Bottogas was a British company supplying refillable (on exchange) cylinders of butane for “lighting, cooking, heating”. In business from the 1930’s through to the early 1970’s, as far as my research can determine. The company was at some point taken over by Shell Mex BP Gases, with a consequent expansion of business and outlets. Acquired by me as the Tilley/Bottogas stove, I’d already determined that the base plate fittings corresponded to the splayed frame attachments of a Tilley X246A, which is what I’ve utilised here, painted with gloss black brake caliper paint, together with a X246B hood and globe. The lantern ‘conversion’ from the stove is made feasible by the use by the latter of a lantern-compatible burner nozzle (left), though the nozzle (Tilley part 2084) required by the lantern (right) has the mantle support as seen in a Tilley GL602T butane lantern. Tilley GL602T. The jet nipple (No.11) 2088 and mantle 2085 are common to the GL602T also. Here’s the stove and associated components. The lantern-type nozzle serves as an inner cap for the stove and simply unscrews to substitute the Tilley 2084 pattern nozzle for conversion to a lantern. A Bottogas cylinder would have had a vertical outlet and a valve on the cylinder, depicted in this contemporary drawing. With little or no chance of locating an original cylinder I adapted a control valve compatible with a Campingaz butane cylinder to accept the jet nipple mount for the stove. The joint ringed was hard-soldered. A Campingaz 904 cylinder (painted black) and a mock-up handle/support as a Bottogas cylinder would have had made a passable - but usable - substitute for the long-obsolete original. Some Bottogas ephemera, 1930’s-1970’s. A Bottogas spanner (wrench) and the left-hand threaded connecting nut. John
Nice bit of history, Well done. I think it's safe to say these lanterns and the stove were an early attempt by Tilley to enter the expanding propane / butane market. There was also a lamp Tilley lamp identification
@ROBBO55 Thanks very much for the link, great stuff. For sure, Tilley must have been desperate to get on the bandwaggon and had better luck with their range of twin burner stoves, Campingaz cylinder powered. Can’t beat them, join them I guess.
Always something new and interesting from you @presscall Unusual lantern with all that historical background - thanks a lot for sharing. Hope you will get that Bottongas truck to complete the set all the best, Piotrek
@Piotrek Thanks Piotrek. I could fancy turning up at the CPL/CCS camp-out this summer in the mobile showroom for sure! John
Interestingly remarkable. The Bottogas gets to 'live' again thanks to your efforts, John. You really need to get that Bottogas mobile showroom. I wonder if its still around.
A search on the UK road tax website for its registration number suggests not. There’s a caption to the photo of it, naming it as a 1956 Austin FE. Vickers may well have been the specialist firm entrusted with the ‘showroom’ bodywork.
Very interesting read, thanks John for putting that together I had heard of Bottogas but didn’t realise they had started as early as that.. I have seen a cylinder, wish i’d taken a snap Yes, i too like the classic lorries and the van is beautiful an actual spanner is a good find! best regards pb
On the Campingaz 904 cylinder containing 1.8 kilos of butane and with a 0.2mm jet orifice, several hours Reinhard. John
@Reinhard … though I’ve not had a need to run it to ‘empty’. I’ve added a contemporary Bottogas label to the cylinder. The one on the lamp itself is of course authentically original. John
John, I can understand you well. Nothing is as it once was. Let us enjoy these relics and memories of days gone by. Thank you again for this successful presentation