Exterior Victorian gas lamp electrification

Spikenaylor · Jan 19, 2013

Hi there,
i have just installed an old original cast iron Victorian gas street light, armoured cable through the post and to be fitted into BC22 bulb holder in top housing.
the bottom of the top housing is open to the elements and the bulb holder is just above the bottom edge, so no direct weather ingress unless possibly server weather.
does anyone know of a decent bulb holder that can can be screw fitted to the bar across the bottom of the top housing, and am I okay fitting a brass earthed BC22 holder because a suitable IP rating won't be achieved.

Hope this makes sense.

Many thanks for any advice.

Engineer54 · Jan 19, 2013

Better if you post a photo or two, as we have no idea what your post is like and/or the lighting possibilities that can be safely achieved!!

Geordie Spark · Jan 19, 2013

You could always visit the National Tramways Museum at Crich. They have a few modified gas street lights there. They use frosted / pearl Pygmy lamps in brass holders & they look very realistic.

Spikenaylor · Jan 20, 2013

Hopefully attached are the photos,

The light is up but am not happy with the bulb holder. client wanted large bulb with lot of light, so that is why a big bulb can be seen.

Was looking at the A83 BC bulb holder from Jeani.co.uk which can be screwed to the cross beam part in the base of the top section as shown in the crude drawing I have made.

Any other solutions would be gratefully looked at.

Mike

[ElectriciansForums.net] Exterior Victorian gas lamp electrification

Guest111 · Jan 20, 2013

We have one at the farm and the lampholder is attached to the top with the cable run up the side of one of the corner pieces so the bulb points downwards,gives it a bit more protection,if you fix the brass lampholder to the bar it may be difficult to do it without looking a mess,what about a normal brass lampholder soldered to a piece of 10mm copper and then slide into the existing pipe.

GLENNSPARK · Jan 20, 2013

most (not all) but most gas street lamps were made by either william SUGG...here is a link to a bit of history about the company:

William Sugg & Co Home Page

or another popular manufacturer called george BRAY of Leeds. ...here is a link to some info about them:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk › ... › Access to Archives

both these firms were prolific inventors of `improved` gas mantles and brackets from the mid 19th century to the end of the first world war at which point it was becoming increasingly clear that as far as lighting was concerned...gas had lost the battle with electricity.

here is some pictures that may help...

Guest111 · Jan 20, 2013

that first pick is the one we have at the farm but on a column.

GLENNSPARK · Jan 20, 2013

In the 1860s/1870s gas lighting just consisted of burners that were profiled at the end...these were known as `fishtail` or `batswing` burners and gave off poor light for the gas consumed. Further more coal or `town` gas as it was known smoked badly and gave off sulphorous fumes that quickly destroyed leather and guilding. The status quo persisted until about 1889 when a man called carl auer von welsbach (1858-1929) invented a mantle which when placed over a flame became `incandescant`...this gave out much more light whilst at the same time using less gas. Improvements to the concept resulted in the `inverted` mantle which shone light downwards. These technical advances together with the horstman timer that was fitted to streetlamps with a pilot light that would switch the lamp on and off automatically allowed gas to keep apace with the newfangled electricity that had just started to appear and was incredibly expensive to use. At first people were suspicious of electricity as many thought that the power could leach out to the unsuspecting (at times it probably did!!) and also thought that it would in some way `infect` you with disease....such was the ignorance of some. As a way to combat this most lighting manufacturers produced designs of electric lighting brackets, sconces and pendants in a style reminisant of gas in order to make the new products seem reassuringly familiar. By the end of the first world war it was becoming clear that electricity was the future as far as lighting was concerned and the yellowish flicker of gas light came to be seen as old fashioned and regressive in what was seen as a brave new world and more akin to the 19th century.

Silly Sausage · Jan 20, 2013

Glenn, were you a gas lamp snuffer before you got into electrics?
I guess round your way, South Leeds, you've only recently converted to that new fangled electric street lighting.

GLENNSPARK · Jan 20, 2013

Archy Styrigg said:
Glenn, were you a gas lamp snuffer before you got into electrics?
I guess round your way, South Leeds, you've only recently converted to that new fangled electric street lighting.

lol..
well Archy just the other week I was shown some pictures from the around 1910-ish period of the street above ours...
with gas street lighting clearly visible going off up the street and tram lines as well....
quite interesting...

ayjay · Jan 20, 2013

GLENNSPARK said:
In the 1860s/1870s gas lighting just consisted of burners that were profiled at the end...these were known as `fishtail` or `batswing` burners and gave off poor light for the gas consumed. Further more coal or `town` gas as it was known smoked badly and gave off sulphorous fumes that quickly destroyed leather and guilding. The status quo persisted until about 1889 when a man called carl auer von welsbach (1858-1929)invented a mantle which when placed over a flame became `incandescant`...this gave out much more light whilst at the same time using less gas. Improvements to the concept resulted in the `inverted` mantle which shone light downwards. These technical advances together with the horstman timer that was fitted to streetlamps with a pilot light that would switch the lamp on and off automatically allowed gas to keep apace with the newfangled electricity that had just started to appear and was incredibly expensive to use. At first people were suspicious of electricity as many thought that the power could leach out to the unsuspecting (at times it probably did!!) and also thought that it would in some way `infect` you with disease....such was the ignorance of some. As a way to combat this most lighting manufacturers produced designs of electric lighting brackets, sconces and pendants in a style reminisant of gas in order to make the new products seem reassuringly familiar. By the end of the first world war it was becoming clear that electricity was the future as far as lighting was concerned and the yellowish flicker of gas light came to be seen as old fashioned and regressive in what was seen as a brave new world and more akin to the 19th century.

copy and pasted?

ayjay · Jan 20, 2013

at throop in bournemouth the roads are still lit by gas lights i used to live there at the end in holdenhurst
THROOP, DORSET

GLENNSPARK · Jan 20, 2013

ayjay said:
copy and pasted?

No.
it was just little something i put down..
I have an interest in 19th century technology so i thought i`d just add a bit here...

Silly Sausage · Jan 20, 2013

GLENNSPARK said:
lol..
well Archy just the other week I was shown some pictures from the around 1910-ish period of the street above ours...
with gas street lighting clearly visible going off up the street and tram lines as well....
quite interesting...

I've ripped out a fair few metres of lead gas lighting pipe from my house when I gave it the once over.
Built about 1910 I think.

GLENNSPARK · Jan 20, 2013

ayjay said:
at throop in bournemouth the roads are still lit by gas lights i used to live there at the end in holdenhurst
THROOP, DORSET

well the idea with these horstman timers was that previously you had the `lampman` that used to come round lighting the lamps at dusk...
gas lamps started to be fitted with a tiny pilot light that would burn continuously....the main burner was controlled by the clockwork horstman timer which would actuate a valve...so the gas would flow and the burner would ignite....and likewise when the timer shut off the supply...so the gas mantle would go out....this system meant that the companys could employ less people as all you needed now was someone with a winding key for the timers...i think by the edwardian age it was becoming the only way the gas companys could compete with the electricity suppliers...

theres a picture of a horstman clockwork gas lamp timer here..