Railroad Company Issue/Promotional Flashlights

ericjohn

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I just scored a Southern Pacific Mini Maglite off ebay. I think the price was pretty fair ($19.99+free shipping.) Southern Pacific no longer exists, but it is still my favorite railroad.

I have another railroad flashlight: a Bright Star 1618 from the 1960s with UPRR (Union Pacific Railroad) labelled on it.

There is a lot of 4 (eff-oh-you-are) Burlington Northern RR Mini Maglites on ebay for ~$102. It's a bit out of my price range, but someone else on here (CPF) might be interested.

There is also a beat up Fulton Industrial flashlight that was a company issue for AMTRAK selling for ~$15. I would have bought it but it's too beat up for the price.

There are also several brakeman's lanterns floating around on ebay all the time, but most of the time they are out of my price range.

I had promised myself to cool it with the flashlight collecting and not buy a flashlight unless it was previously used by railroad workers or the specific model was/is known to be used by railroad workers, including railroad police.

So I was wondering if anyone else collects railroad issue and promotional flashlights (beside's the conductor and brakeman's lanterns.)
 

magellan

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Congrats on your score!

I have many collectible Maglites, especially the rare colors like the weinrot or dark red, original 1980s camo, original 1980s brass, but never got into collecting the RR related ones. But I have fond memories of riding the SPR when I was a boy.
 
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ericjohn

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Congrats on your score!

I have many collectible Maglites, especially the rare colors like the weinrot or dark red, original 1980s camo, original 1980s brass, but never got into collecting the RR related ones. But I have fond memories of riding the SPR when I was a boy.

Thanks!

I think I have seen pictures of your collection on here. Very nice indeed!

Did/do you live near an SP subdivision?

The former SP Avondale Sub (now BNSF Lafayette Sub, politics for you) passes on the outskirts of my town.
 

Ladd

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Great score! Would love to see a pic.

I have a bunch of SP rule books, etc. wouldn't mind finding a new home for..........
 

magellan

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Thanks!

I think I have seen pictures of your collection on here. Very nice indeed!

Did/do you live near an SP subdivision?

The former SP Avondale Sub (now BNSF Lafayette Sub, politics for you) passes on the outskirts of my town.

Yes. I lived about 20 minutes away from the Great Tehachapi Loop.
 

ericjohn

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Espee%20MM%201.jpg


It hasn't come in the mail yet, but this was one of the pictures on ebay.
 

ericjohn

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I just yesterday scored a Union Pacific Operation Lifesaver 2 C Cell Maglite. I got it for $15 +$5 shipping. That was another awesome deal. I can't wait for it to come in.
 

broadgage

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Somerset UK
I have a number of UK railway hand lamps.
I have several versions of the Bardic hand lamp, These are an old design and no longer made AFAIK but they were made until recently and are still readily available. These give a red, green or white light and some versions also have yellow.
A much rarer version intended for police use has red, green, white and blue, I now have one of these.
These lights use a special battery type AD28, 4.5 volts zinc carbon but can be retrofitted to use 3D cells instead.
The light is very feeble with the supplied 3.8 volt 0.3 amp PR base bulb, but with a decent LED drop in is rather more useful.

I also have a couple of the earlier railway issue lamp, these are not even electric ! oil burning instead, these are red, green and white.
 

ericjohn

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I have a number of UK railway hand lamps.
I have several versions of the Bardic hand lamp, These are an old design and no longer made AFAIK but they were made until recently and are still readily available. These give a red, green or white light and some versions also have yellow.
A much rarer version intended for police use has red, green, white and blue, I now have one of these.
These lights use a special battery type AD28, 4.5 volts zinc carbon but can be retrofitted to use 3D cells instead.
The light is very feeble with the supplied 3.8 volt 0.3 amp PR base bulb, but with a decent LED drop in is rather more useful.

Yes, it is similar to the "Swiss Army flashlight."

That's an odd voltage/current setup for a PR3 bulb assuming it's a PR3.

There is a plethora of those floating around on ebay right now, mostly from countries in the former Soviet Bloc.

I don't think they were used in The States, but I could be wrong.


I also have a couple of the earlier railway issue lamp, these are not even electric ! oil burning instead, these are red, green and white.

I bet those are neat. There are some oil burning lamps with different colored globes that were used in The States I think up until the mid 20th Century.

Thanks for the share of information!
 

ericjohn

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OLI%20Mag%202.jpg


OLI%20Mag.jpg


These are pictures of my 2 C Maglite that was made for Union Pacific and Operation Lifesaver.

By the way, the serial number is 24002642.

Notice there is NO letter in the serial number.

I called Maglite to see if they could give me the production date, but they weren't able to.

Does anyone know when this might have been made?
 

bykfixer

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Aug 9, 2015
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Dust in the Wind
Like other companies do, mag doesn't seem to code lights via manufacturing ques.

It's as if the started numbering them from 100,004 and just started sending them out the door and as that occured the numbers kept rising.

Or maybe use a random number generator that remembers the ones already used.

Ford had made a million mustangs before mid 1966, yet each one was easily identified where, when and what options.
I had a 66 that had been left from the 65 pipeline and the serial number reflected that. It was serialized as a 65 with 66 changes.

Maybe Mag has a method that they don't share with their employees like some food companies don't share the ingredients of the cookie dough they bake.
Keeping dishonest folks from reproducing classic items.

Seriously. I just had a package confiscated on the west coast where a dishonest employee was selling lights they had stolen from their employer through Amazon. Good ones too.
Amazon didn't charge me for them thank goodness.
 
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ericjohn

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I have had this one since December of 2013. It is a 1965 Bright Star 1618, issued to the Union Pacific train crews.



This is a closeup of the UPRR (Union Pacific Railroad) lettering stamped on the flashlight's body.


I have others that I will soon be posting...
 

ericjohn

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This one was given to me by BNSF track maintenance workers in June of 2012. It is the Duracell Industrial model. I had since put an LED upgrade in it. The light sure has some signs of use and even paint or some other chemical stains.

Enjoy!

Duracell%20Industrial.jpg
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Duracell%20Industrial%20Paint.jpg
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ericjohn

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This is the final [tubular] railroad issue flashlight I have in my collection. It is a Bright Star 575.

Technically this particular one I have here was never used by any railroads (I bought it at my local Motion Industries branch.) However I have seen this Bright Star model used by a Kansas City Southern engineer in a You Tube video and I have also read about it being used by railroad electricians.

BRI575%20Up.jpg
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BRI575%20Side_4.jpg
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