Many trolley and interurban cars had their interiors illuminated with bare bulbs. The bulbs typically screwed into a porcelain socket (aka lampholder)which was covered with a snug-fitting spun brass surround.

Does anyone out there have a current source for modern sockets? They don't have to be porcelian, by the way, but they should preferably be flush-mount and will neccessarily be rather small to fit into the brass surround.

I'm am interested in both 600-volt rated sockets as well as lower voltages. I have located a Leviton lampholder, specifically the 9063, which looks like it will work for low-voltage applications, but ultimately would like to find a 600 volt product.

Finally, has anyone had any of the brass surrounds spun for one of your restoration projects? We're about to do some, and would welcome any thoughts on your own experiences.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

Railway Preservation Resources
jsmatlak@earthlink.net

John - away from old files, but check out sources in the display sign industry.

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

John, I'm probably going to need some as well, so please keep us posted.

Incidentally, I've noticed on our cars that the sockets for a typical five-in-series installation are only rated at 250V. The bulbs are each 120 to 130V, but if a bulb burns out, you now have 600V between the contacts, though no current, of course. Evidently the sockets don't actually have to be rated for 600V.

> Incidentally, I've noticed on our cars that
> the sockets for a typical five-in-series
> installation are only rated at 250V. The
> bulbs are each 120 to 130V, but if a bulb
> burns out, you now have 600V between the
> contacts, though no current, of course.
> Evidently the sockets don't actually have to
> be rated for 600V.

Some of the old five lights in series traction sockets had a shorting feature that allowed the four lights in series to remain burning when you removed a burned out bulb. Of course if you removed two the other three would probably pop also.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

> Some of the old five lights in series
> traction sockets had a shorting feature that
> allowed the four lights in series to remain
> burning when you removed a burned out bulb.
> Of course if you removed two the other three
> would probably pop also.

The shorting lamp sockets were used with the 30-volt 'shorting' lamps which were burned 20 in series across 600 volts DC. These were developed about 1925 and used extensively on PCC cars and earlier cars that were modernized. The shorting sockets were never used with 5-in-series street railway bulbs.

Tod Prowell

aeriola@adelphia.net

As pointed out by several folks ... looks like I got the wrong generation of cars !


lamontdc@adelphia.net