I'm going to stick my neck out, here, and suggest L327. It's Canadian in origin and dated 9 35 so September 1935 presumably. It's fitted with the later generator (R55?) and there's a priming cup, too - surely that can't be correct, can it..?
Can't be a 327 because it has a pump. It is a 427 but a special made in Canada as a kero lantern. So it is "The Mountie" model 427K. These were made at least up to 1943 and may have comntinued to the end of WW2. Not a common lamp and a nice find. ::Neil::
I think its a 427 of some sort because it has the pump. No 327 ever had a pump. Someone put a pre heat cup on it so they wouldn't have to use a torch to pre heat. Its harder to match heat an R55 unlike the Q99.
Ah well, I said I knew b*gger-all about identifying these Quicklites! I just thought I'd better hazard a guess instead of relying on you fellas all the time - should have known better, eh! Thanks for the identification - I'll change the title and have it moved to the correct sub-forum...
Nice lantern David! Rare to see even in my side of the pond. The R55 is right. You can't fit a preheating cup on a Q99 without a lot of work. And by now Coleman was using the R55 for almost everything. Jeff
Technically not a 427K "Mountie" lantern as the distinctive wide brim vent and required frame to accommodate the wider "Mountie" brim weren't introduced until late 1937 or 1938 production year. The 427K "Mountie" name comes from slight resemblance to the Stetson wide brim pointed top service hat of the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) force, colloquially called Mounties. There is no mention of a 427K in the Coleman Canada Sept 1934 catalog which would have covered most of the 1935 production year. The Coleman Canada March 1936 catalog on page 10 does offer a 427K lantern, however it is not designated a "Mountie" for the above reasons. In Canada I see many 1920's gasoline 327 and 427 lanterns retrofitted with alcohol preheater cups, makes more sense than trying to hold a match against a generator in a drafty barn or outdoors. As an export lantern to a paraffin using country more than likely it is a 427K, one way to determine is to fire it up with some kero.
You can tell a kero Quick-Lite by looking for the two small dimples in the upper air intake tube. Coleman added a restrictor inside the air tube and locked it in place with two dot punches. In any case the model "Name" kinda depends on where you found it. 427K is right and after around 1938 this was called "The Mountie" in Canada but this model was also sold in the UK but here it was called "Sentry". Coleman UK also sold a 327K which is of course the same lantern but without a pump and that one was called "Signal". ::Neil::
I had a quick look for this lantern earlier today without success. I'll extend my search tomorrow and see what turns up...
Interesting information about the England 327K "Signal" lantern Neil. These were also sold by the "Signal" name in Canada from about early 1938 on but listed in Canadian catalogs as gasoline only lanterns, I'll have to have a closer look at these.
327K is an odd lamp. I have just been hunting through my catalogues and the only place it is listed is in a 1938 English Coleman catalogue. In Canadian catalogues and parts lists from 1930 to the mid 1940s the model does not appear at all. 427K does and 327 as a gasoline lantern but never as a kero version. I understand that a few kero 327s have been found in Canada and from that we may assume they were actually sold there but since they are not catalogued I wonder if these are an aftermarket conversion by fitting the burner from 427K in a 327 gasoline lantern. What will tell is of any of these lanterns are marked as 327K in the base plate. ::Neil::
great information Neil . I also assume that over time repair centers across Canada, hunters , fishermen and collectors could of installed a Kero (168k ect,,) burner tube if nothing else was available to repair these old lanterns I am trying to find a way to post pictures on this thread with my iPhone I have several 427K Mounties I want to display for collectors on this forum David's 427 above may possibly be an early 427k ? only if it has the restrictor on the air-tube. The date of production of David's lantern is very close to my early 427K made in 1936. My 1936 427K has the wider ventilator but the lantern itself is identical to David's 1935 above the only thing that makes me wonder and possibly believe that David lantern could be an early Mountie, Considering the date stamped on this lantern . I have never seen mid 1930s 427s. Not very common. I am not doubting the existence of regular gasoline 427s made on 35 but I'm very Curious, Anything could be possible with Coleman Canada especially during that period in time If David could verify if his lantern has the air restrictor this would be very helpful and conclusive
I have no Canadian catalogues before 1934 but L427 is listed there. I do have an English flyer from 1925 which shows L427, Actually it illustrates the prototype and not the production model. This flyer is from a retailer in Liverpool but illustrates the factory in Toronto where "Coleman Quick-Lites are made and made to last" So these are Canadian made product and really only confirms what we sort of knew that L427 was made in Canada and exported to the British Empire. I suspect therefore that a Canadian L427 was in continuous production from 1925 to around 1947. ::Neil::
Neil What's amazing is that you don't see many Canadian 427s from 1930 until 1947 early production 427s are more common 1942 till 1947 327s are extremely hard-to-find
OK, I can't understand why I didn't find this before - I just looked in the same place and it was the third lantern I picked up. Anyway:- There are two dimples - one just below the screw-head and a lighter one directly below the first one, on the bend. It shows as a white dot on the image (both arrowed). Are these they?
Yes those are the two dimples used to retain the inner tube restrictor for the 427K kero burner. That burner is unique to Coleman kero lamps in the 1930s and 40s. No question you have a nice and fairly rare lantern. ::Neil::
Thanks, Neil. Unlike every other Quicklite I've owned (which always worked straight out of the box), this one isn't 'making all the right noises at the all the right times'. I'll have a quick look at it tomorrow but given it's rarity, I won't be doing anything beyond the basic. I'm rationalising my collection and I'm not particularly attached to this lantern so I'll be moving it on...
Simple lamps these. Clean out the burner tubes, fit a new R55 and you will be good to go. Rationalising sounds drastic. I dare say I could find a small space since I don't have one of these. Come to that I have never handled one either. ::Neil::
I had a look at this earlier. The 'not building-up pressure' issue was probably due to the filler cap washer which looked like someone had begun to burn it out and given up half-way through. It was easy enough to get the rest of it out but I've no replacement and busy with other things at the moment... What's the correct mantle? - when we get that far... Edit: I replaced the filler cap washer with one I made from nitrile and the lantern held pressure. However, turning the control cock and/or pricker didn't produce the satisfying 'hiss' I was expecting. When I removed the generator, the pricker was sticking through the jet but didn't move up and down when the wire loop was turned. I think the pin wasn't engaging in the eccentric block and wouldn't be engaged despite some fiddling. I managed to find a new R55 and fitted that. Now it makes all the right noises at the right time from the right places. Too late to fire it up now so that's a job for tomorrow when I sort out some mantles...
Originally Coleman #20s but most folk use #21As which work fine. I don't like the R55 generator much. They tend to be temperamental and clog rather too easily for my liking. Also they are not good in lanterns because you can't easily access the lever to rotate it. In the Mountie you can't use anything else though because for sure the older Quick-LIte generators will clog pretty quickly with kero. ::Neil::
I fitted No.21A mantles and flushed the tank with kero - nothing untoward came out. I refilled the tank and primed the lantern, burning off the mantles at the same time. I gave it about 10 pumpstrokes (should probably have been more) and opened the valve - et voila! It lit immediately and without fuss. I gave it a few more pumpstrokes but it's just settling down in the pic and broad daylight with a semi-transparent mica globe don't help - far too windy here at the moment to run it without the globe. I'll let it run for an hour or two and then light it again tonight, maybe with a glass globe if I can find one to fit. Update: Aaaarrrggghhh! - it developed English Black Mantle Disease after about 30 minutes, limped along for another 10 minutes before I turned it off. I suspect it doesn't like modern British kero. I might try adding 10% panel wipe if I can find any... Further update: I tried adding 10% panel wipe to the kero. The lantern was much happier and didn't develop BMD. Still a bit of a halo around the mantles when pumped up hard - maybe this is a Coleman that doesn't like high pressure. Even further update: I tried to increase the panel wipe to 15% but my hand slipped and I think it's operating at about 20% now. It's burning much better:- This, taken with flash, doesn't really do it justice - the yellowing is mainly due to the dirty mica windows. Whilst this, taken without flash, flatters it a bit. Overall, I'd say it was putting out around 0.5 Carlsson units i.e. 250cp. Not too bad for a 78 year-old lantern...
Most of the Coleman 1930's through 1960's kerosene lamps and lanterns work equally well with gasoline. The Coleman Canada 237 Empire and 247 Scout kerosene lanterns designed in about 1937 has for use with both fuels printed on the collar during some years of their production.
427K!! Early model First one I ever see what a small ventilator what a great treasure you have in your hands !! congratulations
