Star headlight company trainmans lantern

MattNicol

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Joined
Sep 25, 2015
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3
Hello all, I'm new to most of this so please forgive my ignorance.
I work for CSX Transportation. I am constantly working at night and the "lantern" they require us to use is worthless. It's a typical 6v lantern battery and an incondesant bulb. It's very dim eats batteries and bulbs like pop corn at a movie theater.
Most guys would never dream of spending there own money on these to improve them but after a near accident I have decided that it must be done. There are a few articles I have found online where guys have modified them but most of them look like hack jobs.
The big issue as you probably know is the fact that the polarity is backwards for a led bulb. I plan to post some pictures of the light soon but here is what I want to do I just need some advice on how.
I would like to use an adapter to use 4 D cell batteries and not the 6v. Then I would prefer to go another step and use an adapter to use AA in place of the D Cells. I'm thinking the 3AA to D type. Then I would like to replace the bulb with something like a cree xp-g2 5 watt. I do not know what products to use and those I cant. I also do not know much about batteries. I would like to use lithium ion I think but again forgive my ignorance I really don't know. Any advice or help would be wonderful.
Thanks for reading
The lantern is made by a company called star headlight you can google them and see the pos I'm working with. Note they do make a led model but we are not supplied with it.
Matt
 

MattNicol

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Joined
Sep 25, 2015
Messages
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Update, today I received my cree led in the mail. As I assumed before it would not light up in the lantern due to the polarity issue. So I used my 6v to 4 d cell adapter then the AA to D cell adapter. I put the AA cells in
"upside down" to reverse the polarity. It worked. Now I just need to clean it up a bit sort of looks like a hack job. Any suggestions on what bulb+battery combo I should use.
 

DrafterDan

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 28, 2013
Messages
1,317
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Is it this?
http://www.star1889.com/railroad-lights/trainmans-lanterns/star-292-trainmans-lantern

screenie28.jpg
 

MattNicol

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Joined
Sep 25, 2015
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Yes that is it, don't let the description fool you this thing is poor quality and not a good source of light.
 

jdub8911

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Sep 29, 2015
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I know its an old thread, however I've never understood how FRA/Mainline folk can tolerate using lanterns. Theyre big, bulky, and even the LED's aint that bright. I've always used a Headlamp at the yards I switch, Rayovac has a good model and even better, Coast has a very bright headlamp for about the same price. I modded a lantern to use an LED but just the shear size of the thing is obnoxious and if anything its hazardous considering having to climb cars etc. Is the lantern a requirement or can you choose your source of lighting?
 
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