89-year-old "Ecolite" Electric Railroad Lantern Restoration (4K UHD ASMR)

This Ecolite railroad electric signal lantern was made by Economy Electric Lantern Co. Inc of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The ingenious but rather overly complex switching mechanism design used in the lantern was first patented in 1933 (patent no. 1,906,587A), although it’s probable this particular lantern was manufactured at least a decade later. Information on the history of the Economy Electric Lantern Co is incredibly sparse, so anyone with more information please leave a comment below.

Railroad lanterns were the precursor to modern way two-way radio communication in the railyard. Originally using oil or gas flames, the lanterns were electrified in the 1930’s. The lanterns were used by railroad brakemen at the front and back ends of the train. With the lantern lit, various positions and hand signals were used to communicate things between the front and back of the train such as stop, go, or back-up. A secondary concave reflector on the lantern served as a flashlight.
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Timestamps:
0:00 – 0:53 Overview
0:54 – 7:11 Disassembly
7:12 – 9:45 Rust Removal & Electrolysis
9:46 – 10:39 Dent removal & filling in pits
10:40 – 11:25 Priming & Painting
11:26 – 16:16 Wire Wheel, Sanding, & Polishing components
16:16 – 16:34 Painting the handle
16:35 – 17:18 Sanding & Polishing bulb cage pieces
17:19 – 17:48 Sanding & Polishing reflector
17:49 – 18:28 Nickel plating components
18:29 – 19:23 Making new insulator components
19:24 – 22:08 Assembling switch and electrical components
22:09 – 26:58 Reassembly
26:59 – 27:49 Making and applying new logo
27:50 – 28:07 Installing bulbs
28:08 – 28:52 Finished reveal & before/after
28:53 – 29:14 Testing
29:15 – 29:23 Thank you and please subscribe!
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Restoration details and tips for restoring your own Ecolite lantern:

Fair warning, this particular lantern design is intricately over-engineered and requires patience throughout the entire process. Be sure to wear proper personal protective equipment during all disassembly and perform a lead paint check before any paint removal. During the disassembly, take notes during this video on the locations and positions of each component and how they interact with the other components. Insulating and conducting components are precisely placed where they are for a reason in order to make a complete circuit. You’ll need to use 1/8” x 1/8” length rivets (either solid or tubular) to replace all the ones that must be drilled out on the electrical switch mechanisms. They must be low profile with a domed top and pop rivets are too tall. The rest of the rivets can be pop rivets of their respective sizes. You can use any 6V lantern battery you find at the hardware store to power it, but it might require you to snip off some of the + and - spring leads in order to make enough room in the lantern body. Alternatively, you can upgrade your bulbs to LED to be more practical. In this case I opted for the original look.

If you plan on nickel plating shiny components, make sure to sand to at least 1200 grit to get a mirror finish. For DIY nickel plating, check out this video: https://youtu.be/G-PtnwtOR24

For a DIY electrolysis setup, check out this video: https://youtu.be/lqf0iPlOgVY

For priming and painting, I use Rustoleum’s etching primer. After waiting at least a few days, I then paint with Rustoleum’s Metallic Green gloss, followed by two coats of Rustoleum’s Crystal Clear Enamel. The green is similar to the original paint job, but with a bit of flair.

I recreated the logo in Adobe Photoshop. A free alternative to Photoshop is GIMP, which has nearly identical features. If you don’t want to or can't re-create the original Ecolite logo yourself, I can provide the restored logo I created. Just send an email to catalystrestorations@gmail.com with your request.
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Some of the tools and equipment I used in this video:
Camera: https://amzn.to/3EpbgOh
E10 bulb sockets: https://amzn.to/34XKj7R
1/8” tubular rivets: https://amzn.to/3sAIm9q
4" Bench Vise: https://amzn.to/3EgbSGb
Dremel: https://amzn.to/3GeynMd
Nickel plating kit: https://amzn.to/3poSxMQ
Bench grinder: https://amzn.to/3rzbLlk
Pop rivet gun: https://amzn.to/369A68J
Waterslide paper for decals: https://amzn.to/34Xvd2a
Ceiling cover plates: Home Depot

Disclaimer: Catalyst Restorations may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here (at no additional cost to you!).
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Видео 89-year-old "Ecolite" Electric Railroad Lantern Restoration (4K UHD ASMR) канала Catalyst Restorations