. What was the white targets meaning? Thanks.  Posted Saturday, March 23, 2019 by Harry   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Prior to about 1920 white (meaning no additional color to what was usually kerosene flame illumination) was the 'safe' color rather than green, and the white day targets and also metal vane switch indicators matched the 'white' illumination color. When green lights became the 'safe' indication, most RR's discovered that a green day target blended with backgrounds and vegetation to the extent there was no point in having the green day target -- it couldn't be seen anyway. So they left them white instead, when a green lens was in use for the illuminated color. Also put 'day targets' in the search by word or phrase box (no quotes) to see lots of prior discussion on this topic here on the Q&A Site.  Posted Sunday, March 24, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3606 Lamp Inof?  Looking to find some info on this Adlake Non Sweating Lamp. Was told it was used on the Erie canal.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Friday, March 22, 2019 by Paul B   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. A Google search I did found a similar lamp that is "engraved" NEW YORK STATE CANALS on the side. See Link 1. Most definitely a shipboard or barge type of lamp with the water shield around the vent and the tie down rings on the base.  Link 1  Posted Saturday, March 23, 2019 by JEM

 Q3605 RR Candle Lantern?  I have this candle railroad lantern. I do not know any of the history of this lantern. My family has been associated with the railroad for a long time, several generations. We have a number of other old railroad lanterns. I thought this lantern might have a railroad connection for the following reason: On both sides of the lantern are hinged panels. Behind one is a red colored somewhat transparent panel and behind the other one is a green panel. My thought is that it may have used the red panel to indicate a warning and the green one to indicate clear. I would appreciate receiving any insight you may have, including the time period this used. Thank you.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Thursday, March 21, 2019 by WJ   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. This may be a darkroom lantern, the role now filled with 'safelights'. Enter "darkroom" in the word or phrase search box (without the quotes) to see many prior Q's with pix about that kind of lantern, which was used on both glass plates and early film types. Different black and white films and printing papers, not to mention processes like Daguerrotyping, all had differing sensitivities to red light and probably green light as well. With the proper filter(s) in place, the lantern could stay lit in the darkroom even as the processing proceeded.  Posted Thursday, March 21, 2019 by RJMc

A. This, at least to me, does not appear to be a railroad lantern. Even with such a strongly railroad family, it is definitely interesting and may have appealed to someone just because of that. It may also have been a gift, kept and treasured. I don't know how the panels work, but marine lanterns also used red and green . Red means left (port) and Green is for right (starboard). If the candle light shows through both sides at once, it could have been placed in the prow of a small boat, red side to the left, green to the right. Lights like this help increase visibility for boats approaching from the front or side.  Posted Friday, March 22, 2019 by JMS

A. Here are a couple more photos. Link 1  Posted Friday, March 22, 2019 by WJ

A. A couple more comments on this: As to time periods, in general, square tin lamp bodies went out of use about 1900, at least on North American railroads, and by then oil burners were almost exclusively used for signal-type lamps. The clear, unshaded front pane on this lamp makes the darkroom application unlikely. And I agree that nautical uses are also a good possibility. I was already wondering about possible canal boat uses of this lamp when the following question came in, mentioning the NY State Canal system. The various lamp manufacturers made lamps for all kinds of uses, often using the same basic designs and tooling, making definite determinations on things like this very difficult. The U-shaped cover over the chimney outlet looks more foreign, although the Piper Co's of Canada made a lot of lamps, including for RR's, that had that style of cover. One of the earlier answers on the site here mentions that wooden handles were also more typical of foreign practice.  Posted Saturday, March 23, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3604 Railway Lamps  I have 2 railway lamps, and I am really struggling to identify them (been looking for weeks. They are 4 glasses 2 red and 2 white. I think they were paraffin but converted to electric at some point. I am in Hawick, Scotland. Any advice or pointing me in the right direction would be great. cheers!   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Monday, March 18, 2019 by Roddy M   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Possibly a form of fixed rail crossing guard lamp [(informative) white for trains, (absolute) red for autos]? Hawick was cut off in 1969, but there seems to be a rail preservation group nearby along the old route. Looked at a number of British rail books and saw nothing to help. Posted Friday, April 12, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A. An established auction site [Talisman] dealing in British Railwayana with photo records of past listings (Link 1) which might help in research. Link 1  Posted Sunday, May 23, 2021 by ShastaRoute

 Q3603 Lens Purpose?  My husband and I recently purchased a glass lot that included this large lens(?). We are looking for any information available on it. Is it, indeed, a lens? Railroad? signal? train? nautical? Manufacturer? Any and all assistance will be greatly appreciated,   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Monday, March 18, 2019 by Debbie   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. I don't recognize it as anything RR-related. All RR lenses, and all other transportation-related lenses used for safety functions, have some kind of ID info, usually cast into the glass. Does this item have any lettering at all? The changes in color across the item suggest to me it may be art glass rather than a lens. I am not sure the ridges in this item have the correct contours to work as a Fresnel lens. You might try projecting light thru it to see if it provides any focusing or beam-forming action. I would suggest a car headlight as a readily available wide-beam light source for the tests.  Posted Tuesday, March 19, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3600 Unusual Marker Lamp  I recently came across a picture of a business car with a type of marker lamp I had never seen before. The picture was in the PRR Ft. Wayne Division album on the Barriger Library flickr website. The marker was on a Long Island business car, and has two rows of lenses. I’m guessing the lens colors were arranged so that the indication could be changed by illuminating one row or the other, instead of having to rotate the usual type of marker lamp mounted in a ring. I have attended railroadiana shows for 40 years, and have viewed thousands of railroad photos online, and have never seen a lamp like this before. This has got to be really rare. Were they standard on the LIRR?   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Thursday, March 14, 2019 by Joe   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. See Link for a pic of a B&O obs also with 'stacked markers' similar to this -- but made of more ocnventional marker bodies. Herb Harwood's book Royal Blue Line, on pg. 138 has a going-away pic of the obs of the "Columbian" in 1936 with those "stacked" markers. Most of the book is about how the B&O fought to get into the New York metropolitan area passenger market. The B&O's own line ended at Philadelphia. Above Philly they had to run every day on the Reading, the CNJ, and during USRA even on the LV and the PRR into Penn Station. At a time when schedules were intensely competitive, the 'stacked' markers probably allowed them to meet differing marker color requirements for the different RR's, and/or mulitple track color marker color indications, without delaying the train to change anything other than inside switches. An LIRR office car, particularly, might have been set up the same way since it would likely 'wander' aound the New York railroad landscape much more than LIRR commuter cars would, and often as the rear car of a train.  Link 1  Posted Friday, March 15, 2019 by RJMc

A. David Dreimiller's book Signal Lights on pg. 53 has an Armspear ad from 1950 for a "Duplex Marker Lamp" much like the one on the B&O car above. The ad text says "Designed for special trains and private cars" and the text and cutaway drawing confirm all the above discussion about two switchable lamps to display different color combinations. Posted Friday, March 15, 2019 by RJMc

A. Didn't happen to run these by Grover's Mills in 1938 did they? Might explain those UFO sightings! Posted Saturday, March 16, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A. The Encyclopedia of RR Lights, Vol. 2, in the Handlan section shows a 'Watts Caboose Marker' with this same idea only lit by a small kerosene burner, movable from top to bottom section, from inside the cupola of a caboose. The one they illustrate was marked "PRR" and the displayed color was either 'red for danger' or 'yellow for caution.' No date(s) was given for the Watts Marker. PRR and LIRR were always closely related, so maybe this is a PRR thing.  Posted Sunday, March 17, 2019 by RJMc

A. As an added reference to "caboose marker", see Model Railroader Volume 25 Number 4 April 1958 page 60 under Bull Session by Ray L. Rhodes "Third marker light..." for a discussion of information they collected on cupola markers (or "deck light") as used by different railroads. Signal useage/aspects and lens colors are covered. Posted Sunday, September 22, 2019 by ShastaRoute

 Q3596 Quadruple Bracket Lantern  I recently purchased an unusual marker lamp made by Handlan for the B&O. It features a cast ring with four mounting brackets, which means the lamp does not turn in the bracket. Has anyone else come across this style of Handlan marker lamp before? Any idea of a time period when this bracket style was produced by Handlan? Thanks for any and all help!   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Tuesday, March 5, 2019 by Colin   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. I note that the bracket position (45 degrees) compared to the axis of the lenses means this had to hang on a corner bracket, or at least a bracket with a 45 deg. slot. That should make it fairly easy to spot in photos, but I haven't found any such pix yet. Otherwise it seems to be a fairly standard lamp for Handlan, meaning made anywhere from 1920 to the 1950's or even later. The lamp mgfr's were into 'modular' items long before the word became popular; the brackets were kind of accessories that any customer could swap around to suit. So far looking in Barrett's Illustrated Encyc. Vol 2, and Dreimuller's RR Signal Lamp, and Hobson's Lanterns that Lit Our World, and all the B&O pix I have come across, nothing turns up to enlighten us on this. Any idea where this was used? "B&O" included the main line(s), the BR&P, the Chicago Term, the Staten Island R.T., and maybe other subsidiaries which might have had their own practices for markers, and that might help to concentrate the hunt for pix or recollections.  Posted Saturday, March 9, 2019 by RJMc

A. RJMc, you are correct that these were indeed produced for brackets with 45 degree slots. All the B&O stamped brackets on my B&O caboose feature 45 degree slots. I have also been hunting for pictures that may have caught one of the lamps in use but have not had any luck thus far. Not sure where exactly the lamp was used. The antique dealer I purchased it from was only able to tell me he bought it from someone in Ohio. Thanks for your info and ideas! Posted Saturday, March 9, 2019 by Colin

A. I found a good pic of a C&O combine passenger car running as a one-car train in Michigan on the former Pere Marquette, in 1971 (that's SEVENTY-one -- just before Amtrak!) with what looks like a pair of these markers hanging on the trailing baggage end. The pic and a similar one with a baggage car are in the Stegmaier book "C&O Passenger Cars in Color." Note that C&O and B&O had already been running as basically one consolidated RR for about 10 years at that time, and cars moved back and forth between the two RR's pretty freely. Most of the C&O psgr. cars in the book also have the 45-deg. corner brackets and very few seem to have the accessory outlets to use electric markers -- or they would have gotten the much smaller, more convenient 'cat's eye' type. I think the need to turn the markers basically went away when single track RR running timetable and train order went away, meaning the 1940's or earlier on most major RR's, so these fixed markers made sense and were probably cheaper to buy than ones with the rotating selector mechanism. Nobody went out on that one-car C&O train to turn the markers around when they went in a siding -- they were protected by signals. I am sure the markers got hung at the original terminal and left alone until taken down at the destination.  Posted Sunday, March 10, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3594 Keros with Missing Stand?  I have 2 Adams & Westlake Co lanterns, both are the same with red 3 1/4 inch globes with ADLAKE KERO on the globe. They have The Adams & Westlake Co on the brim of the lantern. Inside is at the bottom around the wick it says LONG TIME BURNING OIL ONLY no 300. My main question is they don’t have a stand. They look like they were meant to hang only. Were some made to hang only or are they missing the stand?  Posted Monday, March 4, 2019 by CS   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Please provide a picture or pictures of these lanterns. Thanks.  Posted Monday, March 4, 2019 by JEM

 Q3593 'Engine' Lantern  I was cleaning out my grandma's house and found a Dietz No. 39 railroad lantern. It's stamped B.R. & P Ry on top. I did a little research and read about the railroad. This particular lantern is stamped with engine on top. Does this mean the lantern was used on the engine? In addition, the globe has the letter E etched into it [See picture]. Any Idea what this means? Thanks in advance for your time.  [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Thursday, February 28, 2019 by Brian H   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. The "E" etched on the globe also stands for ENGINE. Probably over 1/3 of the BR&P Engine lanterns that I've seen also had the marked globe with the etched "E". Posted Thursday, February 28, 2019 by GLM

A. Yes, the 'ENGINE' marking means this lantern was assigned to stay on a locomotive as part of the assigned equipment for the engine. Most RR's had 'engine' or 'loco' marked lanterns such as this; some of those also had heavy bases. Prior Q's 3001 and 731 talk about such lanterns. They were marked that way to try to keep train crewmen from carrying them off -- which would likely happen when the crewman's own assigned lantern got lost or broken during a shift. The etched letter marked on the globe is harder to explain. On first glance it looks to me more like an 'H' or maybe an '11' but it could be an 'E' for which someone made up their own mask to etch the globe. This is probably something local to the BR&P. The Link at the bottom of the page has a list of equipment carried on the steam engines of one RR, listing not only 4 kerosene lanterns but two spare globes, one clear, one red. They might have been etched to mark them as engine equipment, as well.  Link 1  Posted Thursday, February 28, 2019 by RJMc

A. Some BR&P globes have an embossed "E" on the back for Engine. Some lanterns also have engine on the lid and the bell both. Many variations are available in BR&P lanterns and globes. Enjoy collecting the variations.  Posted Friday, March 1, 2019 by COD

 Q3586 PRR Gas Lamp Base  I work for a charity, and we received this gas lamp in our donations. I tried to research the lamp but came up with no answers. I am curious as to the era this Lamp would have been used, what type of train this lamp would have been found in and also where in the train the lamp would have been placed? This lamp stands about 9 inches tall (excluding the gas element) and 5 inches wide at the base. It is marked on the bottom 'PRR' in cursive and then 'International Silver Co.' 'Silver Soldered' '0250'. Any help you can give would be appreciated.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Monday, February 4, 2019 by LT   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. A fascinating piece; quite likely a reading lamp to sit on a side table. A couple of possibilities: it might not have been on the train; PRR had several very elegant stations at Penn in NYC, in New Jersey, at Broad Street in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC and points west. Any one of the older ones of these might have had gas light in the 1880 time period. As to onboard, a lamp this fancy would have probably been on a diner, lounge car, private car or company office car. Well before 1900 some passenger and mail cars were lit with the Pintsch compressed gas system. Usually that system used ceiling-mounted light fixtures with hard-piped gas connections. Your lamp would have probably required a flexible hose. A very complete explanation of the Pintsch system as used in Canada is in Link 1. It has lots of pix of car interiors, but none with a gas table lamp.  Link 1  Posted Thursday, February 7, 2019 by RJMc

A. The links below shows 'Gas Desk Lamps' in use ca. 1900 - 1910 (in Europe, and not on a RR.).  Link 1  Link 2  Posted Thursday, February 7, 2019 by RJMc

A. Hi LT, Take a look at the bottom data marks on your table lamp carefully.International Silver Company date coded their silverplated items with a small square box with 2 number digits,which was the manufacturing year.Take a careful look for this little square box mark possibly hidden in the old tarnish.I have found date codes back to 1913 on ISCO items in my collection of diner silver. Let us know what you find.DJB Posted Thursday, February 7, 2019 by DJB

A. In the Reed & Barton catalog a similar piece is called an electric candlestick. This one may have parts missing or it may have been refitted for gas. Posted Friday, February 8, 2019 by Ex Sou Ry

A. See the Link for an outstanding series of highly detailed and well documented photos taken by photographer William Rau of the exteriors and interiors of a bank in downtown Philadelphia. Tha offices of the bank by 1910 all have electric overhead light and electric desk lamps, but some gas fixtures are still on the walls and are noted and shown in the pix. Even better, the website notes that Rau was the official photographer of the PRR and the LV RR's in the 1880's and 90's and gives some references to find those pix. It will require some more searching. It is fairly certain there will be both station interior and train interior pix where we can look for your 'candlestick' either in electric or gas mode. (The large-format cameras used by Rau provide so much resolution you can read the dates of calendars on the wall, making an exceptionally well-documented reference source for all kinds of queries!)  Link 1  Posted Sunday, February 10, 2019 by RJMc

A. A few basics for dating. International Silver does not exist as an entity until 1898...so no earlier than this. A major contract with the Harriman Lines in 1908 sets ISCo. as the big supplier for transportation firms, but many of the component firms/plants were already providing wares. In 1914, the "Hotel Division" is formed...some researchers held in the past that International Silver used the marks of the subsidiaries until the late '20's before replacing them with the conglomerate name. However, this does not seem to hold true where commercial customers came into play (hotel supply)...examples of datable items with the International Silver Co. mark do surface. Because of the lead time for stocking a planned service, date codes can be slightly earlier than actual implementation of the items...a bigger problem in china services than in silverwares, but things like lamps could be taken from shelf stock when a replacement order is filled. All of which is the nightmare we struggle with to date items. It might help here to look at the various china and silver flatware items with the cursive/script PRR logo to determine the likely period this item was ordered...a very complicated task if anyone is dying to undertake this. It may also be a good idea to double-list this inquiry over at 925-1000 site (photos required) in case someone has access to information on the 0250 lamp base. (0 and 00 are probably not numbers, but cyphers/codes that began with Meridan Britannia and were kept in use by International Silver...so this is really the #250 which could be a model, pattern, catalogue number or something yet to be determined.) Posted Sunday, February 10, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A. An example of just how ornate an 1891 PRR dining car could be is at the Link. At least 30 light fixtures are visible in this pic of only one-half or so of the dining room interior, including a fixture at teach table, but hard to tell if they are electric or other, and what the 'other' might be.  Link 1  Posted Sunday, February 10, 2019 by RJMc

A. This is proving to be a very daunting task for someone who is not versed in the antique world. More specifically, antique gas lamps with a probable association with the PRR. The lamp was donated in Altoona, PA; a major railroad town. It literally could have come from Penn Station, Philadelphia, or any number of rail cars. Every one of your replies is appreciated and gives me a bit more knowledge than I had before. Some things I have learned: I understand that ISC didn’t exist until 1898 also I checked the bottom of the lamp for a date code in a box and found nothing. Because I do work for a charity and our ultimate goal is to sell this item, I am still unable to determine much from this Lamp. I have found no comparable items to justify value. Furthermore, I do understand this site does not assess value. I was hoping to find some specifics on the lamp in order to research compatible item value. Unsure if this should be sold for $5 or $500 because I can’t seem to pinpoint the association with this lamp. Please, if you can, continue to help. With every response I learn a bit more.  Posted Sunday, February 10, 2019 by LT

A. PRR opened Penn Station in New York City in 1910. Because of the multiple long tunnels and the underground station, they had a huge initiative in the 1910 time period to eliminate all wooden-bodied cars, all non-steam heating systems on cars, and all open-flame-type lights on cars that might operate into Penn, because of the fire risks associated with all of those previously-common features on passenger trains. But those same issues would not have applied to station or office interiors around the system which could have had gas lighting -- but electric light and electric service had been available for interiors for quite a while by then. One detailto check: the compression fitting on the bottom of the lamp looks original: is that for hose or electric wire?  Posted Monday, February 11, 2019 by RJMc

A. The fitting on the bottom of the lamp (and the top) look original and does not look like it has been modified in any way for electric lighting. LT  Posted Monday, February 11, 2019 by LT

A. Bottom marks, however styled, are for ownership identification not for show. It was a regular railroad practice as was ordering in vast quantities. The Altoona complex was massive and probably had places where this could be put to use. Loco bells aside, logic dictates bigger and bulkier tends to stay close to home, and things that travel too far tend to sustain damage over time. I would guess there's a very good likelyhood of this being a local stash which has somehow escaped the eye of collectors. Such things often went right into the hands of railroad families and then were stored, only to surface after many decades. Of course, if it did get loose, there were guys who hoarded rail stuff en-masse without ever tagging the items. Years later the family members are confused about what it all is and may sell it cheap or give it away..I just saw this happen a few years ago with one guy's stuff that went back to the thirties era. You'd think he'd found a Southern Pacific warehouse and stuffed it in a barn! Posted Monday, February 11, 2019 by ShastaRoute

 Q3584 Age of Adlake Lantern?  About what year is an Adlake 31-B electric lantern?  Posted Saturday, February 2, 2019 by Daniel A   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Slight correction: the Piper 1953 catalog listing in Barrett is for a Model 31-B. It gives a very complete description of the lantern with specs. The Adlake section shows only a picture of a Model 31-g, and without any date info. The Armspear section shows what appears to be a Model 31 and mentions two patent numbers: 1,893,293 and 2,255,291. The first was issued in 1933, the second in 1941. Zeroing in any closer would probably require contacting Adlake; they may still retain production records.  Posted Sunday, February 3, 2019 by RJMc

A. Barrett's Illustrated Encyc. of RR Lighting, Vol. 1, shows an "Adlake Model 31-g" being marketed by the Piper Co. in 1953. Piper had rights to either sell Adlake-made lanterns, or to manufacture their own to Adlake patterns, in Canada. Adlake was probably marketing them at the same time in the U.S., as well as making them available to other mfrs/sellers such as Armspear. The Model 31 is the very common type of trainman's electric hand lantern using a 6-volt rectangular lantern battery with two bulbs; this style was made by several manufacturers over decades, with fairly small changes between the mfrs. and details of the lanterns. Sale of this kind of lantern, along with a spate of patent activity, actually began in 1918, got intense in the 1930's, and continued up thru the 1970's, when the housings began to be made from rectangular plastic instead of round metal. This huge variety and long timespan makes it hard to be more specific about when a particular model of lantern was being produced and sold.  Posted Sunday, February 3, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3583 More Lamp Information?  I recently restored an Adlake 1112 non sweating switch lamp marked PRR. I was the one who asked the question about repainting the lamp and fixing the bottom as it was rusted out. I put a new bottom on it, repainted the lamp as per your suggestion. Someone had already stripped the original paint. The base is gone, and I am not too worried about that. I would like to hang it in my train room rather then put it on a shelf. My question is: Do you know if they ever made a wall bracket to go around this lantern or [could you] suggest something that would work and look original to the piece? Any information would be greatly appreciated.  Posted Friday, February 1, 2019 by splumber   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Maybe a Caboose marker lantern bracket might fit. They come up every once in a while on the auction site. Maybe a large plant pot "L" shaped bracket found in the garden section would work and hang the lamp from its bail handle. Another possibility would be to drill a small hole thru the top and insert a ring bolt so as to hang it by a chain from the ceiling. Could even wire it as a hanging lamp with a 4 watt night light bulb in it. I think there's endless ways to do it with some brain storming and a walk thru Home Depot or Lowes. Posted Saturday, February 2, 2019 by LC

A. My immediate thought on this problem, if I had it: I would head down to my nearby well-stocked Thrift Shop and look for a used steel saucepan -- they came in all diameters, the used ones are inexpensive, and with luck you may be able to replace the bottom of the lamp with one. Turn the pan over, and you could insert it up inside the lamp body and Pop-Rivet it in, or use sheet metal screws. The attached handle on the pan might even work out as the mounting bracket, or you can go with a pipe flange and pipe fittings. (And as to being 'prototype', don't worry, RR's and railroaders did stuff like this all the time to 'make it work' when budgets were tight.) Posted Thursday, February 7, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3582 RR Lights  Wondering if i could get some info on these.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Saturday, January 26, 2019 by NM   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. BTW...has that all been drilled out and re-rigged for wiring up a bulb? Posted Saturday, January 26, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A. These are candle-powered lights which were used as backup/emergency lights 'til fairly recent times in Railway Post Office cars and much earlier in Pullman and RR sleeping cars. Because there were several on every car, and very attractive and portable, they are fairly common. Start with prior Q 2877 and there are many references back from there.  Posted Saturday, January 26, 2019 by RJMc

A. Here's all the prior Q's : 16, 409, 413, 1315, 2299, 2877 (as noted above). At the Kirkman site, the candle lamp brackets are under CLB-F (old style) and CLB-M (new style). The candle lamp chimney is under 31-CL-550. [Provided for research..not a commercial endorsement.]  Posted Saturday, January 26, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A. While you wait for an answer, look at Q. 567. Please note...do you have a rope-like wick or a flat lamp/latern wick? Is there an inside cap for a wick to pass through? With no wick adjuster, you are probably in the general world of torches, and likely a tool for inspection purposes. And since the fuel source would be limited, it would not work well for a lamp beyond a short time. [Notice a basic similarity to core components of old ceiling mounted lamps for car lighting, which have an external fuel tank.] Is that a PYREX seal-mark on the glass? Acid etched? Printed? Any numbers/codes? That said, someone has rigged the second one for wall mounting and carry away, but does the handle securely lock in place...not very good for engine or caboose if it does not. (A snap-in bracket like circlips or tongs would make sense for a basic tube..someone, possibly in the shops, was building a better mouse-trap.) Perhaps some measurements in inches? Posted Saturday, January 26, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A. RJMc is right on target. These are RPO lamps that were wall mounted. NYCS stands for New York Central Systems, and can be dated from 1935 when NYCS was used - 1968. Yes the Pyrex chimney is correct - you should be able to find another on ebay where they are listed occasionally. There should be a spring in the body, to keep the candle moving up as it burns. We have plain "emergency candles" that work just fine. You are fortunate to have the wall mount as these are missing more often than not. Replacement wall mounts (and I think globes?) are available on the Kirkman lantern website (I hope it is OK to post a link to that).  Link 1  Posted Saturday, January 26, 2019 by JMS

 Q3579 Lamp ID?  We have been trying to identify this piece for a while. It was given to my wife years ago by her uncle who worked for the Southern Railroad Company for years. He operated the 'Best Friend of Charleston' for a while as part of the company's public relations. He collected railroad memorabilia and would share much of it with family. This piece stands about 30 inches tall and about 12 inches wide. It has a large curved glass globe with 'Dressel No. 57' raised letters on the glass. These are the only words we could identify on the piece. We did not know if this is a street lamp, train light or what. If any of your members could help us identify this piece and its original use it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Sunday, January 20, 2019 by Don D   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Prior Q 2676 here on the Q&A site has a pic of an almost identical lamp, and a pic with it fully (and beautifully) restored. It ID's it as a "Dressel No. 57 Belgian railroad platform lamp." Prior Q 1938 talks about the similar Dietz lamps which were used both by RR's for platform and station lamps, and by towns for street lamps. These were quite common at smaller stations and in smaller towns where electricity didn't become commonly available until well into the 20th century.  Posted Sunday, January 20, 2019 by RJMc

A. Although use of lamps like this was probably very common, today photographs of them in use are NOT common, and they can be hard to spot in the photos that do exist. But Link 1 shows the depot at Syosset (presumably Long Island) with two of these lights, mounted on about 8-foot-high poles, on the platform at each end of the depot building. That seems to have been a typical way to use them. I am sure that one reason they all went away is the hassle it must have been to keep them fueled, the wicks trimmed, etc etc with the lamp that large and 8 feet or so up in the air!! I'm sure the station agents found electric lamps a GREAT relief compared to these.  Link 1  Posted Monday, January 21, 2019 by RJMc

A. The OysterBaytown.com town website which provided the pic in Link 1 above dates it to circa 1911.  Posted Monday, January 21, 2019 by RJMc

A. The 1894 edition of the Illustrated Catalogue of Ry and Machinists' Tools and Supplies of the distributors Manning, Maxwell & Moore, Inc., (over 1100 pages (!)) which was scanned and made available (free) online by Google books shows a very similar "Round Street Lamp" on page 1001 at $3.50 each in japanned tin and $5.00 each in the all brass version.  Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2019 by RJMc

A. As background info, Anthony Hobson's book Lanterns That Lit Our World shows that the Dietz Co. marketed large round 'street lamps' similar to this one beginning in 1880 all the way up to 1944. Unfortunately Dressel's production history is almost undocumented.  Posted Sunday, January 27, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3576 Authentic B&O Globe?  I was hoping to get some info and opinion on a globe that turned up at auction recently at a grange hall in B&O territory. It was in an older unknown maker bell bottom, possibly Ohio Lantern Co. I had some initial reservations about the globe because of the slanted panel ends, but I have a similar clear B&O globe with the same angle ends. The letters on the clear globe are slightly different, however. Note the pear shape and long extended base (about 1/2 inches), which seem typical for B&O. The glass is of normal thickness and normal cobalt color, the globe ends are ground normally, there are slight signs of wear, and there is a bubble on the first 'R'. Has anyone seen a similar globe that is known to be original? Thanks!   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Tuesday, January 15, 2019 by MP92   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. I am by no means an expert on B&O globes but wanted to give you some leads. Check out Link 2 for great info on fakes from this very website. The slanted ends in your picture did not look too very slanted - we had a LV globe very similar that was genuine. Indeed we've encountered fakes but they usually have not had an extended base. You didn't say how tall your globe is, but Link 1 will take you to Key Lock & Lantern, a terrific group with a main focus on lanterns. Scroll down to the section titled "KL&L Lantern Surveys" and take a look at the entries for B&O globes that have been documented. I found none for BC (Blue Cast), but that does not automatically mean yours is a fake. Finding any questionable globe in its home territory, complete with a maker-unknown frame (have you checked to compare with pictures in Barrett's book?), could be that you've found a previously undocumented but authentic lantern! Hope you will pursue the research and end up with a great find.  Link 1  Link 2  Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2019 by JMS

A. Sorry about that, the Link1 goes directly to the survey, not the KL&L group itself - see Link 1 on THIS post for their home page. It's a great group that has been seriously expanding.  Link 1  Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2019 by JMS

A. Your globe is the real thing, not a "fake" or reproduction. The proof is in several things. The quality of the glass is very evident, nice and clear, no distortions or unusual looking glass. Reproduction globes have a certain "look" to them and once you have seen a few, they are easy to spot. The cast letters on a reproduction globe are often just crappy looking, where yours looks very smooth. The "pear" shape of this type globe is pretty exclusive to the B&O. The trapezoidal shape of the box is authentic, I have several globes that are not a perfect rectangle. The long extended base is not exclusive to B&O globes, but for this type of globe, is very common, some near 3/4 of an inch. And just because it is not listed in the survey, has no bearing on it being real or not. Lantern collectors either want everybody to know what they have, or they tell almost no one. I think the way you took the picture makes the globe look several shades lighter than it is. A true cobalt colored globe is usually pretty dark. I would hope that you bought this, as it would make a B&O collector very happy!! Congrats!! Posted Tuesday, January 29, 2019 by GAR

 Q3568 Lantern ID?  Another lantern site suggested I ask you about this old lantern I have had for awhile. It's a spring loaded autofeed candle lantern that actually works and I have used it. And it does have some Chinese script scratched into the paint that I had translated reading Team 2?   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Thursday, January 3, 2019 by Will F   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A.  Light the candle, close the door on the lamp and place this in a darkened room. If no light escapes from around the blackout door of the lamp you may have your answer which is that it is a photographer's darkroom lantern. The only means that I see to hang this up is the chain which is on it and that would not be good swinging around on a piece of moving equipment. Enter darkroom in the word search for the Archives and you will find quite a few other examples of darkroom lanterns.  Posted Monday, January 14, 2019 by KM

 Q3567 Stuck Fount  I have tried to get this fount out of my Uncles Railroad 1909 Adams & Westlake lantern and have had no luck including boiling the lantern base for two hours and soaking it in WD40. I also tried break free oil. The Lantern spent many years in his garage an Attic in New York. The fount looks like it needs to be replaced, the burner looks fine. Should I just leave it along or what? Looks like it may have been painted at one time NYC gray also? I believe this was used by my Grandfather back in the early 1900's. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Thursday, January 3, 2019 by Sal   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Sounds like fount has rusted to lantern body, I've had this problem myself, but not to this extent. I guess it all depends what you want to do with the lantern. Display or use it, if you only want to display it let it be. If not the key is patience let if soak for a couple of weeks in PB Buster, or some other penitrating oil, not wd-40. What has also worked for me is a plumbers torch, heat the lantern base evenly and slowly around the fount area, careful not to the torch in one area for to long. If you choose to use this method make sure you rid the lantern of all oils as to prevent a fire. Also wear gloves to prevent burning yourself. Note the reason why this method might works verus boiling, you want to expand the lanten base only. After heating base, use a small pocket screw driver and gently pry between fount and ring moving around entire fount. Good luck, if you choose this method, and remember patience, patience, patience!!!  Posted Thursday, January 3, 2019 by Jeff K

A. Thanks. I'll just let it be for know until I can come across a original fount for this lantern. Thanks for the advice.  Posted Thursday, January 3, 2019 by S.S.

A. New and used founts are available on that well known auction site and other places on the web. So feel free to get ignorant with it and mussel or cut the thing out. Replacing the fount won't detract from the value of the lantern especially since the brass burner is in good condition and servicable. Posted Friday, January 4, 2019 by LC

A. I have one other question on my Lantern. What model would this one be? Is it a #11 1895 or #11 1909? Here is what stamped on the top. This way when I find a fount I can identify that it's correct one for my lantern. And again thanks for all the help. Adams and Westlake Company Chicago New York Pat:May28.95 May5.1908 3-pat Jan 26.1909 Posted Friday, January 4, 2019 by S.S.

 Q3565 Testing a Steam Locomotive Headlight  I just bought a Pyle National steam locomotive headlight and was wondering how to test it to see if the bulb works? The bulb has 60 volts written on it.  Posted Monday, December 31, 2018 by Jerry M   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Hi Jerry, If your headlight bulb has the standard screw base like a home light bulb,which a lot of them had,I would just put the bulb in a lamp and plug this into an outlet that has a dimmer control or an overhead ceiling lamp that is controlled by a wall dimmer and just make sure to turn the dimmer way down to the dimmest setting first and increase the dimmer until you see the headlight bulb start to glow.You don't need to run the voltage even half just to test the bulb.DJB Posted Tuesday, January 1, 2019 by DJB

A. Again, if the socket is a standard screw base, for test purposes any kind of regular 120V bulb will work. It is only if you want to test the beam charactaristics that you need to go to a clear 'headlight' style of bulb.  Posted Tuesday, January 1, 2019 by RJMc

A. Interesting..does anybody ever use a decent MRC transformer for bench testing electrical items with controlled power? Posted Tuesday, January 1, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A.  I would test the bulb with a multimeter to see if you have continuity. If so the bulb is probably OK. Then I would test the wiring in the headlight also. I do not like the idea of using an uncontrolled dimmer switch that could run up the voltage suddenly which might ruin the bulb. And if you do use a dimmer switch and you already have the multimeter set the switch and check the output voltage of the dimmer before you energize the bulb. A cheap multimeter from Harbor Freight or any other low price outlet will do the job.  Posted Tuesday, January 1, 2019 by KM

A. 60 or 64 volts would be unusual for a steam locomotive headlight; 32 or 34 volts DC was much more common. If the headlight has a standard screw base socket, I would check the insulation on the wiring and then just substitute a 120 V bulb, and set the existing bulb aside. Headlight bulbs in various wattages at 120 V and up to 250 watts (ac or dc doesn't matter for light bulbs) are still commonly available, try bulk bulb suppliers on the web, or maybe even Grainger can supply bulbs like that. For inside display use, a 100 watt bulb will probably be almost too bright; the RR original would have been 250 watts. Posted Tuesday, January 1, 2019 by RJMc

A. There are some excellent reasons for not connecting any kind of model power supply to large light bulbs. A typical steam locomotive headlight had an incandescent 250 watt bulb running at 32 VDC -- about 8 amps. A typical diesel headlight these days has two sealed beam 200-watt bulbs, some at 32 VDC and some at 74 VDC, or higher. Most model supplies come nowhere close to supplying this much power or these higher voltages. Further, incandescent light bulbs in general look like short circuits -- VERY low resistance -- until the filament heats up. This causes a large inlet current surge, even on regular power lines. So unless your model supply protects itself very well, and very quickly, you might burn it out in the attempt and the bulb still won't even glow.  Posted Wednesday, January 2, 2019 by RJMc

 Q3561 New York Central #6 Globe  I recently purchased a mismatched lantern and globe. The globe is a No.6 Dietz New York Central heavy thick globe, but it has no Corning cnx markings. Did Corning make any globes before using the cnx trademark? I have several others but only with cnx markings.  Posted Sunday, December 23, 2018 by Jazzyjiff   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Yes, Corning made many globes before beginning to use CNX in 1909. The Link to elsewhere here on the RRiana site is all about Corning globes and history. Link 1  Posted Monday, December 24, 2018 by RJMc

 Q3559 Lamp Info?  I bought this lamp but I can’t figure out what it is. It looks just like my Fire Kings but it is smaller and does not have any manufacturer’s markings. Any advice or direction you can give me is greatly appreciated!   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Thursday, December 20, 2018 by SJ   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. This is a 'Fire King' lantern, commonly carried on fire apparatus and used as a hand lantern by firemen. Most commonly seen as a 'Dietz Fire King' and often marked that way. The Link is to Woody Kirkman's excellent web site all about all kinds of lanterns: look under the heading Fire Dept. King.  Link 1  Posted Saturday, December 22, 2018 by RJMc

A.  It is a Deitz Fire Department Queen lantern. They are smaller than a Fire King and the one that I have also does not show any manufacturer's name or model. Woody Kirkman does list it in the Deitz Compendium but he does not have information about the size there.. I have seen lots of Fire Kings that have an apparatus manufacturer's name like American La France or Seagrave on them, but I have never seen a Queen with a name embossed on the weather guard strip.  Posted Sunday, December 23, 2018 by KM

 Q3558 Peter Gray Switch Lamp Wiring  I am trying to figure out how to wire a Gray-Boston switch lamp (for interior use) It has bayonet bulb socket and came with a 12V GE auto tail light bulb. I'm trying to figure out if the bulb base is original and whether it is actually a transformer. (See pics.) Some posts (Q2818, others) indicate 12V, 24V and also suggest 110V electrical sources. Not sure of the switch lamp's railroad origin, though it was purchased in New England. The lamp does have a 'Peter Gray and Sons, Boston, MA' brass builders plate, which one post (Q3337) indicates the vintage is early 1900s. Thank you!   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Sunday, December 16, 2018 by John   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. John: I doubt that there is a transformer in that base, ..but you never know. Something to know about railroad equipment (and original Western Electric/ Bell System phone equipment) is that it's all over built so as to last forever under rough service; so by today's standards, it looks clunky and over sized. - The socket is most likely original to the lamp as many electric switchlamps from other manufacturers used a similar socket. First, get a 12 volt power supply. I suggest a model train power pack. Take the bulb out of the socket. Connect wires to the 12 volt variable terminals, turn the variable power up about three quarters of the way up and touch the wires to the side and bottom of the bulb and see if it lights. (I always test things like this at less than full power) If it doesn't, go to the auto parts store and get a couple of new ones (always have a spare). Once you have a bulb you know that works, put it back in the socket and then touch the same wires to those two threaded terminals and see if the bulb lights. If it lights up just as bright as it did when connected directly to the power pack, there is no transformer in there. Then you need to find a small power supply to wire in there to drop the house current you will end up using, down to LESS than 12 volts. I say less than 12 volts as you may well get tired of how bright the lamp is if the 12 volt lamp has a full 12 volts to it. I'd look for a Department 56 or Lemax Christmas Village power supply; cut the plug off the reduced power side, strip the wire back and attach to the nuts on the base of the socket inside the lamp. Also; Most of the roads that bought Peter Gray lamps were in New England. ---- …. Red Beard  Posted Sunday, December 16, 2018 by Red Beard the Railroad Raider

A. Hi John,Before You get too carried away with this voltage dilemma,remove the lenses from the lamp if not too difficult OR remove the power supply itself and look for an electrical data plate on that conversion unit.All signal equipment I ever dealt with in my career had a rating plate mostly for safety purposes but also so as not to damage the equipment needlessly by over-voltage.That's my advice. DJB  Posted Monday, December 17, 2018 by DJB

A. Hi John,Before You get too carried away with this voltage dilemma,remove the lenses from the lamp if not too difficult OR remove the power supply itself and look for an electrical data plate on that conversion unit.All signal equipment I ever dealt with in my career had a rating plate mostly for safety purposes but also so as not to damage the equipment needlessly by over-voltage.That's my advice. DJB  Posted Monday, December 17, 2018 by DJB

A. Do what I did and save yourself a whole lot of hassle. Get a chandelier socket, lamp wire etc. at Lowes or Home depot and rig the wire through the bottom of the lamp, then put a 4 watt or 7 watt night light bulb in it and you have a nice lit switch lamp. A night light bulb gives just the right brightness through the lenses. Posted Monday, December 17, 2018 by LC

A. Wow, thanks guys for the great information and, in thinking about it, I certainly don't want the lamp on at "full power", so perhaps the nightlight idea is the prudent path. Thanks again! Posted Tuesday, December 18, 2018 by John

 Q3557 Dietz No 3 globes  I recently acquired 2 large lantern globes. I was looking for any additional information that anyone may be able to provide for these 2 pieces. I did find some information on the one that is marked. Dietz No 3 New York USA. This one seems to have a purple tint to it. The other one is the same style but is not marked and it is clear. Any Idea how to authenticate this as I did notice on your site that fakes exist out there? Any help would be greatly appreciated.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2018 by Chuck D   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. The word "large" conveys no specific information. Can you provide specific measurement information about these globes? Thanks. These globes appear to be from platform or street lamps that were made by Dietz (and possibly others). Link 1 takes you to WT Kirkman's web site with specific information about Dietz platform and street lamps. Per the information from Link 1, Dietz made a #3 globe used in both railroad platform and street lamps, plus other size globes for that purpose. The purple glass color indicates the presence of manganese oxide in the glass and also that the glass has been exposed to the sun for some time; an indication of age. Link 2 leads to the Corning Museum of Glass web page discussing purple hued glass.  Link 1  Link 2  Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2018 by JEM

A. Someone has painted this but it’s a good example of a Dietz #3 globe in the tin frame used at the top of a post.  Link 1  Posted Thursday, December 20, 2018 by JS

 Q3556 ESRR Lantern  I recently acquired an old railroad lantern marked Dietz #6 on top and the letters ESRR on the rim. It also has a cast clear globe marked B&A. I cannot find any reference to what railroad this might be. Since Dietz #6 lanterns usually are associated with northeastern US lines, I thought it might be somewhere in that area. Thanks for your assistance.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Sunday, December 9, 2018 by BS   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Are there any patent dates on the lantern? Joseph Gross's 'Trolley and Interurban Directory' shows ESRR for 'East Side RR' of Elmira, NY in 1896, merging with the West Side RR to have about 9 miles of track (see Link 1), ending up in the Elmira Water, Light, and Ry. Co. in 1900 with about 14 miles of track. The link makes it look as if the East Side RR in Elmira was not really an operating company, but only a shell for the West Side Co. The dates are not quite consistent with the 'Encyclopiedia of RR Lighting' which shows the No.6 lantern being introduced by Steam Gage and Lantern Co. ca. 1895 and not being a Dietz lantern model until they bought out SG&L in 1898, but its close. And it is certainly the territory where a Boston and Albany globe would have been available to replace whatever came with the lantern, which was the 'New York Central standard' and was sold until about 1920. There is also an East Side Street Railway in Brocton, MA, in 1896 but the initials don't quite match.  Link 1  Posted Monday, December 10, 2018 by RJMc

A. Yes, Empire State is a much better fit, and was an operating company likely to have lanterns for more mileage and more years. Gross' directory lists its initials as ES RRCO but that would have ended up as ESRR, as on your lantern. Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2018 by RJMc

A. Empire State RR. This was a traction line in upper New York with a line from Syracuse to Oswego, and another disconnected line from Port Byron to Auburn. It folded for good in 1931 after control was acquired in 1922 by the Rochester & Syracuse Ry in 1922. Your lantern would fit in quite nicely in that time frame as it is a later #6 version. My information came from Hilton's "The Electric Interurban Railways in America", 1960. Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2018 by BobF

A. More good information on the Empire State Railroad. See Link 1.  Link 1  Posted Friday, December 14, 2018 by JMS

 Q3551 Urbana Tin Table or Wall Lamp  I have a couple of Urbana flat bottomed tin with screw in P&A burner lamp. One has a greenish color. Does anyone know what that color is? I would like to restore these. Does anyone know if they were cab wall mount lamps? if so what kind of bracket and globe? Thanks.  Posted Monday, December 3, 2018 by David   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. A photo(s) would be a huge help. P&A (See the link) was Plume & Atwood - this company wasn't a major railroad supplier. Sorry I can't find more info about "Urbana" mark, apparently a stove works in Ohio (?). With no railroad markings on them, almost certainly these lamps are not railroad relics.  Link 1  Posted Monday, December 3, 2018 by jms

A. "Urbana" was a trademark of the Johnson Co., very prolific tinware manufacturer located in Urbana, OH. (See Link) They made tens of thousands of tinware items over decades, many for RR's as well as a wide variety of other industries. A picture is essential to even begin to sort out what kind of item you may have. The exact color of green (which was a common color for caboose interiors, among other places) may depend on what railroad used the lamps, if they are indeed of railroad origin.  Link 1  Posted Monday, December 3, 2018 by RJMc

 Q3550 Dietz Vesta Reproduction?  I have a lantern stamped DIETZ VESTA NEW YORK U.S.A. on the top. The glass is clear with the raised letters U.S.A. On the opposite side at the top of the glass is a very faint small round circle. I cannot make out what it says because the lettering is small and faint. The frame I think is aluminum. Also there are letters and numbers stamped: Patented NOV 8'27,APR-3 '28, DEC 25'28, MAY 4-20, S-10-42. Does this mean it's a reproduction? Thank you  Posted Saturday, December 1, 2018 by FB   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. The first three are patent dates, but the S-10-42 means it was manufactured at Dietz's Syracuse NY plant in October of 1942. Hope this helps. Sounds OK to me. Posted Saturday, December 1, 2018 by BobF

A. The USA on your globe probably stands for US Army. See prior Q 2690 about U.S. Army lanterns. The Vesta was a Government-wide standard lantern for decades, and probably hundreds of thousands would have been produced in 1942 in the middle of World War II. Vestas were used not only for RR service but for a general lantern in tents, etc.,in the US as well as shipped to many overseas countries with US forces and exported as military aid to their governments. Check the lantern frame with a magnet; most were plated steel which might appear to be aluminum. The Link is to an article elsewhere on this RRiana site, all about Dietz Vestas. Link 1  Posted Saturday, December 1, 2018 by RJMc

 Q3548 RR Item?  Is this from a railroad?   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Thursday, November 29, 2018 by RW   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Looking closely at the pic. there seem to be directional arrows, pointing to the right behind the top yellow lens and pointing down behind the bottom lens which looks blue -- but might display more greenish. How do those arrows display if you put a light bulb behind the lenses? To the front, thru the lenses, or to the rear of the unit? Some transit lines, such as the 'heavy rail' lines in Washington, Boston, Chicago, BART etc or the 'light rail' streetcar lines in Boston might use a signal like this to indicate routing but most main line RR's do not use arrows.  Posted Friday, November 30, 2018 by RJMc

A. Possibly a coincidence, but there is a General Railway Signal dwarf signal for sale on an auction site (try the Link); it appears to have the same color pattern of yellow on top, red in the middle, and blue below as your light, at least for the right-side three lights of the six in the signal. Offhand, I have never seen that pattern anywhere else, but the blue light indicates it might have been a special arrangement for a shop or yard area.  Link 1  Posted Tuesday, December 4, 2018 by RJMc

A. Could it be some form of archaic vehicle inspection point or weigh station? Default set to red for stop, then either proceed around with caution (yellow) or move ahead to inspection or service area (blue)...controlled at the watch station or tower. Posted Friday, January 18, 2019 by ShastaRoute

A. And thinking about lights to both sides...unless a very crude public roadway, then perhaps an industrial area like a gravel pit operation or maybe a heavy construction project like a dam. Posted Friday, January 18, 2019 by ShastaRoute

 Q3547 Armspear Lantern   I recently got an Armspear steel guard lantern from my grandmother and had a couple of hopefully simple questions: First it's missing the globe; does it take the 5 3/8 tall lantern globe? I am hoping it's this one and not a super rare globe. Secondly, it has some larger holes in the fount, I haven't seen any listed online. I was thinking about soldering repair plates over them, but I'm worried about the fibrous material inside the fount. Is it cotton or something else safe or asbestos fibers? Thank you for any help,  Posted Tuesday, November 27, 2018 by Mike    Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Since the RR's standardized almost everything, it may not be the exact globe you mention, but it won't be super-rare. The material inside the founts was usually cotton waste material or batting, definitely flammable. Although hotly debated (including on this site) removing the wadding creates no problem unless you planned to swing the lantern a lot (as in signalling to a distant locomotive). In that case the sloshing of the liquid fuel was a problem that the wadding helped to eliminate. But otherwisee the lantern will operate just fine without it.  Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2018 by RJMc

A. If you don't intend to use it just display it, why bother closing the holes. Is it railroad marked with a name, if not it is just a railroad type lantern used by many others. A picture would have helped. Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2018 by DC

A. Thank you both for the replies, as for the fiber, I imagine the subject of keeping it original or not is debated quite a bit. Honestly, I will probably put it back in after repairing it. I am glad to hear it sounds like the globe is the "standard" size, I figured it was but wanted some confirmation. As for the repairs, I never said I didn't intend to use it, in fact that is the reason i'm asking about a new globe and fixing the holes. I would love to be able to light it up on occasion and think about my grandparents, they use to loan this lantern out to schools and scouts for displays and the like but never had it operational, I'm sure they would have loved to see it lit again. Also it is marked for the C&O railroad, and sorry for no images, I didn't really think about taking the time to add them. Thanks again Mike Posted Friday, November 30, 2018 by mike

 Q3546 DM&I Ry Marking  I have an Adlake Non-sweating Marker Lantern with D.M. & I RY. tag on it. Who is this? Duluth Missabe does not show this combination. Thanks  Posted Sunday, November 25, 2018 by CN   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Duluth Missabe and Ironton Ry Posted Sunday, November 25, 2018 by DC

A. The above answer is incorrect; there never was a Duluth Missabe and Ironton Railway.  Posted Sunday, November 25, 2018 by JEM

A. Please provide a picture of this Adlake marker lamp tag; it would help in trying to determine what exactly is going on here. Thanks.  Posted Sunday, November 25, 2018 by JEM

A. Send a photo to this email address and we'll post it. Posted Sunday, November 25, 2018 by Web Editor

A. Here's a photo of the marking. Link 1  Posted Sunday, November 25, 2018 by CN

A. Thanks for the photo. The tag looks real, so no problem there. I have a similar Adlake marker lamp with a tag reading D.M.&I.R.Ry.(also has a "LEFT" tag on the other side). My guess is that the tag you have is a production "mistake", perhaps done when the tag producer misread the name of the railroad and left out an "R". Or the tag department got a production list with this error on it. Anyway, you have a great Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railway marker lamp!  Posted Monday, November 26, 2018 by JEM

A. In the pic, it looks to me that the tag would not have fit on the lamp if that final 'R', period, and extra space were in there, making the tag considerably longer, unless they went to a smaller lettering font. So the 'R' for Railway did double duty, so to speak, and anybody from the DM&IR looking to recover their lamp would not have had a problem proving ownership.  Posted Monday, November 26, 2018 by RJMc

A. RJMc: The D.M.&I.R.Ry. tag on my lamp looks like it is the same length as the pictured tag and has the same size font, but the "D" on mine is more to the left; the left tag margin is closer to the "D". Also mine does not have a large capital "Y", it has the half size capital "Railway Y" so often seen on lanterns, and so takes up less room.  Posted Monday, November 26, 2018 by JEM

 Q3545 RR Use?  I'm wondering if this large item is related to railroading? I'm not familiar with lanterns with one side red glass and the other side green glass.   [Click on image for larger version.] Posted Sunday, November 25, 2018 by No Name   Post a Reply  Email a reply

A. Almost certainly a marine navigation marker light -- used in harbors, rivers, canals, etc, but also used on railroad bridges over navigable waterways.  Posted Sunday, November 25, 2018 by RJMc