Oil lamp information wanted

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draisinenl
NER Y7 0-4-0T
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 6:52 pm

Oil lamp information wanted

Post by draisinenl »

Hello,

Last week I was at a friends house and she has a few Railwaylamps in her collection.. One is stamped LNER on one side and LOCO on the other side. Who can tell me the function of this lamp...

Some pictures:

ImageLNERlamp1 by Michael Staats, on Flickr

ImageLNERlamp2 by Michael Staats, on Flickr

ImageLNERlamp3 by Michael Staats, on Flickr

Best regards and many thanks inadvance

Michael Staats
The Netherlands
Eightpot
NBR J36 0-6-0
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Re: Oil lamp information wanted

Post by Eightpot »

If the handle rotates relative to the outer body of the lamp, and it has different colour glasses inside it could be a Guard's lamp.
Copley Hill 56C
GNR J52 0-6-0T
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Re: Oil lamp information wanted

Post by Copley Hill 56C »

Hi, I have a similar handlamp in my collection which also has a plate braised to it. My belief is that it would have been a driver's handlamp, presumably for oiling round, if he didn't want to use a flare lamp. But, I could be wrong.
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StevieG
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: Oil lamp information wanted

Post by StevieG »

Eightpot wrote:If the handle rotates relative to the outer body of the lamp, and it has different colour glasses inside it could be a Guard's lamp.
I'm far from sure, particularly about LNER times, but based on the last 25 years of BR, I wouldn't have thought a Guard would be officially provided with a lamp of the Loco department.

Hard to be sure from the photos, but the pictured lamp looks as if it may have a rotating inner section : I think an LNER Guard's lamp would have had the same traditional colour capabilities (obtained by rotating the handle) as those issued by BR, in which case it ought to be able to show red, green, and white.
I am doubtful that a Loco lamp would've needed green, though they may have had it if, for example, the company had decided to reducing costs by having them made the same standard as for Guards (Although, if so, it's possible that Loco lamps might've then had the rotating part fixed in the 'white' position.)
But if they weren't so made, I''d have expected that a Loco lamp, as well as obviously needing white for illumination for doing work such as oiling, would have also been able to show red for use in emergency (e.g. when the fireman had to run forward to stop oncoming trains when an opposite line had become obstructed).
BZOH

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Mickey

Re: Oil lamp information wanted

Post by Mickey »

StevieG wrote:Hard to be sure from the photos, but the pictured lamp looks as if it may have a rotating inner section : I think an LNER Guard's lamp would have had the same traditional colour capabilities (obtained by rotating the handle) as those issued by BR, in which case it ought to be able to show red, green, and white.
Your obviously referring to the British Railways Bardic lamp Stevie which are still in use with Network Rail the one we still have in the box is actually capable of showing white red yellow & green colours or aspects.

The British Railways Bardic lamp was massed produce and were virtually identical to every other Bardic lamp in use although there were some minor differences amongst the Bardic lamps, some Bardics had either a 3 position or a 4 position rotating handle on top of the lamp housing and beneath the carrying handle, the 3 position rotating handle was capable of showing either white red & green colours or aspects and the 4 position rotating handle was capable of showing either white red yellow & green colours or aspects also some Bardic lamps that I remember seeing during the early 1970s instead of having a rotating handle had a small 'lever switch' in place of the rotating handle on top of the lamp housing and beneath the carrying handle that could be 'flicked' either way by the use of a finger either to the left centre or right positions which would either show white red or green colour or aspect although not necessarily in that order.

Railway staff and locations that were issued with Bardic lamps during BR days were-

All signal boxes were issued with a Bardic lamp (usually kept on the block shelf for easy access in an emergency) along with all passenger & goods guards were issued with them also all station platform staff and yard shunting staff all had access to them as well.

For my money the lamp in the picture looks like a loco head lamp but thats only a guess on my part.

Mickey
52H
NBR J36 0-6-0
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Re: Oil lamp information wanted

Post by 52H »

Hi all
When I started work as a lad number taker,I was issued with one of these lamps, it could show white ,red,green,and yellow. The shunters all had the same, they were very adept at flicking with a twist of the wrist,it was an acquired skill. The lamp was very good for keeping your hands warm in cold weather. Some of the lamps were stamped LNER and some BR.

52H.
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StevieG
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: Oil lamp information wanted

Post by StevieG »

Mickey wrote:
StevieG wrote:Hard to be sure from the photos, but the pictured lamp looks as if it may have a rotating inner section : I think an LNER Guard's lamp would have had the same traditional colour capabilities (obtained by rotating the handle) as those issued by BR, in which case it ought to be able to show red, green, and white.
" Your obviously referring to the British Railways Bardic lamp Stevie which are still in use with Network Rail the one we still have in the box is actually capable of showing white red yellow & green colours or aspects. .... "
Mickey
No, I meant a pre-Bardic oil lamp Mickey.

Though I wouldn't dispute at least most of what you say about Bardics.
I'm sure that only certain types of job had a legitimate Rules & Regs. need to be able to show yellow, and I'm pretty sure some oil handlamps didn't have a yellow glass or couldn't show that colour, which I was certain is why the Bardic replacements for those had the long metal lever-knob to change the colours instead of the fully rotating black knob, although I've an idea that actually, they all had the yellow inside, but with some sort of little shaped plate inside on the spindle or in the mechanism that stopped it being turned to show the yellow.
I don't doubt though, that over time, when new replacement lamps were wanted some issuers wouldn't have been too careful about which sort was supplied to whom.
Last edited by StevieG on Sat Aug 06, 2016 11:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
BZOH

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Mickey

Re: Oil lamp information wanted

Post by Mickey »

StevieG wrote:No, I meant a pre-Bardic oil lamp Mickey.
Apologies Stevie I assumed you was referring to the BR Bardic lamp.

While on the subject of Bardic lamps the railway Bardic lamp is universally of a dull grey colour but Bardic lamps are also used by the british military the army Bardics are of a drab green colour and I could be wrong but I vaguely remember seeing a London Underground Bardic lamp coloured red although I don't know if all London Underground Bardics are of that colour?.

Mickey
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