[quote="AndySchwering"][quote="Wowak"][quote="edward"]Dragging up an older thread, does anyone have a source for 34v 250w steam locomotive headlight bulbs? Aamsco/Ferrowat no longer sells any vintage bulbs. Thanks.[/quote]

Not that I'm aware of. I've heard that a few organizations are trying to organize a custom order to be made somewhere overseas, but that's still in the development phase. Maybe somebody involved can expand on it, I'm not a part of it.[/quote]

We bought 20 with the part number:

/ NSN:6240-00-299-3386

it is an aviation bulb.[/quote]

Can you let us know the name of the vendor who you purchased from? Thanks.

Can you let us know the name of the vendor who you purchased from? Thanks.[/quote]

WBParts.com

We checked with WBParts, and after quoting us an acceptable price for 18 lamps, we cut them a PO, and THEN they checked actual availability, which, of course, was "no longer available". FWIW.

Kent

The ARR #557 group's effort doesn't seem out of line, $20 each if my math is correct, though the minimum order will take some coordinating among groups: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=48493

I'll be posting an update on the status of acquiring the new bubs in another thread, but a clarification -

Committing to the significant up-front investment was beyond the means or comfort zone of the Engine 557 Restoration Company, the non-profit entity which is overhauling Alaska Railroad 557. Patrick Durand, who is the president and full-time volunteer 557 project manager took this on as a personal project in order to ensure that 557 would have an adequate supply of bubs for the future and to offer them to others across the rail heritage community who needed but could not obtain the original style bulbs.

In other news...the light bulb ban appears to be over...

https://edisonreport.com/2025/01/21/president-removes-ban-incandescent-bulbs/

As to if this helps availability of lights for historic equipment, is a question that might not be answered right away. I believe a lot of the manufactures are long gone, many went away not for the ban but for the drop in demand that has been going on for years...

We Agree.

That ban never applied to specialty incandescent bulbs such as the topic of this thread.

Face it. The FACT that there are few modern applications of these specialized bulbs means that modern Wall Street Vulture Capital Funds will destroy any manufacturer that stocked such an weird item. AND get a Tax break for doing so. Your votes have consequences.

Brian Helfrich

Actually, the ban encompassed most railway historical bulbs. I can say for certainty, the kinds of lights trolleys used were 100% banned, I'd have to refresh myself but I think the 250w 32v locomotive headlamps were also banned. There was NO exemption that I saw. Oddly, ALL maritime bulbs were exempt. I can't imagine why-I would think the long life and ruggedness of a PROPERLY MADE LED bulb would of won out a long time ago on general maritime lighting, but apparently their lobby was paying attention and got themselves on the exempt list.

I would think light bulb manufacture would be within the range of a small 'boutique' setup, they have only been made for over 100 years... I think the filament would be the hardest part to replicate.

The thing I would be concerned with is that prospective domestic producers will have gotten rid of much of the specialized equipment to make tungsten bulbs cost-effectively. If there had been a ban on CRTs -- would anyone voluntarily start manufacturing tube TVs again, with 4K 55" televisions now available, not on special sale, for under $300?

I'm used to the lower energy bills from CFLs, and those from properly-engineered LED bulbs are prospectively greater still. Why would anyone voluntarily return to commoditized incandescent bulbs with limited life, especially those like Reveal bulbs that actually filter out a fairly substantial amount of the expensively-bought emitted spectrum... I would question whether there is a market for domestic producers to go to the expense of re-creating production, and I don't think the prospects for non-tariff import from countries that may still have the production facility are too good in the next few years.

What's needed is a voltage-converted LED array, probably in "corncob' array radially at the same depth and dimension as the active filament, perhaps with active or heat-pipe sinking to increase element life. Since the envelope would not need to be sealed, it would be simple to adjust the bulb longitudinally and radially to suit any particular reflector, while reducing the effect of vibration or temperature change. Surely some of the existing LED packages used for automotive headlights provide the correct output and environmental tolerance to be used in our applications... while preserving as much of the 'historic fabric' of the headlight as possible, and allowing a legacy or reproduction bulb to be easily installed where period historicity is more important than convenient and well-lighted operation.