SEV Marchal Beacon

Jmcd8645

Member
May 17, 2020
46
UK
Hi,

I got these yesterday, I wasn’t looking for them but couldn’t turn them down. Both working, yellow has a Soldered in bulb instead of a lamp holder and cracked done due to someone trying to replace the screw with a slightly wider one. Red needs a new bulb.
I’ve managed to find the lamp holder and bulb which surprised me as they’re 3 pin bayonet bulbs.

Does anyone know much about these, I know they’re french and old. I don’t know much else

thanks.
 

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Jmcd8645

Member
May 17, 2020
46
UK
That’s a slightly different holder to the one I have and some of the brass contacts/nuts. Then again the one in your picture is mint condition. I was hoping to clean these up, but Seeing what they once were I’m never gonna get that.
 

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Jmcd8645

Member
May 17, 2020
46
UK
I didn’t pay that!! To be honest, I only thought I was buying the red one. I only realised I was getting two when the sell sent a message saying he’d sent “both” lights...
 
May 21, 2010
418
Western Montana
Yes, the add stated 250 Euros for 1; 450 for both. If you obtained both for 250, congratulations!

Having spent some formative years in Paris in the late 60's/early 70's, I distinctly remember these beacons on all emergency vehicles, but what was most peculiar was that the Citroen and Renault police vans (and cars) had amber lenses before eventually transitioning to blue. I'm guessing they were meant for general warning until, like eventually in this country, specific colors were designated for specific agencies. I always thought they were kind of dinky compared to the broad and beefier offerings here at the time, but they were apparently effective enough!

Cool additions!
 
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Jmcd8645

Member
May 17, 2020
46
UK
Yes, the add stated 250 Euros for 1; 450 for both. If you obtained both for 250, congratulations!

Having spent some formative years in Paris in the late 60's/early 70's, I distinctly remember these beacons on all emergency vehicles, but what was most peculiar was that the Citroen and Renault police vans (and cars) had amber lenses before eventually transitioning to blue. I'm guessing they were meant for general warning until, like eventually in this country, specific colors were designated for specific agencies. I always thought they were kind of dinky compared to the broad and beefier offerings here at the time, but they were apparently effective enough!

Cool additions!

I’m in the U.K. so I’ve also recognise these from French films/programmes along with the distinctive sirens. The high pitch two tone horns.

I noticed that they used amber and blue too. I don’t remember seeing any with red doses, do you know if the fire departments use the red?
 

cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
@Jmcd8645
The model numbers for this beacon are
340/216 for red, 340/217 for amber and 340/218 for blue.

Originally the bulb was a 25W/ba15s bulb but with the same big globe that the more normal 45W/ba15s bulb the was later used by all European manufacturers.

Normal replacement was with the 45W bulb.

The lens is quite often cracked between the screw holes.

Michael
 
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Jmcd8645

Member
May 17, 2020
46
UK
@Jmcd8645
The model numbers for this beacon are
340/216 for red, 340/217 for amber and 340/218 for blue.

Originally the bulb was a 25W/ba15s bulb but with the same big globe that the more normal 45W/ba15s bulb the was later used by all European manufacturers.

Normal replacement was with the 45W bulb.

The lens is quite often cracked between the screw holes.

Michael

Hi Michael,

thanks for the info, good knowledge!

Yes, mine is the 45w bulb, but is a BA21 type. It’s a Marchal lamp holder.

Also, my amber light doesn’t have a serial number but the red one has 340/218 which is the number for the Blue one. I suppose they are that old the lamp holders and domes may have been replaced by the police/fire garages as they were damaged/re-used.
 

cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
@Jmcd8645
The lampholder that is soldered to the lighthead is homebuilt but the other one seems to be an original one.

I have never seen that type before but I assume it is a very late one.

All lampholders I have been in contact with is of the type OliverD showed in his photos.

Michael
 

dmathieu

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 20, 2010
8,766
S.W. New Hampshire, USA
The lens design was a Fresnel design, similar to that in the Dietz Junior Model 261/7-61. as opposed to the magnifyer design in the Rota-Beam and Federal Junior Beacon Ray.
 

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Jmcd8645

Member
May 17, 2020
46
UK
The lens design was a Fresnel design, similar to that in the Dietz Junior Model 261/7-61. as opposed to the magnifyer design in the Rota-Beam and Federal Junior Beacon Ray.
Yea, they remind me of this type. Isn’t it the one that Quincy ME had on his car?
 

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cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
@Jmcd8645
Here you will see two lampholders, one early with a fiber washer and some type of insulation tubing and a later one with a molded plastic insulator.

The original bulb, Norma 12V-25W, Marchal 1234 and a new 12V-45W bulb.

Michael
 

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Jmcd8645

Member
May 17, 2020
46
UK
@Jmcd8645
The lampholder that is soldered to the lighthead is homebuilt but the other one seems to be an original one.

I have never seen that type before but I assume it is a very late one.

All lampholders I have been in contact with is of the type OliverD showed in his photos.

Michael
Yea, I don’t like the repair that’s why I’ve ordered another holder, same as the red one.

a lot of the electrical connections and lamp holders remind me of The old stuff I deal with on the railway signalling at work. Unfortunately as I’m in the U.K.and that stuff is from the 60s they are all imperial measurements whereas marchal will be metric.
Btw do you know if this is a date stamp on the motor? 30-66. Thought it looked like a week number and year.
 

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cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
@Jmcd8645
Here are two photos of the lighthead and motor.

This motor do not have noice supression but some have two capacitors attatched to the power terminal.

The text on the mounting plate says that this light has a rubber grommet mounted motor.

Earlier motors do not have the upper rubber grommets.

Michael
 

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Jmcd8645

Member
May 17, 2020
46
UK
@Jmcd8645
Here are two photos of the lighthead and motor.

This motor do not have noice supression but some have two capacitors attatched to the power terminal.

The text on the mounting plate says that this light has a rubber grommet mounted motor.

Earlier motors do not have the upper rubber grommets.

Michael
I can see that’s a different shape motor. Also, the position of the screws fixing the motor on these pictures are in a different position to mine.

thanks so much for the information Michael. From not knowing much about these lights I’m really glad I took a chance and bought them now. I’ve already had the amber one apart and started a clean up.

James
 

cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
Btw do you know if this is a date stamp on the motor? 30-66. Thought it looked like a week number and year.
No, I am more or less sure that it is not a date number.

The motor in the photo is 0-71 and the two others I have been working on, including an early 6V without rubber grommets and drainage slot in back of the internal motor housing, are also marked 0-71.

It should be impossible because this light was not sold in Sweden after 1969.

Michael
 
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May 21, 2010
418
Western Montana
Yes, the add stated 250 Euros for 1; 450 for both. If you obtained both for 250, congratulations!

Having spent some formative years in Paris in the late 60's/early 70's, I distinctly remember these beacons on all emergency vehicles, but what was most peculiar was that the Citroen and Renault police vans (and cars) had amber lenses before eventually transitioning to blue. I'm guessing they were meant for general warning until, like eventually in this country, specific colors were designated for specific agencies. I always thought they were kind of dinky compared to the broad and beefier offerings here at the time, but they were apparently effective enough!

Cool additions!
No, I don't recall seeing red on any vehicle, and am not sure what fire equipment was sporting at the time although blue was the common theme among apparatus in most other European countries (in particular Germany with the Hellas when I lived there from '71-'73).
 

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