Does anyone here know the chronology of the different features on the 1900 to about 1920 electric Pyle-National locomotive headlights?

The P-N headlight that I own (attached photo) was from C&S #646, damaged in some sort of collision. I think it was the original headlight on that 1908 Baldwin locomotive, which would make it about a 1907 or 1908 model. It has the typical glass reflector with the yellowish appearance that reflector was common on all P-N headlights, unless you special ordered something different.

The parts that appear different in various photos are the; side "number plates", that are riveted into the case on my light. On my light, they open and hinge vertically, while on some P-N lights, that look the same as mine, they open Horizontally.

I also noticed in a photo of D&S K-36 #480 (on the cover of "Narrow Gauge Steam Locomotive", by Brian Soloman) that its headlight appears to be of the same design and construction, but it has angle number plates that have been hung on the vertical number plate base by its hinge, as a sort of an add-on modification. My light has vertically hung number plates also, so if I had a set of vertically hung angled number plate castings, I could swap them out for my flat versions and have the "angled number plate headlight" version, so the model that I have is a versatile design.

Some P-N headlights have the angle number plates built into the light and held on with rivets (like my flat number plate bases), and then some have the angle number plate as and add on, like the D&S #480's and these add-on number plates can hinge. I need to know if the add-on angle plate can be hung both vertically and horizontally or is the horizontal version a "riveted on with the base" version only?

I want to know what years the number plates were horizontally hung and what years they were vertically hung, and what years the angles number plates were built in only and what years they were available as an add-on. Also, were the hinges different from mine during any time frame (as they appear different in some photos also)?

I have the 1927 Loco and Car Cyclopedia and it lists P-N as making 14" and 18" in both cast aluminum and cast iron models with either glass or copper reflectors. The photo for 1927 shows the later model cast case, that tapers down just behind the lens frame, and is very easy to recognize from the old "5-gallon pale" sized, sheet metal version, like mine shown in the photo. So by 1927 the light that I like best, the galvanized steel sheet metal case version, was superceeded, and might have been out of production.

The Sunbeam headlights look very much like the older P-N versions. I wonder, did Sunbeam buy the old P-N models to sell?

Last but not least; A person i know wants my headlight really bad, as it came from C&S #646 and he is a collector of all the other parts from that specific locomotive. I feel the need to help him to locate a headlight (for me) that he can purchase to trade me for my #646 headlight. It just needs to not be too beat up to function and still be straight enough to have its parts all 3D scanned (and have good data from them). Ideally it would have the same great or better features and versatility in design that my P-N has. I can't be the owner of the only part that the "collector of all things C&S #646" doesn't have in his collection, so I have to try to find a replacement P-N headlight for the both of us.

I have two lenses available.

Matt Janssen
mjanssen@vaporlocomotive.com

Just out of curiosity, How many other parts does he have from the locomotive, if you are at liberty to say? I find it remarkable/interesting how sometimes quite a few parts from certain scrapped locomotives survive.

Mike Stillwell
Buena Vista, VA.

He also has the safety valves and some other things, but I forget what.