The LNER Encyclopedia

I'm trying to find out more about this lamp, which I have to sell. I'd like to know a bit more before I offer it for sale, so could I pick your [collective] brains? I did have a quick look on Google but didn't get anywhere... It came from Holbeck shed at the end of steam in those parts, but I can't see any lettering on the casing, so I'm not sure if it's originally LNER or BR.

Any information would be gratefully received.

I've seen similar types on eBay described as LNER - my wife has one that works, very nice it is too. Is there definitely nothing imprinted on the body at all, or on the burner/paraffin tin? I have an NER one that is stamped on the body, the paint has been removed on those parts otherwise you probably wouldn't know

Thanks Rob - I can't see anything stamped, engraved or painted on the lamp, either external surfaces or inside. I too saw similar lamps on E-Bay but these were free standing and did not have the 'stump' at the bottom. It is possible it's received a (thick?) coat of paint since BR days and this is concealing the lettering. Whereabouts would any lettering be likely to be?

Is it a Gauge Glass Lamp?

That's not a railway lamp, it is a carriage lamp as shown by the conical mount. Although railways had drays and various kinds of horse drawn vehicles the lamps I have seen (and owned) had the same fitting as a tail lamp. A railway would normally at the minimum have the company initials stamped on the brass burner.These lamps will often be sold on ebay by dealers who advertise them as "railway lamps" to get more hits for their listing.
* Also the NER cart lamp I used to own was brass plated "NER" in the usual style as well as the body and burner being stamped.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=carri ... d=0CD8QsAQ

Thanks, that saves me making an embarrassing misdescription. I did think there ought to be initials on it, but knowing nothing about such things, wondered if there was a reason why that just hadn't occurred to me. Being a different type of lamp explains it! Though I wonder why the manufacturer (whoever it was) didn't stamp or engrave their name or mark on. Without wanting to start a discussion on the manufacturers of lamps, I would have thought they'd all want to 'mark' their lamps somehow for branding reasons, whether they were a railway company or not. Ah well... Thanks again.

These are the worst offenders. They were made in India in the 1970s and are completely bogus as the GWR never plated their lamps like this. They used to go for quite a bit of dosh but they have slumped in price since they were exposed. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pair-of-Vinta ... 566b19515c This is a useful page from the Severn Valley about such things and the "railway clocks" imported from India http://www.kfriends.org.uk/magazine/editorial71.htm

It sounds as bad as the situation with replica & non-original loco nameplates.

Sort of. The thing with the "GWR candle lamps" is that there was never such a thing to begin with so they cannot be accused of selling repros. I emailed Ebay to point out that the listings were advertising them as genuine and predictably got no response.