Nostalgic for old clunker

When I was a kid (before you were born), my Dad had a lantern that screwed on top of one of those big old 6v batteries.

The battery was not the square-top 6vs with the two conical spring-connectors. More like two of those side-by-side, a big rectangular block, with two threaded terminals.

I learned today that the battery size is called a "4LR25-2".

So this light was all sheet-metal (plastic had hardly been invented yet!), had a white spot-light up front with maybe a 10cm reflector on it, a red dome on the back, maybe 3cm in diameter, and I even think it had some sort of amber blinker in the middle, though I can't picture that for sure. Of course it had a carrying-handle in the middle, and each of the lights on front and back were on pivots to direct them up or down. Naturally this was a light destined to spend most of its life sitting on the ground--too heavy to carry for long!

And it had a sheet-metal base-plate that fit over the screw-terminals, and was attached by the nuts that threaded down onto them. (Looking back on it, I now realize that the base-plate had to have two pieces of metal that were insulated from each other. In my infant mind, it was just a large sheet of metal that fit on top of the battery. But that obviously cannot be right).

Anyhow--anyone out there remember these? Have one? Have photos?

I did a Google Image search, but no luck.

My guess is that I have AAA lights that would outperform this thing now. But when I was a wee lad, it certainly seemed impressive. And it was surely one of the steps on the road to perdition, i.e. to my present state of depraved addiction.

You mean something along this line? http://www.gotalight.net/lanterns.htm Eveready used to make a whole assortment of different lanterns post WW2 but than again so did about a dozen other manufacturers.

Maybe a stroll down memory lane might help?http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/flashlights_list.cfm?method=browse2&style=Lantern


Forgive me mods but havent figured out to embed the links.

Thanks, m4a1usr!

The 1960 Delta Astro Lite from the first link is pretty close--certainly the right battery and right general format. About the right vintage, too.

I don't think it's exactly the one my Dad had, because I do not remember the handle working as the Delta handle works. That is actually kind of a slick design--it is hinged in the front, cantilevered in the back, so that you can raise the red dome up another foot or so off the ground. Nice, but not what I remember.

My Dad had a Coleman white gas lantern from, I'm guessing, late 1950s or early 60's at the latest. Some of our first exposure to colorful language was when Dad would burn himself on the lantern (although that was nothing compared to the soldering iron when he built a Heath Kit stereo).

I remember seeing lanterns like the one you describe, as a kid in the 60's. We went to family campgrounds in the Adirondack Mountains every year and saw pretty much everything you can imagine in the way of camping equipment. Nothing to compare with today's products, but some of those lanterns did a good job of lighting up a whole campsite. Probably a big part of the difference between then and now is size and weight - today's lanterns might not put out any more light than Dad's Coleman, but they're a tiny fraction of the size.

Love those lanterns with the red taillight; my dad showed me one of those when I was a kid, and it's left an impression on me to this day:

I was born in 64, so I remember those old lights.

See "Big Beam" in your internet search bar. They are still being made, and still available new. I picked up a model 166 fairly recently.

Edit- The model 164 with red light on the tail is not currently available new. Sorry to mislead you. Maybe the Evready Big Jim? Or a Ray-o-vac??? Both avail. on the 'bay...

Thank you, Scout24!

I think you are right: it was an Eveready "Big Jim" like this one:
http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/Eve...-Sealed-Beam-Lantern-with-Flasher-6V-731-1959

What persuades me is the large switch covered by a rubber boot. That brought back memories I had forgotten about.