Whelen ROTA-BEAM Family History
- Thread starter dmathieu
- Start date
LOL, not for me. I'd like one of the original crossbars though.
Also, the RB Commander!
Also, the RB Commander!
They are definitely not available from the factory, but I may have some.
Thanks. That sounds expensive
Here's my story: I own a 1947 American La France pumper that originally had a pair of red flashers on the rear that I wanted to replace with Whelen RBs.
I volunteer some of my time helping out a fire museum where my engine is stored. The other day I bought a pair of RBIIs from the museum.
I spent some time looking through all of the parts for these lights, hoping to find some good red globes and decent gaskets.
All of the globes were either cracked or broken.
I picked the two best ones and I'm polishing them and have glued the cracks with liquid styrene glue.
I called Whelen yesterday and had two girls tell me that they won't make new parts for old lights.
The museum probably has thirty pairs of these lights ready to sell, but no good globes and no good gaskets. I'd like to help them out and see some of these lights fixed up and sold. They desperately need revenue. They also have a couple of dozen rigs with cracked/broken globes and dried out gaskets. I know collectors who would also buy these parts, but they're NLA.
Yeah, because of the twist on design of the domes, the domes were definitely a weak point on these lights. Good domes are not cheap. I just bought a nice red, and paid a high price for it, as red is hard to find in really nice condition. I have a few of other colors also, but for the time being, unless the price was right, they will stay in my collection.
I'm very surprised that they didn't learn from the early models that also cracked at the top of the dome. They should have reinforced the plastic at the flimsy mounting points. They could have made the plastic heavier to withstand the strain. Maybe they were aware of the weakness and just decided to sell more replacement globes. Built-in obsolescence.
I wonder if the globes could be easily made by someone else.
How about new gaskets?
LOL, you think they are expensive now....wait till you get a custom made price!
I might have a few dome gaskets.
I might have a few dome gaskets.
Another Rota-Beam dash light in center car. Bridgewater, NJ Police. Photo by Willie Brown Vintage Police Everything Facebook page.
Updated picture of the ROTA-BEAM portion of my collection.
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Oldest automotive ROTA (O)-BEAM RB10 1955-
Newest automotive ROTA-BEAM R416 2013-
Newest automotive ROTA-BEAM R416 2013-
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Here's a nice one.!
110V AC RB11
One red, two clear
110V AC RB11
One red, two clear
Nuno Franco CaiadoFire & Rescue Apparatus 25 Years And Older, Facebook page Rota-Beam Twin Model 33H crossbar
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Just grabbed a NOS New In Box, unused Rota-Beam Model 66.
This is dated 12/1991, one of the last ones made.
This is dated 12/1991, one of the last ones made.
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Great info! I may have overlooked it, but what do the rb11's go for? I picked up a couple today at a local antique store. Both have cracks on one of the pins. Both work great. Gaskets are a little dry rotted, but overall decent shape.
In that condition, without seeing and hearing them run, maybe up to $50 each on a good day. Good domes are hard to find, and costly. Motors and gear trains get loose and noisy also reducing value. Gaskets and badges also reduce.
Thanks for the info! They run quiet. One of the badges is not legible at all, other one is decent. Thanks again for the info, I came out pretty good. Not good as I hoped though!
More original version Rota-Beam Seniors from Leonard WidenerVintage Car Based Fire Chief Vehicles Facebook page.
I started a ROTA-BEAM Facebook page for those interested in such.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/149717905617669/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
https://www.facebook.com/groups/149717905617669/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
NOS very early vintage DEPUTY Portable 
Dash Mount with factory hood, and factory bungee cord. Appx. 1962 vintage.
Dash Mount with factory hood, and factory bungee cord. Appx. 1962 vintage.
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Dan: On the row with the large single-faced lights, are those strobes? Lubbock EMS had them bumper-mounted on their earliest EMS units back in the '70s.
VERY EARLY CORPORAL
Just bought this very early version CORPORAL. Note the different ID tag, and this has a chrome plated brass base instead of the typical newer stainless steel. I'll post more pics when received and refurbished.
Just bought this very early version CORPORAL. Note the different ID tag, and this has a chrome plated brass base instead of the typical newer stainless steel. I'll post more pics when received and refurbished.
They are not cheap but well worth it Both my Tractor and my RTV have one they are great in the snow
Dan: I have an older Deputy with an amber dome that I got off ebay a few years ago, and the bulb is missing. I have not been able to figure out how to remove the dome to replace the bulb. How?
My new to me First Version CORPORAL cleaned up nicely, and works perfectly. Due to my research, I believe the CORPORAL was introduced to the ROTA-BEAM line in 1966. That would make this a 1966 first version. The tag is a generic ROTA-BEAM tag, I assume because the CORPORAL tags had not been produced yet. The base is chrome plated brass common on the older ROTA-BEAMs, instead of the typical stainless steel used on the newer. The magnifiers are very slightly larger and thicker, also common with older models, that give a slightly brighter impulse seen in older ROTA-BEAMs.
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