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Tunnel light

GC - Coddiwomple

By GC - Coddiwomple
in Boat Equipment

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GC - Coddiwomple Gongoozler

GC - Coddiwomple

Posted
Posted

Hi,

I'm looking to replace the tunnel light on our narrowboat.

Ideally a brass body attached to a brass pole, running off 12v.

The problem is, I am struggling to fiddle one on line.

The only supplier in Notts doesn't seem to be answering emails or the phone.

 

So my question to the forum is "Can anyone recommend a supplier please" ?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Geoff

Jen-in-Wellies Veteran II

Jen-in-Wellies

Posted
Posted

It may need some improvisation, in the absence of a ready made solution. My light, for example, was from a marine salvage company. They claimed to have found a hoard of unused sea going, copper body stern lamps in a warehouse in Hong Kong. Still in their original packing. I modified it slightly to take a halogen car headlight bulb, taped some crinkly tinfoil inside to act as a diffuse reflector and fitted a plug/socket, so it could be stored inside when not in use. 

I'd suggest looking at vintage automotive suppliers, but they are more likely to be chrome plated than brass.  

 

Here is mine, about to be used in Foulridge tunnel on the L&L in 2012. 

foulridge-light.JPG.5ee36373982bf0b831faccd9e7cbad86.JPG

BEngo Veteran II

BEngo

Posted
Posted

 According to the massed wisdom of the internet, you will need to find an LED version with a minimum of 27 diodes so that you can barely see where you are going.  Aim it dead level, or at the water about 50 m ahead of the boat for best effect. 

 

If you survive your first encounters in King's  Norton, Blisworth or Braunston, you will understand the reasoning behind this.

 

I use a Raydyot fog light with a 36 W B15 lamp. It makes a Toc H lantern look bright.  Nonetheless, so far it has navigated over 50 miles of canal tunnel....   It is a nice brass thing, with a half gimbal and an aiming handle on9 the back. It mounts on a brass post that connects to the bottom of the half gimbal.  I think it was picked up at a Beaulieu auto or boat jumble for not too much money.

 

Francis do a pretty searchlight style lamp, often seen on vintage fire engines,  'Udsons,   police launches and HM's pointy grey ⁹war canoes, but they are hewn from solid brass or bronze and fetch silly money.

 

Keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground 😁

MtB Veteran II

MtB

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, blackrose said:

Just get a modern LED tunnel light to blind people coming in the opposite direction. There's a whole thread here on how bright they are and how much everyone will love you! 😋

 

https://www.bedazzledledlighting.co.uk/collections/tunnel-lights

 

 

Yes, tunnel lamps brighter than the sun are getting ever more popular. When you meet one coming the other way its easy to see why - they illuminate the tunnel beautifully. For the other boat, that is...

 

 

 

 

 

alias Rising Star

alias

Posted
Posted (edited)
30 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

Yes, tunnel lamps brighter than the sun are getting ever more popular. When you meet one coming the other way its easy to see why - they illuminate the tunnel beautifully. For the other boat, that is...

 

 

I sometimes wonder what the owners of those lamps think when they are dazzled by a similarly equipped boat coming the other way in the tunnel.  

Edited by alias
Laurie Booth Veteran II

Laurie Booth

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, GC - Coddiwomple said:

Hi,

I'm looking to replace the tunnel light on our narrowboat.

Ideally a brass body attached to a brass pole, running off 12v.

The problem is, I am struggling to fiddle one on line.

The only supplier in Notts doesn't seem to be answering emails or the phone.

 

So my question to the forum is "Can anyone recommend a supplier please" ?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Geoff

Nautical Vintage Spot Lamp Marine searching Lamp Collectible Decor | eBay UK

Wafi Proficient

Wafi

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, alias said:

I wonder what the owners of those lamps think when they are dazzled by a similarly equipped boat coming the other way in the tunnel.  

You'll only be dazzled if your eyes have adjusted to the dark. The solution is to fit an even more powerful lamp to your own boat; that way, your eyes will remain in "daylight mode", and you won't be dazzled by oncoming boats.

 

One issue I had is that my alternator only generates about 30A. Even with LEDs, ~360W wasn't enough for full daylight, so I fitted another battery in the bow - fortunately there was space for it in the gas locker.

  • Haha 1
alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, David Mack said:

According to which bit of the ad you read, that is either in India or Melbourne.

It's in India, but it is possible to see it in Melbourne.

(or vice versa, of course)

  • Greenie 1
GC - Coddiwomple Gongoozler

GC - Coddiwomple

Posted
  • Author
Posted
4 hours ago, David Mack said:

According to which bit of the ad you read, that is either in India or Melbourne.

Hmm - I saw that .. .I also saw that some people were having problems with this seller, so I decided to avoid them. Thanks for the 'heads up' though

  • Greenie 1
Ronaldo47 Experienced

Ronaldo47

Posted
Posted
21 hours ago, BEngo said:

 According to the massed wisdom of the internet, you will need to find an LED version with a minimum of 27 diodes so that you can barely see where you are going.  Aim it dead level, or at the water about 50 m ahead of the boat for best effect. 

 

If you survive your first encounters in King's  Norton, Blisworth or Braunston, you will understand the reasoning behind this.

 

 

Recommended practice using car spotlights used to be to  aim the beam upwards to illuminate the tunnel roof. A beam that is level or directed downwards, will reflect off the water amd dazzle oncoming craft.  The boats we used to hire in the 1970's and 80's usually had dual filament headlamps mounted upside-down so you could have either a level beam to see where you were going, or an upwardly-directed dipped beam when encountering oncoming craft. 

David Schweizer Veteran II

David Schweizer

Posted
Posted

I fitted a pre-war Lucas King of the Road Fog Lamp onto Helvetia, bought in a boot sale for £5. I had to convert it from 6v to 12v in order that I could fit a tungsten 45watt bulb which proved more than adequate when pointed upwards to illuminate the tunnel roof. The shell was chromed brass but I chose to retain the distressed chrome look which reminded me of the lamps fitted to many working boats in the 1960's.

 

FlecknoeFields10(2).thumb.jpg.063d4197d73ce245806c20e4b6dee13a.jpg

  • Greenie 2
Richard T Experienced

Richard T

Posted
Posted

We have a 1920's Fowler traction engine light on Tyto. I acquired as a teenager and it has been used in various forms before being adapted for Tyto, Unfortunately I never had the parrafin burner for it but have fitted an LED lamp. It is mounted on a CCTV bracket which allows it to be pointed up and to the right to avoid blinding on coming boats in tunnels.

Scholar Gypsy Veteran II

Scholar Gypsy

Posted
Posted

I have my main tunnel light at the stern. That way it illuminates what you need to see - the position and direction of the boat relative to the walls - and not what you don't need to see (500 metres ahead). There is a low power light at the bows to avoid confusing oncoming boats.

 

headlight.png.fdd4db6015d18cf246d69c669a8444b5.png

 

And here it is in Blisworth (no flash used!). When another boat approaches I just turn it to the right.

 

tunnel.jpg.dc6015bdced70e7b1fc3995417995ff1.jpg

  • Greenie 1
Jen-in-Wellies Veteran II

Jen-in-Wellies

Posted
Posted
46 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

Can you still get calcium carbide?

Yes. Used to use it for caving, but cavers went to LED lights twenty plus years ago. I still have one of my old carbide lamps as an ornament. It would still work as a tunnel light. I am almost tempted to get some carbide and try it out. Acetylene is heavier than air though and the BSS and insurance implications need considering. Overboard route for gas to go. Carbide storage on board, outgassing from used calcium carbide and waste disposal. Eg https://www.amertek.co.uk/product/calcium-carbide/

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