Railroad Lanterns & Lamps Series
Dietz Oil Fired Lanterns
Copyright © 2004-2012 All Rights Reserved
Dietz Lantern Company

 The Dietz Lantern company was one of the longest running of all lantern companies, but its railroad line of lanterns was only a small part of it's business.  
Officially known as the R.E. Dietz company, it was founded before the civil war in the mid 1800s.   It produced a number of lanterns, including for home and
personal use.  Dietz also produced lanterns for the military in the early years and for Marine use on ships.

The most famous early railroad lantern is the No. 39 and No. 39 Standard, which are tall globe lanterns.  Dietz would name numerous versions of this lantern
from the late 1880s through the 1940s.   Dietz would also be famous for its Vesta line of lanterns, which was a cold blast lantern with side tubes that
resembled the very common household and barn type cold blast lanterns of the era.   The Vesta styles were popular with railroads and were made as late as
the 1960s.   However in later years, most railroad lanterns were eclipsed by the Dressel and Adlake short globe versions.

Because Dietz made many lanterns for city, utility and municipal work crew use and even Police and Fire Departments that were very similar to its railroad line
of lanterns, if a Dietz lantern is not marked for a railroad, it's often impossible to tell if it was actually used on a railroad and not elsewhere.

In 1915 Dietz purchased the equipment of the C.T. Ham company, which closed prior to that.   Many future Dietz lanterns look similar in appearance to Ham
designs for this reason.   Dietz continued to exist until it went out of business in 1992.
Dietz No. 39 Standard Bell Bottom - Railroad unknown
This is a late model Dietz No. 39 with the relatively rare bell bottom.   Dietz called it's bell bottom lanterns the "standard" version, implying that the wire base models were optional.   
This model was made through the 1930s and this particular lantern appears to be a later model that could date anywhere from the 1920s through the early 1930s.   It was fairly rusty
when obtained.  It was bead blasted and repainted in high temp paint and includes a new Adlake pot and burner as the original pot and burner were not salvageable.   This lantern
was very likely used by a railroad, but is not marked.  0050
Dietz No. 39 Steel Clad - Railroad unknown
One of the toughest lanterns produced by Dietz was the No. 39 Steel Clad version.  Similiar in appearance to the Dressel short global lanterns with vertical slats, these lanterns were a
version of a No. 39, which normally came with wire guards.    The Steel Clad used a standard pot and tall globe similiar to other tall globe lanterns of the early 20th century.    This
particular lantern is not marked for a railroad and therefore could have been used by a city or construction company.  However railroads did use these exact same lanterns as well.   
The No. 39 lanterns were made well into the short globe area with some sources indicating they were being made until around 1940.   This lantern probably dates to the 1920s or
1930s.
Dietz No. 999 - New York City Subway
The Dietz No. 999 was Dietz's short globe offering.   Basically in appearance it's a cross between a Dressel short globe and an Adlake.   The No. 999 was produced from 1929 through
1960.   They are not as common as the Adlakes or Dressels.  The New York City Subway apparently ordered quite a few and were also known to have ordered Dietz No. 888 which was
a battery powered lantern produced in the 1940s and 1950s.   This lantern is also a New York City Subway model, with heavy tin plating still remaining on the lantern and a red
unmarked globe.  it's age its unknown, but it's suspected of being newer and probably dates to the 1950s.
Dietz No. 6  Bell Bottom - New York Central Railroad
This is one of the oldest lanterns in my personal collection.  Its a Dietz No. 6 bell bottom lantern which was produced from the early 1890s through 1919.     This lantern used a unique
globe that only fit this exact model, unlike most other tall globe lanterns of the era which used a standard 5-3/8 globe, often referred to as the No. 39 globe.    The New York Central
Railroad ordered hundreds of these lanterns from the 1890s through the early 1900s and consequently, most No. 6 lanterns are marked for the New York Central, like this one.   The
exact age of this lantern is not known, but some design features indicate that it's an earlier model, dating anywhere from the 1890s through the early 1900s.
Dietz Tall Vesta - New York Central Railroad
This is an late version of the early tall frame Vesta models.   The Vestas were made from the 1890s through 1960 with the same basic overall design, but different features.   The
earliest Vestas used a tall globe and bell bottom frame.   The model shown here had it's design birth in 1907 when Dietz introduced one of the first short globe lanterns designed
largely to accommodate the weaker kerosene fuel flame just beginning to be used by some railroads.   The frame shown here is a "hi-top" that was produced through the mid 1920s
before being replaced with a slightly shorter frame, but using the same globe.   The lantern shown here was made in 1922.   An air hose gasket dated 1928 came with the lantern, so it
was probably used by the owner through the late 1920s to early 1930s before the owner probably took it home and stored it for many decades.
Dietz No. 39 Standard Bell Bottom - Pennsylvania Railroad
This is a Dietz No. 39 Standard that was likely issued to a railroad as it came with a marked a globe, marked for the Pennsylvania Railroad.   However, the lantern frame is not marked.
Age is approximately 1920s to early 1930s.   0043 0015   SOLD
Dietz No. 39 Steel Clad - C&NW Railroad
Another Dietz No. 39 Steel Clad Lantern.   This one has an unmarked frame, but the globe is marked for the C&NW RR, which was the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.  It probably
dates to around the 1930s.
0035 0014
Dietz No. 39 Steel Clad - Unknown Railroad
Another Dietz No. 39 Steel Clad Lantern.   This one has an unmarked frame and Dietz marked globe.   It probably dates to around the 1930s.
0046 0010
Last Update:  Feburary 16, 2012
Dietz No. 39  Bell Bottom - Switchman Short Lantern - New Haven Railroad
This is a unique Dietz lantern and one of the older ones on our collection.   It's a very early Dietz No. 39 Standard bell bottom marked NH for the New Haven Railroad.   It's also a
shorter version, typically called a switchman's lantern.   Around the turn of the century, Railroad Switchman, who worked the yards, were in a different union and often used different
specialized equipment.   They often preferred a smaller lighter version of the standard lanterns of the day.   Various manufactures made these smaller lanterns.   Dietz would produce
the XLCR which was a small version, but this one is very similiar to an XLCR except it's not marked as such, which means its an early version.   Probably made sometime prior to
1911.   The last photo compares the shorter size of this lantern to the next one down, the No. 6, a more standard size lantern of the day.
This page describes switchman lanterns in detail and why they existed.    0066 0016
Dietz No. 39 Steel Clad - New York City  (Not Railroad Owned)
Another Dietz No. 39 Steel Clad Lantern.   This one was actually owned by the City of New York and not a railroad.   It was a utility version of the Dietz No. 39 Steel Clad lanterns issued
to some railroads.   This version lacks the standard carry handle and instead has a special hook handle that allows it to be hung as an indicator or safety light.   These were not
designed to be carried and were used as back up lighting when working in tunnels or dark areas or as a safety lighting.   This lantern came with a clear globe but many were issued
with red globes as traffic warning devices.   0025 0017
Dietz Tall Vesta - Locomotive Lantern, B&M Railroad
This is a short frame version of the Vesta that was produced after 1925.  This one having a date stamp of 1935.   It was made for the Boston & Maine Railroad and is stamped B&M on
the lid as well as on the red globe.   This also has a heavy iron base, which makes it a locomotive lantern.   Railroads required that locomotives have a red and clear globed lanterns
stored on board all locomotives for emergency use.  The heavy steel base discouraged their use for other than emergencies and they were more likely to remain on
board the locomotive.
Dietz No. 39 Vulcan - Kentucky & Indiana Terminal Railroad
Another Dietz No. 39 Steel Clad Lantern.   This one is marked K&IT RR, which stands for the Kentucky & Indiana Terminal Railroad.  A shortline that started out in the 1880s with the
effort to build a major bridge across the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana.   The name was changed from the Kentucky & Indiana Bridge Company to "Terminal Company" in
1910 as the railroad expanded it's yards and service.  It lasted until absorbed into the Southern Railroad in 1981 and eventually the Norfolk and Southern.   The Vulcan lantern was
discontinued in 1944, so this lantern dates to anytime prior to that, but probably newer than the 1920s.  0031 0012