ARCHIVED RESEARCH INQUIRIES and RESPONSES

INQUIRY #1 DAYTON RR LAMP by Jim VanEs (wdnshu.aol.com)
Posted: May 25, 1998 @ 13:02.
Submitted by: Fil Graff, Secretary March 14, 1998 Jim VanEs has found a railroad passenger car (?) lamp with "Dayton Manufacturing Co." marked on the wick raiser knobs. He seeks information on both the company and the lamp itself (particularly, what glass shades were used?) I have found reference to a "Dayton Mail Car Lamp" chimney in the MacBeth-Evans Export Dept. catalogue (ca.1900). It is a Vulcan or Postal style IE: necked in or restricted like the Kosmos, and then expanded again into a ball before going straight up. That is all on "Dayton Mfg." I have before one gets into the pressure or gravity feed gasoline/petrol lamp era.

On May 25, 1998 @ 13:07, Heinz Baumann (baumann@sc3101.med.buffalo.edu) wrote:
Most of these lamps had enamelled half-shades mounted into the upper structure. Recently eBay sold one double lamp like yours with the shades included. The chimney is exctly what Fil mentioned: a constricted "Vulcan" type. Some were made by Corning and are marked PYREX. The flame spreader (you must have one in the center draft tube) will fit into the constriction, and leaves enough space for generating a good flame. The glass drip cups will serve as a good downward concentrating lens, allowing a conductor to read tickets by standing below in those lens-aplified light beams. Over the years, I have also seen these lamps with green cased slant or half-round shades. But, I am NOT certain whether these were original. The constant shaking in the RR cars would likely cause some breakage of the shades [and chimneys]. Maybe in the luxurious Pullman cars the lamps might have sported great green glass shades. Sorry, but I do not know anything about the Manufacturer, except they made many lamps; there are still a fair number of hanging and wall-mounted versions around on the antiques market."
- On May 25, 1998 @ 13:13, (Jason E Isla ) Don Daniels (jason@effusion.com) wrote:
  Posted Sunday, May 10, 1998 1305 EDT [Note: Don Daniels is Non-Guild. Thank you Don for the response! Fil Graff, Secretary] Jim, The lamp that you have pictured is made by the Adams & Westlake Co. of Chicago, Illinois. The burner was perhaps made by Dayton ?? I have seen many of these lamps, and also own one myself. All of these lamps that I have seen to date have a brass tag soldered on the air tubes which contain the manufacturer's name, city, and patent date. I also agree with all of the information provided by Heinz Baumann. Contact me at ddaniels@comptek.com or 716-833-8781 if you have any more questions.