Mom’s old lamp was always in the basement of the “new house” when I was a kid. It is a miracle it was never broken! My wife fixed it up and put a new chimney and a glass shade on it for mom one year and it brought a lot of memories out that mom told us. When mom passed we got the lamp and we really value it. As far as I could understand they had one kerosene lantern and this Aladdin lamp on the farm without electricity. I know they had a battery powered radio and a treadle sewing machine. Quite a shift from living in town to the farm! Think “Green Acres”!

When I was growing up, my Grandmother used her treadle Singer sewing machine to make all of her clothes.    She used it clear up into the late 60's, early 70's.

 

 

Chris, my wife has an old white rotary treadle sewing machine we bought from a neighbor. Diana sewed hers and the kids clothes on it even though she had an electric machine. She said it had attachments that let her do things her electric machine didn’t. Nowadays she has expensive computer driven machines but she likes using her old black singers. 

I think I was born in the wrong century.  I gravitate to all the "old" stuff.  Can't keep from watching programs on the boob-tube about folks living off-grid out in Alaska, or pretty much anywhere for that matter.  "Back to the wilder times" is what calls me.  I sometimes feel I'm reincarnated from an old trapper or something like it.    I'm considering drilling an additional water well on our property that I can install a hand pump for those times we lose electricity.  I want to drill it by hand and my little wife says I'm nuts!  I told her people have been hand drilling wells for hundreds of years.

 

 

The only drawback with a mantle compared to a flat wick lamp is how fragile a mantle is. Other than that they are far superior in my opinion.

Pnut

Yeah, pnut, I've delt with Coleman lanterns all my life and fully familiar with how delicate they are.  I'll be extremely careful with this one.  But I've also located the nearest dealer and will be buying 2 or 3 backups and an extra chimney...........just in case.  Don't want to be in a pinch when the "lights are out" just because I messed something up.

 

Extras are a good idea. If I stare too hard at the mantles on my Coleman they crumble. No real worries with them except when relighting. Accidentally bump one that's been lit before and it's over. I'm glad your friends gifted you such a nice lamp.  There's nothing wrong with being drawn to old timey things or wanting a simpler life. When technology seems to be moving so far away from humanity I think it's a reasonable response. I imagine that this feeling played a role in the beginning of the arts and crafts movement of the early twentieth century.

Pnut

Bought a couple in June .

$24 for the one on the left & $8 each for the propane ones.

Love an Amish auction!

Also bought  a bunch of mantles.... 

 

 

I like the old flat wick kerosene lanterns for camping---I think the big two mantle coleman lanterns too bright. However I have found the small one---with the globe about the size of your fist like the one in the middle are a nice compromise.

 

19 hours ago, pnut said:

Anachronist (Robert) I love railroad lamps.  That looks like a fairly early one. Is it a reproduction or original?

Original. Purchased in Paradise, California, so extra special now.

A Little Wizard Globe. While stationed in Germany in the '70's, little Dietzes with candles were uses to mark overnight construction areas.

Be careful with incandescent mantles - many are thoriated, and pose a documented inhalation risk for alpha particle emitters. Use gloves, particle mask, and damp disposable towels to clean up mantle debris.

Note that some newer mantles are yttriated, and are far less hazardous, but put out a dimmer yellow, less pleasing light. Best to treat all with care.

Robert Taylor

Edited September 9, 20196 yr by Anachronist58
Post Assembly

I picked up this squashed Dietz RR lantern for $10. 

Going to wire it for an LED since it’s to smashed & rusted but I like the look.

Brown paint is to prevent rusting after media blasting.

I thought it would make for an interesting accent light. A friend of mine loves RR items and I figured it’d be a good Xmas gift.

That's going to look nice when you get through "rehabilitating" it.

 

 

Greetings Grumpybiker,

         What you have is a construction lantern. Commonly used to mark road projects. Not a railroad lantern to my knowledge. Still fun to restore got a few myself . Keep on collecting when you reach over 300 ya got me beat. LOL

FORGE ON AND MAKE BEAUTIFUL THINGS 

JIM

Construction Lantern it is then.

Thanks for the info, lanterns are not an interest of mine. 

But a $10 project is right up my alley.