60 " Search Light Tow Vehicle

[David Dunlop]

Does anyone know what vehicle was used by Royal Canadian Artillery units in Canada and overseas for towing the 60 " Search Lights built by GE and Sperry, and their associated Gen Trailers during WW2? Was it a purpose built vehicle or a standard GS?

David

[Phil Waterman]

Hi David

There was an entire searchlight unit all the equipment for sale in restored operating condition within the last year. I can dig out the info if your interested?

Cheers Phil

[Stew Robertson]

I believe it was a commercial chev. Dually
If you are looking for one contact me

[David Dunlop]

Phil:

I will pass on that for the moment, but will definitely get in touch when I win the lottery!

Stew:

Thanks for the input. This part of the RCA history seems to have lost a lot more information over time than the ones who made all the noise!

David

[rob love]

In a perfect world, the funds would exist to permanently preserve and display all the support and fire control systems to the guns. But funds are not unlimited, and the interest of the general public would not support it. You could put the (insert equipment here: ie radar train/searchlight/ranging device etc) into a state of the art climate controlled building, but who would come? Now a gun on the other hand.......

[David Dunlop]

Gee, Rob, with the following specs, I would love to see one of these lights in action again:

Lamp Type: Carbon Arc (no light bulb!)
Candlepower: 800,000,000
Effective Beam Length: 5.6 miles
Effective Beam Visibility: 28–35 miles
Mirror Type: Parabolic

The carbon rods burn at 3,000 degrees and last about 2 hours. If you left it on at night in your back yard, that would be more than enough time to run to the pub, get drunk and still be able to find your way home!

David

[rob love]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Gee, Rob, with the following specs, I would love to see one of these lights in action again:

David: Yes, you and an extremely small handful of others. Might I suggest heading down to Canadinns....they have some reasonably powerful spotlights in play.

Sorry if my responses appear somewhat obtuse, but I have observed that the local museum has had some attempts at external pressures in the past to divert finite resources to some very narrow scopes of interest.

[DanJahn]

Hello group

I have restored a GE searchlight unit to working condition and as near to original as I can get for now. It is on display at the Canadian Military Education Centre and Museum in Chilliwack, BC. www.cmedcentre.ca It will be fired up for special occasions on the museum grounds. Our next planned event is the last weekend in September.

Dan

[Harry Moon]

Originally Posted by DanJahn

Hello group

I have restored a GE searchlight unit to working condition and as near to original as I can get for now. It is on display at the Canadian Military Education Centre and Museum in Chilliwack, BC. www.cmedcentre.ca It will be fired up for special occasions on the museum grounds. Our next planned event is the last weekend in September.

Dan

There is a short video of the searchlight on the CMEC site.

[David Dunlop]

Nice to see. Well done, Dan!


David

[Hans Mulder]

At CMEC it is moved about by manpower...I foolishly got a foot in the way while pushing and limped for a week.

[David Dunlop]

I hope it was the light and not the Generator. You would at least have saved your foot about 400 KG!

David

[BSM]

A mate of mine in Sydney is part of a restoration group still in operation at North Head after the AMF/Government (in their infinite wisdom) decided to close the Artillery Museum, put it in many boxes and then store is in the middle of nowhere until funds are available to set up the new site at Puckapunyal etc!!!
This small group remain active and are doing good things including the restoration of another No.6. Arty. Tractor. Back to the point...every year they have a "searchlight" night where they fire up 2 restored examples (following permissions etc. with aviation etc.), have a good get together with a bunch of restorers including the local Mil. Veh. movement and enjoy good company and a wee drop of port amongst other libations. Few images attached for your perusal. Rod