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Bardic Lamps

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maccalad

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Does anyone know of a supplier that sells direct to rail employees and can supply a micro/mini Bardic Lamp which is capable of showing a white, red and green LED light, runs off standard batteries and has a bracket to allow it to be attached to a train.

If so, any idea on cost, and/or a link?

Thanks in advance.
 
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IKB

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You can buy an old BR style Bardic lamp on eBay for £10-20. There are loads on there.

Sorry no idea who the supplier is for the new LED ones.
 
Mutant Lemming

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BestWestern

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Mutant Lemming said:
They weren't much cop (charges, batteries and bulbs had short lifespan) when they were standard issue and were discontinued.
Click to expand...

I always preferred the Halo to the Toclite replacement, they fitted nicely in the hand and were far less of a faff to use and operate than a long, thin torch with buttons all over the place. Having said that, they look like a bike light, were very average quality and north of £100 is well and truly having a laugh! Though it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the TOCs were paying that for them... :rolleyes:

As for the original bardics, common wisdom has been for a while now that they don't make the unique batteries for them any more?
 
driver9000

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BestWestern said:
As for the original bardics, common wisdom has been for a while now that they don't make the unique batteries for them any more?
Click to expand...

I don't know if the block batteries are still available new but a conversion kit to allow it to run off D cell batteries is around £10. It's a cradle and a couple of sockets to take the plug in the lamp.
 
BestWestern

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driver9000 said:
I don't know if the block batteries are still available new but a conversion kit to allow it to run off D cell batteries is around £10. It's a cradle and a couple of sockets to take the plug in the lamp.
Click to expand...

Ah! Nice idea that!
 
Harpers Tate

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BestWestern said:
As for the original bardics, common wisdom has been for a while now that they don't make the unique batteries for them any more?
Click to expand...
...but there was an official Bardic accessory (probably also no longer available) and on EBay there is still a lookalike (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BARDIC-L...D-CELL-BATTERIES-TOP-QUALITY-KIT/222797845115), which allows the use of 3xD cells. My own original Bardic has such a thing (the original) AND a new LED lamp (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0133PLTRQ).
 
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The original batteries to fit Bardic lamps are still readily available, on fleabay and from any good industrial battery supplier. Search for "AD28 BATTERY" Expect to pay about £5 for one, cheaper if buying several.
AFAIK they are now only made by ever ready, in the past several firms made this type of battery.

I would consider use of the original battery type of to be preferable to an adaptor for D cells, fewer connections and therefore fewer potential points of failure.
 
Llanigraham

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driver9000 said:
I don't know if the block batteries are still available new but a conversion kit to allow it to run off D cell batteries is around £10. It's a cradle and a couple of sockets to take the plug in the lamp.
Click to expand...

I've now converted 2 of them to take an LED bulb and a standard PP9 battery, which gives plenty of light and a long life. One is mine and the other is in the Guards compartment on the Corris Railway.
 
tiptoptaff

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My heritage railway's ops dept can still obtain and issue original bardic batteries so they must be available (although mine has been converted to D Cell.) I use the HALO my previous TOC employer issued me, on steam locos and I prefer it to my bardic. Its probably not as robust but it does the job and clips nicely on the outside of my bag!
 
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Eccles1983

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I've got to ask, Why?

If you had to use a bardic lamp then why not use the one issued?
I cant imagine it going down well if you had to use one in a failure and it not being an issued one going down well with DTM's
 
BestWestern

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Eccles1983 said:
I've got to ask, Why?

If you had to use a bardic lamp then why not use the one issued?
I cant imagine it going down well if you had to use one in a failure and it not being an issued one going down well with DTM's
Click to expand...

I'd hazard a guess it's for heritage railway purposes or similar.
 
63a

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Various battery boxes available from Maplin. I have used the D cell and the AA ones in Bardic conversions with LED bulbs, the only complaints have been from the heritage railways's footplate crew about being dazzled - oh well!
 
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muz379

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Eccles1983 said:
I've got to ask, Why?

If you had to use a bardic lamp then why not use the one issued?
I cant imagine it going down well if you had to use one in a failure and it not being an issued one going down well with DTM's
Click to expand...

Playing devils advocate but I cant see any reason why as long as the type of lamp being used complies with the group standards anybody would be in any trouble ?

I mean traincrew at my TOC are currently issued with the big daft grey unipart hand lamp . But I know loads of traincrew and even managers who still carry and use previously issued halo lamps .
 
Mojo

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Eccles1983 said:
If you had to use a bardic lamp then why not use the one issued?
I cant imagine it going down well if you had to use one in a failure and it not being an issued one going down well with DTM's
Click to expand...
You don’t know what grade the OP is and for what reason they are looking for an alternative lamp. The only lamp that my team is issued with is the free one provided by Unipart, however many of my colleagues dislike carrying bags and have procured their own ones, at their own expense, because they want one that is more compact.
 
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Eccles1983

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Mojo said:
You don’t know what grade the OP is and for what reason they are looking for an alternative lamp. The only lamp that my team is issued with is the free one provided by Unipart, however many of my colleagues dislike carrying bags and have procured their own ones, at their own expense, because they want one that is more compact.
Click to expand...


The OP asked for it to be attached to a train - It's reasonable to assume they are traincrew due to that.

Each to there own, but as a driver I wouldn't want to be caught using a non issued bardic during lighting failure and something happened.
 
BestWestern

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Raul_Duke said:
So if I buy a HALO from a railway supplier then it’ll cost me £100+

But if I buy one from a non-railway supplier (https://www.csiequipment.com/halo-plus-2-lamp_p31708.aspx) then its £49........
Click to expand...

The description of that item mentions a 'high and low beam', a diffused lamp for fingerprinting, and functionality as a flashlight. It isn't, as far as I can see, equipped with red/green for railway purposes. At 50 quid it's a very expensive torch!
 
Raul_Duke

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BestWestern said:
The description of that item mentions a 'high and low beam', a diffused lamp for fingerprinting, and functionality as a flashlight. It isn't, as far as I can see, equipped with red/green for railway purposes. At 50 quid it's a very expensive torch!
Click to expand...

You’re right you know :oops:
 
NorthernSpirit

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I know of a builder who had two such lamps, they weren't used for railway purposes but for on road when one lane had to be closed for building work. They were used as a cheaper alternative to hiring a set of traffic signals, as all you had was one bloke to go and set one to red and the other to green all day - come night time set both to yellow.

Sadly on one job some clown with a machine drove over one and broke it. I very much doubt this builder I know would be able to source another these days.
 
BestWestern

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NorthernSpirit said:
I know of a builder who had two such lamps, they weren't used for railway purposes but for on road when one lane had to be closed for building work. They were used as a cheaper alternative to hiring a set of traffic signals, as all you had was one bloke to go and set one to red and the other to green all day - come night time set both to yellow.

Sadly on one job some clown with a machine drove over one and broke it. I very much doubt this builder I know would be able to source another these days.
Click to expand...

Yellow?!
 
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