Last Update:  March 14, 2012
Railroad Lanterns & Lamps Series
Adlake Oil Fired Lanterns
Copyright © 2004-2012 All Rights Reserved
Adams & Westlake Company (Adlake)

 The Adams & Westlake Company is most commonly known as Adlake.  A company that still exists today as a small railroad parts manufacture.   Adlake does
continue to produce a few of its lanterns and parts, but these are not the original Adlake heavy duty lanterns.  They are lighter duty lanterns, designed mostly
for show or display.   The railroad industry in North American no longer uses railroad kerosene lanterns except in rare cases, however lanterns like these were
in common use through the 1960s and in sporadic use as late as the 1970s and 1980s.  Adlake was the last manufacture of kerosene railroad lanterns and
ended up absorbing the remaining lantern manufactures in the 1960s as lantern sales plummeted and overall demand did not justify multiple companies.

Adlake made lanterns for everything from bicycles to buggies, going all the way back to 1857.   The company really got in the railroad business by the late
1800s and began to manufacture everything from railroad lanterns to switch and railroad lamps and was also famous for making most railroad locks and keys
that were used to lock up switches, cabooses and even railroad buildings.

One of the most mass produced of the lanterns was the Adlake "Kero" lantern.  A term used to described Adlakes short globe design that was used generally
from 1921 through the 1970s.   Because these lanterns were made in such large numbers through recent decades, they are a common sight on the used
lantern market.  They also work very well for people, like myself, who like to use and light up their collection.

Like most oil fire railroad lanterns, the most valuable versions are the Tall Globe style Adlakes such as the Adlake Reliable and older lanterns.  This is
because of a combination of their rarity and gracefulness compared to the newer Kero style.
Adlake Patents that relate to the Kero style lanterns of the early 1920s.   These patents range from 1922 through 1928 and cover several features that apply
to the late tall globe and early short globe Adlakes.  Also shown here are two advertisements for later model Adlake Keros.
Adlake Reliable Models - 1912 - 1925
Adlake Kero 250 Models - 1925 - 1929
Adlake Kero version 1 - 1930 - 1934
Adlake Kero Licensed Canadian Hiram L. Piper Co. version
Adlake Kero version 3 - 1945 - 1964
Adlake Kero version 4 - 1965 - 1970
Adlake Kero version 5 - 1970 - 1979
Adlake Kero No. 250 - Pennsylvania Railroad
This lantern was made for the Pennsylvania Railroad, which was a huge railroad in the Northeastern U.S. by the early to mid 20th century.    Lanterns for this railroad are fairly common
and they were known for being well marked with the PRR logo.  In this case, the lantern is stamped on the top with the logo and even the bottom of the pot is stamped with the logo.  
Unfortunately, the pot has pinholes, so a new pot had to be used to fired it.   The Adlake Kero 250 lantern was produced from 1925 to 1930.  This one still has most of its original
plating and is in fairly good shape.  0040
Adlake Kero No. 250 - C&NW RY marked
This lantern was made for the Chicago & Northwestern Railway.   It's marked on the lid and on etched on the clear globe.   The C&NW was another huge Northeastern railroad.   The
Adlake Kero 250 lantern was produced from 1925 to 1930.  This one still was fairly rusted when I got it and was sandblasted down to bare metal.  It has since been repainted in silver
high temp paint.    The original pot was replaced with a brand new pot.  0023 0016  SOLD.
Adlake Kero No. 250 - Brass Presentation Version.
This lantern is not marked for a specific railroad, but instead is stamped with the name of a person.   Someone named
M. Wilbourn.   The lantern was a standard Kero 250 made out of steel and then plated brass.    It also had an optional thicker carry handle made from wood or hard rubber.   It originally
came with an Adlake 400 burner, which was most likely added years later.   The lantern was heavily used the brass plating has almost completely worn off.   This lantern was likely
issued to a railroad worker as either a reward or special order sometime in the early to mid 1920s and probably continued to be used well into the 1930s.  Because the brass had all
but worn off and it was starting to rust, the lantern was bead blasted clean and clear coated as seen in the last two photos.  0050  SOLD.
Adlake Kero 1936, unmarked
This is an earlier Kero, having a stamped date on the bottom as 4-36, meaning it was made in the 4th quarter of 1936.   It was fairly rusted when obtained and was sandblasted and
repainted in high temp paint.    The thick steel handle is actually pretty rare and was an option.   This lantern was most likely used for signaling by a brakeman or conductor with this
type of handle.  0011 0010  SOLD
Adlake Kero - Unmarked  1959
This Adlake Kero was make in January 1959 and is marked as such.  It is not marked for any railroad.   It was converted to an electric lantern and is used as such today.
Adlake Kero - Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N RR)
This lantern was made between 1965 and 1970 for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.  It's stamped for the railroad and features its original etched clear globe as marked for the
L&N RR.  It doesn't appear to have been used at all, which is not surprising for a late model lantern like this which was issued well into the electric lantern era.  SOLD
This Adlake Kero was made between 1965 and 1969.   It is unmarked for any railroad and its not known who may have used it.   It appeared to have been unfired when I got it, which is
not unheard of with a lantern from this late in the lantern era.  Railroads commonly purchased lanterns through the 1960s and even 1970s with the intent to store them as back up
lighting to the battery powered lanterns that were now common then.  It has what appears to be its original cast blue globe.   Interesting, the blue globe appears to have been
improperly cast with one side thicker than the other.    Blue globe lanterns were commonly used to mark equipment and locomotives that were being worked on and should not be
moved.  SOLD.
Adlake Kero - Unmarked
Adlake Kero rubber handle - Unmarked
This lantern is one of the last Adlake Kero lanterns made for railroad use.   Produced sometime after 1970.  It has the optional rubber handled bail, which made it easier to hold on to
the lantern.   It's not clear which railroad used this lantern.  It wasn't used alot, which is not surprising as by the 1970s, kerosene lanterns were all but gone from the scene.   However,
because they were inexpensive, some railroads at the time were issuing them to crew members and if they wanted to use electric lanterns, they had to buy one themselves.   They
were also ordered and stored for back up use.   This one appears to feature its original amber globe.  Amber was used to mark a railroad worker's camp cars, or by switch tenders or
to indicate that form 19 orders where ready for an engineer and conductor.   The newer style Fresnel lens greatly increased light output from the same flame.  SOLD
Adlake Kero?  Mystery Lantern marked JBI
This lantern is very strange.   It has no adlake markings on it, except for the burner, which is marked Adlake Kero 300.   It is stamped JBI on the lid, where a railroad marking might go,
but JBI does not correspond to any railroad in the U.S.   The characteristics and quality of the lantern are the same as a very late model Kero produced after 1970, possibly even into
the late 1970s making this one of the last railroad lanterns made by Adlake for actual railroad service..   JBI is very likely the company that ordered this lantern, but we're not sure who
they were.   It was heavily used by whoever ordered it.  0046 0018
Hiram L. Piper Co. - Canadian Pacific Railroad  -  1953
Hiram L. Piper Co. was a Canadian company that manufactured Adlake lanterns under contract for Canadian Railroads.   Canada had laws that required that products used in Canada
had to be made in Canada, so Adlake licensed a Canadian company to make these lanterns.  They are almost identical to regular Adlake Keros with a few exceptions.  In this case, a
unique partly wood handle was optional.   The lantern is marked C.P.R. both on the globe and lantern lid, which stands for Canadian Pacific Railroad.   The lantern is marked as being
made in the 2nd quarter, 1953.
Adlake Reliable - BRASS Plated - unmarked
The Adlake Reliable Lantern was made from about 1912 through the mid 1920s. This particular lantern was made between around 1920 and 1924 via the fact that it features a 3 piece
dome top.    The lantern is brass plated, which is fairly rare by this era and usually one done for lanterns that were presentation lanterns or perhaps used by passenger train
conductors.   The brass plating is mostly there, but the lantern was heavily rusted on the inside when I got it, indicating that it was left outside for a long time.   Note a few rust damage
holes on the hood and bottom.  The original pot was completely destroyed and now has a brand new pot.   Being unmarked I don't know it's history or what railroad used it.   A few
above photos show the lantern with a Southern Pacific Globe. 0089 0011  Donated to OPR for use on the Santa Rose Business Car.
Adlake Reliable - Chicago St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (C.M. & St. P. RR)
The Adlake Reliable Lantern was made from about 1912 through the mid 1920s, eventually being replaced by the Adlake Kero models.   This particular lantern was made between
around 1920 and 1924 via the fact that it features a 3 piece dome top.    The lantern is in excellent shape for it's age.  The hat is marked for the Chicago St. Paul & Pacific Railroad, but
the red globe is unmarked.
Adlake Reliable - Southern Pacific Railroad
This a pure Southern Pacific Lantern with both a cast SP marked globe and a stamped hood as well as an SP serial number marking.    This is an earlier Adlake Reliable lantern, with
the one piece dome, indicating it probably dates between 1913 and 1920.   This lantern is in fair condition and is missing its bail.   The legs appear to be straight, but I don't believe
they came that way from the factory.   It looks as though they were straightened on purpose from some odd reason.   The wire guard design indicates that this lantern may actually be
an extremely early Reliable model and dating to closer to 1913.  0053  SOLD
Adlake Kero No.100 Models - 1919 - 1921
The Adlake Reliable model lanterns were generally made from 1912 through around 1925.  They were the last tall globe style lantern made by
Adlake before being replaced by the short globe Kero lanterns.    The Reliable was the ultimate tall globe design culminating in decades of
advancements.   There would be dozens of variations of this model over the years.    The Reliable was specifically designed to burn Signal oil
and when Kerosene became popular, the lanterns didn't work as well burning Kerosene.  Kerosene required a special lantern that was
properly drafted and Adlake's first commercial attempt to create this would be a variation of the Reliable, called the Kero No. 100 (see
below).    Reliables were made along side the initial Adlake shortglobe 200 and 250s through the mid 1920s, as not all railroads had made the
switch to Kerosene and many still preferred the older tall globe design.    By the mid 1920s, Reliable production ceased and the Kero model
250 short globe, followed by the Kero 300 short globe in approximately 1930 would be the only lanterns produced by Adlake.
The Adlake Kero No. 100, is a fairly rare lantern.  It is essentially a Reliable frame with a new designed globe retainer and a shorter (but still
taller than the later Kero model) globe.    As railroads began to switch to kerosene due to war shortages of signal oil during the 1st World
War, it was found that kerosene didn't burn as well in the standard tall globe lanterns.   Kerosene required lanterns that were properly
drafted and had a smaller burning chamber to keep the flame from going out.   Smaller lanterns with shorter globes would be born out of the
design requirements to run kerosene.   But until the short globe model 200 could be designed and produced in around 1921, Adlake had to
come up with something with what it had.

They essentially took their Adlake Reliable model and created a much larger and ventilated globe retainer and shortened the globe by about
an inch.    They called this the "Kero No. 100" model.   This design was patented in 1922.  But by then, Adlake was already producing the
replacement for the No. 100, a brand new short globe design called the No. 200.  (similar to the No. 250 models shown below).

Our guess is that the No. 100 was only produced for a few years as they are fairly rare on the collector market and not much is written about
them.   In all likelihood, they were made starting immediately after WW1 around 1919 and production probably ceased by 1921 when the Kero
200 came out.
The Adlake Kero No. 250 is the successor to the first true Adlake short globe lantern, the No. 200.   There are minimal differences between the
two designes.  The No. 200 was generally produced from 1921 through 1925 with the model 250 being produced roughly between 1925 and
1930, succeeded by the most popular Adlake ever, the Adlake Kero No. 300/400 models.

The No. 250 was produced in very large numbers during its short production run as railroads clammored to buy them to replace their signal
oil designed tall globe lanterns and run kerosene instead.   They are still fairly common on the used lantern market despite their age.
The Adlake Kero No. 300/400 was probably the most produced railroad lantern in history and certainly the longest produced lantern.   The first
model was introduced in approximately 1930.    Over the next 4 and a half decades, Adlake would produce this same general design, with
minor modifications.    

There are essentially 5 generations of this lantern, where they can be separated by distinguishing features, but in general, the lanterns were
essentially unchanged for all of those years and continued to be purchased and used by railroads into the 1970s.

Adlake would go on to produce a consumer version of the Kero lantern for sale to the general public as a souvenir.   These lanterns were
generally the same shape as a Kero, but lighter duty and not meant for rigorous railroad service.  This is what some collectors might refer to
the as the 6th generation of Kero lanterns.   These models are still made today.
Canada, like many nations, for decades had laws restricting imports of manufactured goods.  Even from the United States.  As a result, many
corporations that wanted to sell products in Canada either had to build a manufacturing plant inside Canada or license their products to a 3rd
party manufacturing inside Canada.  This is what Adlake did.   There was a huge demand for Adlake products, but they couldn't import their
lanterns, so they contracted with Hiram L Piper Company to make Adlakes under license.  These lanterns are generally only marked for
Canadian railroads.   It's not known how long or what years Piper made these lanterns but they are a fairly common site on the used lantern
market.
Adlake Reliable - Bell Bottom marked for C.C.C. & St. L. Ry
This is a harder to find Adlake Reliable with a bell bottom base.    The Reliable was made from 1913 through about 1925.   The dome is a one piece stamp which indicates that it could
be an earlier version.  It's marked for the C.C.C. & St. L. Ry on both the globe and dome.    This was the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway, which only operated from
1889 through 1922.  This would confirm that this lantern definitely predates 1922.  In all likelihood, it was made in the mid to late teens.  0076
Adlake Kero -  (Union Pacific)  1956
This lantern was made in the 3rd quarter of 1956.   It's marked UP on both the globe and hood, which is for the Union Pacific Railroad.   This lantern is in excellent almost unused
condition.    It's essentially unfired and in perfect shape.  0049
Adlake Kero No. 250 - C.R.R. of N.J.
This lantern is an Adlake Kero stamped on the hood for teh C.R.R. of N.J. which stands for the Central Railroad of New Jersey.  A railroad that operated from 1839-1976.   This Kero
was likely made sometime between 1925 and 1929.   0060 0013  SOLD
Adlake Kero - Chicago & Northwestern Railway (C. & N. W. RY)  1949
This lantern was made in the 1st quarter of 1949.  Adlake was kind enough to stamp the date of manufacture on the bottom of its earlier Kero lanterns.  The lantern is marked for the
Chicago & Northwestern Railway which is a railroad that dates back to 1859.   It was absorbed into the Union Pacific in 1995.   At the time this lantern was manufactured, the railroad
was in its heyday.   It's not known if the clear globe is original as its not marked.  
Adlake Kero - Southern Pacific Railroad  1948
This lantern was made in the 2nd quarter of 1948.  Adlake was kind enough to stamp the date of manufacture on the bottom of its earlier Kero lanterns.  The lantern is marked for the
Southern Pacific Railroad and is part of the collection of Richard Samuels, owner of the OPR.   This lantern was restored.   It's history is not exactly known, possibly having been used
by the Portland Traction Company, since the PTC obtained much of it's equipment from it's parent railroads, which included the SP and UP.  Owned by the OPR.
Hiram L. Piper Co. - Canadian National Railroad - 1952
Hiram L. Piper Co. was a Canadian company that manufactured Adlake lanterns under contract for Canadian Railroads.   Canada had laws that required that products used in Canada
had to be made in Canada, so Adlake licensed a Canadian company to make these lanterns.  They are almost identical to regular Adlake Keros.  The lantern is marked C.N.R. both on
the lantern lid, which stands for Canadian National Railroad.   The lantern is marked as being made in the 2nd quarter of 1952.  This lantern belongs to the Richard Samuels
collection, owner of the OPR and was fully restored.  Owned by the OPR.
Adlake Kero No. 250 - C.M. & ST. P. RY
This lantern is an Adlake Kero 250 stamped for the CM &STPRY, which was the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway.   This lantern was completely restored from the ground up,
including glass beading and repainting in high temp paint.    Far right photo shows what it looked like when I got before restoration.  0030 0015  SOLD.
Adlake Kero 1942, SIRT
This Kero was made in the 3rd quarter of 1942, just as WW2 was getting into full swing.  It was made for SIRT, which is the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railroad in New York.   The
lantern is marked both on the hood and on the globe.  It was fully restored from the ground up.   Note the condition when I got it in the far right photo.   0045 0013  SOLD.
Adlake Kero No. 250 - Locomotive version, Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
This lantern was made for the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad and is stamped IHB on the lid.   It was made between 1925 and 1929 and has the rare heavy steel base.  Lanterns with
this style base were usually stored on the locomotives.   Railroads often required that a red and clear lantern be stored on all locomotives for emergency use.    The heavy steel base
allowed the lanterns to stay upright when in storage and also discouraged theft and use by other railroad personel due to the heavier weight.   This lantern also features an inventory
number stamped on the lid.."551".    0058 0015
Adlake Kero No. 100 - NYC RR
This lantern was made for the New York Central Railroad.   It is nearly identical to the one shown above, except that it has a clear globe instead of a red one.   
0060 0022
Adlake Kero World War 1, Military Issue Model 1917-1918
This is an unique and somewhat rare version of the Adlake Reliable Lantern that significantly differs from all other Adlake Reliable Lanterns.
It is still called an Adlake Reliable, but utilizes an entirely unique flat hood, globe retainer, globe seat and globe.   The lower frame, wire cage
and 3 piece dome are similar to the later model Adlake Reliable.    They were issued, possibly exclusively, to the U.S. Military during World War
one.    The design's intention appears to be a way of operating the lantern with a shorter globe, by flattening the hood and thus lowering it
and including a smaller globe retainer.    The reason for the smaller globe would likely be the need and desire of the U.S. Military to burn
kerosene instead of signal oil.    The weaker kerosene flame required a smaller burning chamber, which is why the later short globe lanterns
were invented when Kerosene lanterns became common place on the railroads by the late 1920s.   Signal Oil required lard which was needed
for munitions war production and thus the Military encouraged the use of Kerosene over Signal Oil.

The correct globe for this lantern is debatable.   Its been said that a Dietz Vesta globe will fit.  Some Vesta globes do fit and when found they
seem to be most commonly found with Vesta globes, which makes one wonder if they were issued with Vesta globes.  I found one type of
globe that is very similiar in size to Dietz Little Wizard globe that fits exactly, however normal Little Wizard globes do not fit.   Military lantern
globes of WW1 were usually marked US or USA.   

This lantern does not appear to have continued production after the war, nor was issued to any non-military railroads.  However, the
government took over the entire U.S. railroad system during the war, so they may have been used on civilian railroads under government
management.    Adlake apparently decided to take a different route in accommodating Kerosene after the war, by designing the Adlake No.
100 (see below) and eventually the Kero models.    It's not clear how many of these versions of the Reliable were made, but they don't show
up on the used market very often.  Many collectors seem to ignore them not knowing what they are.   4 have come through my hands so far.
Adlake Kero 200 Models - 1921 - 1925
The Adlake Kero No. 200 was the first true Adlake short globe lantern designed from the ground up as a short globe lantern and would be the
basis for the later Adlake 250 and the long produced Adlake Kero Series.   There were minimal differences between the 200 and 250, but the
200 is rarer than the 250, since they were only produced for a few years and railroads were still undecided on whether to permanently switch
to Kerosene, so tall globe lanterns will still selling in large number during this era.
Adlake Kero No. 250 - Locomotive Lantern - B&M Railroad
This lantern is an Adlake Kero stamped on the hood for the B&M Railroad, which stood for the Boston & Maine Railroad.   It has the heavy base, which means was a locomotive
lantern, designed to be stored inside the cab of a locomotive and only used during emergencies.   Locomotives back in the day were required to have one red and one clear lantern for
emergency use.   The heavy base keep the lanterns stable on the floor of the cabs and also discouraged other railroad employees from walking away with them using them for normal
duties.   This lantern also has the optional rigid pipe handle which was unique to the earlier 250s with this type of handle base.  The pipe handle simply clipped on to the base and
made it easier to hold on to the lantern while giving signals.    0052 0017
Adlake Kero No. 250 - ICRR
This lantern is an Adlake Kero 250 stamped for the ICRR, which stands for the Illinois Central Railroad.   This lantern also has a marked globe also marked ICRR.  
0050 0017  SOLD.
Adlake Kero 300/400
Adlake Kero version 2 - 1935 - 1945
"The Adams" Models - 1890s - 1913
The Adlake "The Adams" models are the oldest version of the  Adlake Railroad lanterns that can still be somewhat commonly found on the
used market today.   They were produced from approximately the 1890s through around 1913 when its replacement, the "Reliable" models,
were introduced.  Some sources indicate that they may have been produced as late as WW1, which would indicate around 1917.   Like the
Reliable, they were produced in numerous variations, including twist off bottom pots and lift out insert pots.   The cage varied as well, with
some models have a standard wire cage and others having a steel slat cage.   Bell Bottom and Wire Bottoms were also options.  The lanterns
were extremely heavy duty and well made and it solidified Adlake as a railroad lantern maker, allowing it to introduced much improved models
later on that would make Adlake the largest and most produced railroad lanterns ever.    The Adams lanterns take the standard No. 39 5-3/8"
globes.
Adlake "The Adams" - unmarked
This model of the "The Adams" is the frame and globe only and did not come with a pot or burner.    It is a "steel guard" model with the wide slats, making it an extremely heavy duty
and robust model.   Railroadiana.org says that this model was produced from 1906 to 1908.   It was knowns as the A&W No. 11 model, Steel Guard, Model 1897.   The lid has the
following patent dates stamped into it.   June 8, 29, 1886 - Nov 30, 1886 - Dec 18, 1888 - June 18, 1889 - Sept 24, 1889 - Aug 16, 1892 - Sept 12, 1897 - Nov 30, 1897.
0019 0008 SOLD
Adlake Kero No. 100 - NYNH & HRR
This lantern was made for the New York, New Haven  & Hartford Railroad.   It's marked on the hood and embossed in the globe.
0030  SOLD
Adlake Kero No. 100 - NYC RR
This lantern was made for the New York Central Railroad.
0070 0016
Adlake Kero 1935, Chicago & Northwestern Railway
This earlier Adlake Kero 300 was made for the Chicago & Northwestern in the 3rd quarter of 1935.
0021 0013  SOLD
Adlake Reliable - Military Issue World War One
This lantern is not marked but was likely made for the U.S. Military during World War 1.  It came with a clear globe that is not original to the this lantern as shown in the far left photo.   It
is a Dietz Vesta type globe marked for the NYC Lines.  I was able to accidently find the proper globe which is shown in the other photos.   0050 0014
Adlake Reliable - Military Issue World War One
This lantern is not marked but was likely made for the U.S. Military during World War 1.  It has a red globe that is definately not original and doesn't quite the fit the lantern.  But it came
with a personal story.  The lantern was used by Robert A Venard from Monmouth, Illinois when he worked as a switchman for the Ordinance Plant in West Burlington, Iowa.   The
lantern came with an Adlake No. 400 burner, so it was likely used for a number of decades as the No. 400 burner didn't come out until later in the 1930s or 1940s.   With the unique
globe of this lantern probably hard to source the owner had to compromise and used what he could find that would still somewhat fit.  0050 0012  SOLD
Adlake Kero No. 200 - Canadian Pacific Railroad
This is effectively an Adlake Kero No. 200, but it is was actually assembled and made by Hiram L Piper Co. LTD of Canada and is marked as such.   It was made between 1920 and
1925.   In those years, Canada had import laws that restricted the importing of even U.S. products, so Adlake had to license a Canadian Company to make it's lanterns for Canadian
Railroads.  More Hiram L Piper products can be seen at the bottom of this page.   This lantern also features a magafying glass that appears to be unique to Canadian Railroads.  The
maganifying glass had a duel purpose of allowing the light to be used as an inspection light with a clear globe and magnafying the signal over longer distances when using a red
globe.   It also features a combo wood/metal handle that was unique to Hiram L Piper lanterns.    0096 0012  SOLD
Adlake Kero 1941, BELT Railway
This Kero was made in the 1st quarter of 1941 for the BELT Railway.  It's marked BELT Railroad on the Hood, but has an unmarked globe.  The Belt Railway is a large switching
terminal railroad in Chicago that still operates today.   0035 0013  SOLD.
Adlake "The Adams" - unmarked
This model of the "The Adams" is a "steel guard" model with the wide slats, making it an extremely heavy duty and robust model.   Railroadiana.org says that this model was produced
from 1906 to 1908.   It was knowns as the A&W No. 11 model, Steel Guard, Model 1897.   0063 0014
Adlake Reliable - Military Issue World War One
This lantern frame is not marked but was likely made for the U.S. Military during World War 1.  It came with a clear Dietz Vesta clear globe that was marked USA which is consistent
with globes issued to U.S. military lanterns of the WW1 era.   This lantern has most of it's original finish and is in excellent condition.   0091 0010
The Adlake Reliable Switchman's Lantern is another entirely unique design of the Reliable models.   Switchman lanterns were made by a
variety of manufactures.  They were generally shorter and lighter versions of existing lantern models and marketed to Switch crews who
generally operated the yards and would use and have to carry their lanterns all shift long.    Railroad Yard Switchman operated in a different
Unions than road train crews and often used different equipment more specialized to their needs.    By the 1920s, special Switchman lanterns
were generally no longer made and yard crews used the same lanterns as their counterparts.   Switchman lanterns are not a common sight on
the used lantern market, which indicates that they may not have been very widely produced and many Yard and Switch crews used the normal
size lanterns instead.

Adlake's offering was a version of the Reliable frame that only retained the Reliable hood and No. 39 globe.   Every other part of this lantern
was unique.   The body was a short squat body that utilized an Sangster drop out bottom fount and a semi-bell bottom lower end.
Adlake Reliable - Military Issue World War One
This lantern is not marked but was likely made for the U.S. Military during World War 1.  It came with a clear Dietz Vesta globe.   0040 0013  SOLD
Adlake Reliable Switchman's Lantern - 1912 - 1924
Adlake Reliable - Switchman Lantern
This lantern is not marked so we don't know what railroad used it.   As to the age of the lantern a few clues tell us that it was produced at the very end of Reliable production.   It has a
last patent date of 1923 and includes a 3 piece hood indicative of latern model Reliable.  It also has a bail mount similar to No. 200 and 250 models that produced in the 1920s.  My
guess is that this lantern was made around 1924 and may have been one of the last switchman special lanterns produced.   It also includes an fount that is only adjustable when
removed which is unusual for a lantern of this late era.   By the mid 1920s, all railroad crews were beginning to switch the short globe style lanterns such as the Adlake No. 250
0062 0011
Adlake Kero 1933, Southern Pacific Railroad
This earlier Adlake Kero 300 was made for the Southern Pacific Railroad and stamped SP LINES on the hood.  It was made in the 4th quarter of 1933
SOLD
The main difference between a version 1 Kero and later models is that they used a flat wire bottom similiar to style to the No. 200 and 250
models.
In 1935 Adlake redesigned the lower cage and wire bottom to have the bottom wire come up to meet the vertical supports.  This allowed the
lantern to rest on the wire bottom and not on the vertical supports when on a flat surface.
In 1945 Adlake redesigned the hood latch by copying the Armspear "1925" model design of using a flat rivited peice of steel.  The words
Adlake Kero were also stamped into the dome.
In 1964, Adlake ceased stamping the manufacture date of the lanterns.   In 1965 Adlake redesigned the hood so that the globe retainer was
held in place by stamped impressions into the dome instead of soldered on knobs.  It's been said that around this time a drain hole was
drilled at the factory in the bottom of the fount, however some earlier models also had this drain hole.
In 1970, some of the tooling for Adlake Keros broke and a new tooling had to be ordered.   The new stampings would include a dome that had
no wording such as Adlake Kero.  "Bald Domes" and no date stamps indicate lanterns made after 1970.    The hood did have Adlake Kero
stamped into until sometime in the mid to later 1970s and the bottom fount holder was also blank with no stampings.   Lanterns from this era
could also be found with rubberized metal handles which making holding and using them, much easier.
Adlake Kero No. 200 - Canadian Pacific Railroad
This is effectively an Adlake Kero No. 200, but it is was actually assembled and made by Hiram L Piper Co. LTD of Canada and is marked as such.   It was made between 1920 and
1925.   In those years, Canada had import laws that restricted the importing of even U.S. products, so Adlake had to license a Canadian Company to make it's lanterns for Canadian
Railroads.  More Hiram L Piper products can be seen at the bottom of this page.   This lantern also features a magafying glass that appears to be unique to Canadian Railroads.  The
maganifying glass had a duel purpose of allowing the light to be used as an inspection light with a clear globe and magnafying the signal over longer distances when using a red
globe.   It also features a combo wood/metal handle that was unique to Hiram L Piper lanterns.    0096 0012  SOLD