Bardic or Oil?

Just pondering, the way one does when having a quiet evening...

This is a question to all the volunteers out there (and paid staff, I suppose):

Do you use a Bardic or an Oil Lamp? That is to say, which do you possess, as we all use the Bardics tucked away in mess rooms and signal boxes on occasion.

 

Feel free to comment on your choice as well. What do you use and why? Do any railways have a no oil policy? Or where oil is frowned upon (I have come across this to a limited extent)?

 

Traditional lamps as far as possible at Tanfield. We've been making a real effort over recent years to move to using proper paraffin lamps as much as possible, certainly when on public view. a couple of our volunteers have been snapping up and refurbishing proper lamps.

 

Paraffin for me all the way.

I Guard at a number of different railways and own my own Hand, Tail and Side Lamps.
I have a few types of Hand and Tail Lamps depending on what railway/era I'm depicting
My thinking is we are trying to give the public a sense of the way things were. A Bardic is OK for a Diesel Gala and I own one for that purpose.
Also I carry my Hand Lamp even when I know we won't be running during hours of darkness as a Guard I would always have it with me.

Once the public have gone though and some shunting needs to be done, out comes the LED 3 aspect Torch.

My thinking also extends to Uniform, I wear a uniform to match the era, Its a 1960s Gala I wear BR 1960s with Fishtail with Lion and Dartboard.
One pet hate of mine is the Heritage Railway Cycling Lion and Totem Combination. This never happened it was either or, not both.

But I digress. Paraffin!

 

Bardic, an oil lamp is apt to leak when chucked into a Drivers bag!

 

We shall have to put "This way up" and "handle with care" labels on your lamp, then!

 

I use normal hand or headtorches when required to be working in the dark.
Bardics are a waste of time for working with due to poor light and battery life.
and as for oil no chance.

 

Like you I am a Uniform stickler, down to the collarless shirt and stiff collar (Darcy Clothing), although when the public have gone home and shunting needs to be done, the 'proper' lamp remains in service!

Currently for Uniform I can cover 1933 to 1965-ish if you allow a BR totem to remain on a hat that long (I have seen photos to indicate that it did happen). I would like to get a fishtail with lion and dartboard too, in time.

I have the buttons to cover 1904-33 as well, but not enough uniform for them to go on as yet! When I do, I'll be looking to get some 'GWR' patches made up for lapels and hat.

I too get frustrated by some of the uniforms you see on volunteers. But I always tell myself that we are a broad church and it is their choice.

 

Scripted or Roundel?

 

Scripted, but after them in red...

 

I can get my man to do red. I had those made specially for me

 

Thanks, I've PM'd you.

 

As a guard and retired Electronics Engineer I have gone for a comprimise. I have an old oil lamp with the inwards removed and replaced with red/green/white LEDs selected by a 4-position switch.

Chris

 

This is something I would like to do with my more tired, less collectable oil lamp in time.

 

I guess expenditure comes in to this too. While I was partaking in footplate duties on the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway, I only ever uses a bardic. But that was based on a low income I had at the time during my apprenticeship elsewhere. Now I don't have as much time to partake in duties so can't comment if increase in wage has affected my decision for Bardic Vs. Oil.

The same with uniform here. Again, money, but also skin condition. For the first few years of my footplate duties I'd stick to regular practice, that being Bib & Brace, trousers, Shirt, Tie and Greasetop Cap ( I know the cap will start a debate! ). But I began to realise that the rubbing of the shirt on my arms while firing was irritating my eczema much more than expected, to sometimes painful ends ( the eczema only confined to the inner arm adjacent to elbows, but bending arms was a sore task sometimes after firing! ). So to suit my needs, I changed to wearing a Polo Shirt and Jeans underneath my Bib and Brace, only wearing my jacket if on a smaller engine such as the Austerity. Now I know that may not be conveying the correct dress code for any railway company back in steam days, nor will the purists be happy I suppose, but it made firing more comfortable to me and my health in the long run, allowing my skin less opportunity to rub against fabric but also breath on fresh air when at tue cabsides. As much as I'd have liked to maintain a proper BR Fireman look, I felt I made the better choice.

That's probably me diverging off the subject now. But I guess the point is, whatever choice is down to the railway being worked on, and the volunteers preference but also extends to what is better for their health, expenditure and era trying to replicate ( if even so! ).

 

Owning both an oil lamp and a bardic, I think it depends what I doing. If platform, oil lamp as I'm a) close to the stores and b) it does leak if it is moved too violently which is less of a risk on the platform. As a TTI, bardic because it's just easier and safer. The oil lamp does give a nicer image.
Re uniform: as mine is done on the cheap, it doesn't stand up to close inspection really. I'm thinking of getting a new cap so I can do that more correctly for appearance.

 

There have been a few references to leaking oil lamps - if your oil lamp is leaking it needs repaired. An oil lamp in decent nick doesn't leak.

 

Tomorrow Michael I hope to be using a paraffin lamp:faint:

 

Depends what I'm doing. Steam turns (footplate or guard) it tends to be oil, diesel turns it tends to be bardic, although lighting up tends to be the torch on my mobile phone!

 

Bardic for me. Non-heritage narrow gauge driving, so don't have to worry about the look. Just concentrate on the practicality.

Roger