Hello to all can someone put a date on this wee fellow,before it goes in the out tray.Only mark is the vapalux on the control knob. Michael
Willis and Bates used a date code on earlier lamps but I don't know if it went on to the 320s. Perhaps its use was discontinued when the deal with Aladdin of Greenford ended in 1968 or just possibly when Bairstow Bros (1985) Ltd. took over the business but either is complete speculation. The date code consisted of two rows of dots - larger and smaller - which gave the month and year. I can't remember which way round it was but perhaps it's reasonable to suppose the smaller dots gave the month and the larger ones the year. Maybe that will help give a date...
Nothing there David I was just curios as the man that sold me it (50 years +) said it was his Granddad's All the one's I have seen are ex military . I will rest that topic and may be you can tell me the date of a Tilley 246 -- 870XA is that 87 or 70 ? thanks Michael PS Just noticed your birth date it is the same 28/05 as my son but not year he is a bit younger.
870 on a Tilley tank is August 1970 so that would be an X246B lantern. The letters are a bit of a mystery but possibly relate in some way to the tank type. Hope that helps...
Your lamp dates from 1968 to 2009/10. The Vapalux 320 was a purely civilian product until around 1979 when it began to be supplied to the MOD. My circa 1972 (the box is dated) Vapalux 320 lacks the stamp found on base of the earlier Bialaddin 320 and I cannot recall seeing any other Vapalux 320 being marked in such a way.
Perhaps a signature change is in order? "Call me HD, Miss HD if you like! But not Neil! " An accident I'm sure.
No offence taken, I'm flattered to be mistaken as Neil, I must sound like I know what I'm talking about! HD
Nowhere to hide on this thread when you mess up X246 08 / 70 bit cleaner I got two good one's out of three the pump top is made out of aluminium of sorts?
No, he meant Neil out of 'The Young Ones'... No, as I said, that's an X246B. The X246 was completely different and went through half a dozen or so iterations from 1946 until 1962 - the so-called Pork-Pies to Guardsman...
