WW1 truck lamps

[Tony B]

Thanks Richard. I'm familiar with the carbide caving lamps and those used to black gun sights. There a lot simpler add water light Acetelyne gas produced, very smocky though.

[nz2]

Like Tony B, I too have used carbide lamps in my younger days when caving was my interest.

I recall some times the carbide arrived in drums as rock, having then to be broken down into small gravel sized pieces that was usable in our lamps. The other extreme was a fine material about 3 mm in diameter, which rapidly converted to gas and required replacing too frequently.

 

A question for those with acetylene lights on their vehicles.

With the automotive use of carbide I query as too what form it took. The larger acetylene generators mounted on the sides of a vehicle could use larger pieces of carbide, while the smaller units used gravel sized pieces?

 

Doug:)

[nz2]

My son has been out to a Swap meet and came home with a pair of "Sunrise" acetylene lamps. Aside from the plate attached to them stating "English made" and a Sunrise logo with the wording "trade mark", there is no other identifying marks. A search on Google lists nothing under this brand that related to lamps of this period.

Can any one assist as to further data on these lamps.

Doug

 

[8_10 Brass Cleaner]

Here is a the only picture I have of the Staff Car in India in 1966 showing a lamp on the rear, but it is indistinct, judging by the originality other fittings and it could be the car was supplied with it from new.

Can it be identified?

 

Tom

 

Lucas 63x.

[Charawacky]

Lucky to find a pair!

 

Merry Christmas

[bobs1918]

Well on the subject of carbide lamps who is in fact using them and what precuations should I take in using the calcium carbonate in the side mounted Solar brand generator on my Model 1918 Dodge Light Repair truck?

I have been tempted to use a bottled gas by Coleman made here in the States which is used for camping lighting and cooking. Any comments thanks. Happy New Year

[Minesweeper]

I have had a very little experience of using acetylene lights and the light they give is very nice. A sort of soft yellow. I drove around South Kensington in a James and Browne car and when they looked a bit dim, just turned up the gas and illuminated the street!

 

First of all, you need calcium carbide not calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is just chalk. The lumps we used and I have bought since are the size of broad beans or small marbles. There is little to go wrong with the system except leakage so make sure that all of your joints are good. Turn on the gas slowly and wait until it comes through with a match beside the burner. Then simply adjust the flow until the flame looks about right. If you are touching the inside of the casing with the flame, the gas flow is too high!

 

I can't offer more than that really. When the carbide is exhausted, you will have only calcium oxide powder residue which stinks to high heaven! Simply wash it out and start again.

 

My view now is that carbide lights are fun to play with but if you plan to go out in the dark, make some sort of electric conversion or temporary lighting installation as the most likely accident we will have is that someone runs into us because they haven't seen us.

 

Try it once for the experience. Good luck!

 

Steve

[mammoth]

Do they use a mantle to get a bright white light? Where can I buy burners and reflectors to restore some old ones I have?

[bobs1918]

I have had a very little experience of using acetylene lights and the light they give is very nice. A sort of soft yellow. I drove around South Kensington in a James and Browne car and when they looked a bit dim, just turned up the gas and illuminated the street!

 

First of all, you need calcium carbide not calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is just chalk. The lumps we used and I have bought since are the size of broad beans or small marbles. There is little to go wrong with the system except leakage so make sure that all of your joints are good. Turn on the gas slowly and wait until it comes through with a match beside the burner. Then simply adjust the flow until the flame looks about right. If you are touching the inside of the casing with the flame, the gas flow is too high!

 

I can't offer more than that really. When the carbide is exhausted, you will have only calcium oxide powder residue which stinks to high heaven! Simply wash it out and start again.

 

My view now is that carbide lights are fun to play with but if you plan to go out in the dark, make some sort of electric conversion or temporary lighting installation as the most likely accident we will have is that someone runs into us because they haven't seen us.

 

Try it once for the experience. Good luck!

 

Steve

Thanks Steve

I do have an electrical modified lamp but for period correctness I want to use the carbide. Thanks for your input

bob

[nz2]

Do they use a mantle to get a bright white light? Where can I buy burners and reflectors to restore some old ones I have?

 

There appears some confusing here between postings. Carbine lamps have no mantle, being a naked flame arising from the jet. The use of bottled gas as used for a camping light does need a mantle. How effective a mantle would be with a moving vehicle is another point. I suspect the delicate mantle would not last on a rough road surface. I've used lights with a mantle carrying them about at night, but cautious of sudden movements.

Doug

[Tony B]

In camping and Tilley lamps it is the mantle that produces the light. The material is covered in Thorium Dioxide, other use for it is lining nuclear reactors, when the gas/vapour is burned inside the mantle it glows. That is why a Tilley lamp is so much brighter than a straight Hurricane lamp.

[bobs1918]

OK

think I got it. Cannot use camping gas as a source in carbide lamps as this gas will not illuminate without a mantle. That is the consensus?

[8_10 Brass Cleaner]

OK

think I got it. Cannot use camping gas as a source in carbide lamps as this gas will not illuminate without a mantle. That is the consensus?

 

Camping gas is Butane.

 

Carbide lamps run on acetelene gas.

 

Calcium Carbide is availible in the UK, as lamps that work on the same principle are used underground by pot holers etc. All you need to do is get a generator to work.

 

Actually thinking about it, I saw a brand new replica 'Rushmore' generator on a Stanley Steamer fairly recently. So it is easily possible.

[Minesweeper]

Actually thinking about it, I saw a brand new replica 'Rushmore' generator on a Stanley Steamer fairly recently. So it is easily possible.

 

Some years ago, we were fortunate to find a Radmore - ("Radmill" Trade name) Generator at Beaulieu which is now fitted to the Dennis and we have been looking out for another identical one for the Thorny - but we have never seen another anywhere. They seem to be very rare but it appears from old photos that they were a very common type fitted to old WD Lorries. So - what happened to them all - and does anybody have one tucked away?

 

Tony

[8_10 Brass Cleaner]

Some years ago, we were fortunate to find a Radmore - ("Radmill" Trade name) Generator at Beaulieu which is now fitted to the Dennis and we have been looking out for another identical one for the Thorny - but we have never seen another anywhere. They seem to be very rare but it appears from old photos that they were a very common type fitted to old WD Lorries. So - what happened to them all - and does anybody have one tucked away?

 

Tony

 

what does one of these look like?

[Minesweeper]

[QUOTE=8_10 Brass Cleaner;430896]what does one of these look like?

 

Please look at posting 1488, page 149 of the Dennis thread dated 10th May 2011 for a series of pictures of one!

 

Tony

Edited January 2, 2015 by Minesweeper

[mammoth]

Everything is available new here http://www.brassauto.com/cars8.html Only need a few $$$$. What is really interesting is the bulb for electric conversion.

These may be more affordable, although there is a question about the currency of this business, http://www.veteranautolamps.com/black_and_brass.htm

Edited January 2, 2015 by mammoth

[andypugh]

I have used carbide lighting extensively, it is still not quite a defunct technology for caving use.

Here, for example, is a brand-new caving light set: http://www.trolluk.com/outdoor/head-touches/item/86-acetylene-cavers-lamp

 

The flame is quite cool (takes ages to burn through a rope, luckily) and the gas is pungent enough that you are unlikely to build up a dangerous concentration without noticing.

 

The best light for vehicle use uses two impinging flames, and is very bright without any need of a mantle.

 

It's a lovely light to cave by, though I haven't yet tried driving with it (I am at the moment part way through making a lighting set for my 1921 Ner-a-Car, which has dual electric / acetylene lighting).

 

You can get carbide from various sources still, including Amazon and eBay.

[G506]

Below is a photo of a recent purchase; on a family holiday to Central France, I stumbled across a boot sale in the village, this was for sale. The seller believed it was off a French car built between 1910 and 1920.

I can find no identifying markings or makers names. Does anyone recognise it?

 

[fishplate]

I've dug an old Lucas "King of the road" lamp out of my shed. obviously  WWI vintage with traces of khaki and WD (War department) in gold lettering. It's a little worse for wear but all intact. Unusually for King of the road lamps it has mounting brackets either side of the body.

I would attach photos but unsure how to do that..

[Minesweeper]

If King of the Road, is it stamped "742" as well?

[Foden7536]

Good evening, my first post so hoping it works!

 

I am very lucky to be the proud owner of 5 ton Foden Steam Wagon number 7536 of 1917. I have a copy of the original build sheet which states (amongst other things) that it was Supplied to the war department, painted “Khaki” as a tipping wagon. 

 

On the build sheet it states:

 

Lanps - Dependence Fronts and tail, P&H headlight.

 

I know that these are Oldfield Dependence lights, and a Powell and Hamner Model 500 self generating acetylene headlamp which is fitted to the chimney base. However, what my question is, is regarding another lamp bracket which is on the cab “front”... 

 

my Foden has this lamp bracket fitted, but I never knew if it was done by the War Department, or during its later working life with Devon County Council (who purchased the wagon in 1920) until I watched Peter Jackson’s wonderful WW1 film “they shall not grow old” in which two Clayton wagons drive past the camera with a lamp fitted in exactly the same place as mine has a lamp bracket - which has led me to deduce that this is a WD fitment... I am happy to be corrected on this!

 

if this is a WD lamp, then can anyone positively identify its manufacturer / model? I have a collection of lamps and it doesn’t match anything else I have, with a rear mounting bracket - for example it is very different to any of my Eli Griffiths lamps. 

 

I do realise that the sidelights on the Clayton in the attached photo are not Dependence Lamps, and I now have a set of “civilian” King of the Road 742’s fitted as these were fitted to Fodens - although I keep my eyes open for a set of WD Oldfield Dependence front lamps - so if anyone has any gathering dust please let me know!

The second image is my Foden alongside the other WW1 Foden, which was restored war period livery

hope this is of interest.

 

david

[QL Driver]

I don't know what make that lamp is specifically, but I know that the Garrett 6 ton overtype wagons were supplied with a lamp bracket on the cabside (it is still present on the ex-Devon County Council wagon). That lamp is described in the specification as "Offside lamp with Ruby Glass".

[Great War truck]

When you say on the front of the cab, is that the one which goes alongside the driver?

[Great War truck]

Here is a different image. All very small unfortunately.