This Tilley was given to me this morning, when I asked the very senior owner about its history, he told me it is original. Trouble is I have never seen one like this in Australia. I notice Bob in the reference gallery has a x 359 that looks identical, but this model has no sign of a pre burner ? Is it a mongrel or pedigree ?
Bobs X359 isn't identical to yours. His has a slightly different tank, as it looks (the later type where yours are earlier), but it's hard to tell from that bad picture. But he surely has the angled legs where the cage attach to the tank. Yours are straight, just as on the X246. So no text at all on the tank? I have a X246A that look just like yours apart from the plastic(?) pump knob. You can see it [url=http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/3185 Can't it be one of those transitional types you got?
Christer, It does nearly look identical to yours except for there is no writing on the fount at all. The fount has a gold sticker under the base with a Made in England stamp, The sticker is a bit damaged however where it identifies the model there is a 2 there so I am assuming it is a x246 with a x 349 hood. But your theory could be correct about model transition. The bonus is I have three brass burner caps. I wonder if anyone else has had a similar situation with this transition ?
Are you absolutely sure about that Jeff? Why not an early X246A of the "old style" like mine? In the discussion there, no one found it impossible that Tilley could have used this hood briefly just when X246 became X246A. A date stamp would have been good here, but apparently there isn't any.
Hello Christer, with Tilley one is never certain and if you read my comments in the post about your lantern, then you will see that I made that clear. This lantern does have an earlier tank than your lantern does, because there is no stamping on it, but it does have the later cage and handle. Tilley probably were using up whatever they had in stock, it's a practical thing to do. However, no matter what is stamped on the tanks or which parts are fitted to the tanks, this style of tank was originally designed as the Guardsman lantern tank, which is what I meant in my previous post. Anyway, those hoods are not that common and the entire lantern should restore well enough, Jeff.
Jeff is right. That tank and the hood are from different times. Tilley stopped putting that decal in the base around 1954 and that hood did not appear until 1959 so they are some five years apart at least. I suspect the globe cage is later than the tank as well although they are perhaps just possible together. It might have been bought like that but you can be pretty sure it never left the factory that way. Nice interesting piece though. ::Neil::
