Restoration of the “Torch Lake” Headlamp
The "Torch Lake," a Mason Bogie engine with a fairly interesting history. Residing in Henry Ford's Museum for many decades, and now kept fully operable, the Museum wanted to take their headlamp back to full oil operation, with a proper center draft burner and reflector re-Nickel Plated, along with a general cleanup and restoration of the entire lamp body.
The insert, the part that slides into the body which holds the reflector, tank, and burner, was original, and has been cleaned and polyurethaned to help preserve it. It had to be held together with brass rods glued in holes to support the wood, some wet rotting had occurred over the 100+ years this wood has survived. The wood base of the headlamp body was too far gone, and was replaced with clean straight grain red oak.
After chasing a number of leaks in the original tin oil tank, the museum decided to commission a new tank in solid brass. That was then paired with a new oil collector assembly with a drain port, a cross tube, and a railroad Acme Postal Burner. All solid Brass and Bronze, and Nickel Plated to prevent oxidation and improve reflectiveness.
The Original (to the body) Copper Reflector had a Star Insignia on the flange, and I believe notes the maker Star Headlamp and Lantern Company, though no other markings were found. The Copper was Re-Nickeled and high polished.
The body had damage from years of use and as much of it as possible was corrected. The Door that hinges open was rusted out, and expertly replicated and melded with surviving original parts to keep it as original as possible, but you can't keep 100% of it when it's already rusted through.
A Hundred other smaller things were done to help restore this lamp, and keep it preserved for time to come, but now that this project is complete on my end, she will be reunited with Torch Lake. The Museum plans to repaint and re-stripe the headlamp, that is why I have left it in primer.
Thank You Henry Ford Museum for having me rebuild this piece back into a proper oil headlamp, and Thank You for wanting to taking it back to oil. Oil Headlamps are less common than the number of surviving steam engines, and the number of those operational is even fewer.