Francis F type 11" searchlight

do you know where to buy them i would love one at the end of my tug deck

Look out for them on eBay - two 9" & an 11" went recently for around £200 each unrestored. I bought mine from Vanessa Crookes. Her late husband had a side line restoring fire service originals. They were stripped of original chrome finish & the solid brass highly polished. She may still have some requiring restoration - <vanessa.crookes@mypostoffice.co.uk>.

That looks magnificent. I have a similar model but still with the chrome finish. I would be tempted to have it stripped, but I am lazy and never spend time polishing brass.

 

What type of bulb do you have in yours? and is the beam still adjustable? Your conversion looks very different to mine.

The bulb is a 12 volt 100 watt quartz halogen with capless GY6.35 base which is the most powerful I have found with that fitting, although unit is rated up to 150 watts.

 

The focus mechanism still works as original, racking the whole bulb/mount/reflector assembly back & forth.

 

After stripping & polishing, all the brass was lacquered.

Hi Richard, I have a similar ex-fire engine light, with vary pitted chrome plating, IF it is actually brass underneath can you tell me how/where to get it stripped and polished? and some idea of what price it might cost?

thanks, Duztee.

IF its a genuine Francis "fire service" lamp produced before 1977 it will be brass underneath. S type was manufactured between 1954 & 1963, F type from 1964 until 1977. Not sure for newer models although they are still made to this day but with cheaper materials. Check label inside for model type.

 

I didn't do the work on mine but I gather reverse electro-plating is required. Google how or where to do this. I nearly bought an unrestored one on eBay & was planning to use local firm to strip & polish it.

Hi Richard

 

I have just looked at the plate on mine. It is an S type manufactured in 1956. It has been converted to use a 100 watt halogen GY6.35 bulb. You can pay anything up to £5 for a bulb, but I have found the best (and cheapest) is the Phillips 402158XX which has a 4000 hour life (allegedly!) and is obtainable for 50 pence on the internet. The original bulb (according to the plate and prior to conversion) was 6 volt 72 watt.

 

Phil

Hi Phil

 

Mines an F11 s/n S75/1319 - can you tell from this date of manufacture? 1975 maybe?

 

BTW it was originally rated 24v 150w although it has same bulb as yours now.

 

Richard

Hi Richard

 

Yes yours will be 1975.

 

The full numbers on mine are SB CFD 11 S56/2090 (the S** denotes the year)

 

Phil