28 October 2014

Livermore's centennial light bulb


Rico says he was just wondering, given the few lights constantly burning in his house, so he had to look up the longest-burning bulb:, which turns out not to be at the Edison facility in New Jersey, as Rico remembered, but in Livermore, California:
Age: 113 years and counting (as of June of 2014). (See the bulbcam here; the photo above is from the current date.)
Installed: First installed at the fire department hose cart house on L Street in 1901. Shortly after it moved to the main firehouse on Second. In 1903, it was moved to the new Station 1 on First and McLeod, and survived the renovation of the Firehouse in 1937, when it was off for about a week. During its first 75 years it was connected directly to the 110 volt city power, (subject to power outages) , and not to the back-up generator, for fear of a power surge. In 1976 it was moved with a full police and fire truck escort, under the watch of Captain Kirby Slate, to its present site in 1976 at Fire Station 6, 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California. It was then hooked to a seperate power source at 120V, and UPS according to Frank Maul, retired city electrician. There was one interruption in May of 2013, when the UPS failed and it was off for at least nine and a half hours. When it was plugged back in, it shone at sixty watts. It is still brighter, months later, than its former four watts.
Proof of Longevity: From local newspaper records; GE engineers also researched it. The bulb was donated to the Fire Department in 1901 by Dennis Bernal, who owned the Livermore Power and Light Co.
Vital statistics: The improved incandescent lamp, invented by Adolphe A. Chaillet, was made by the Shelby Electric Company. It is a handblown bulb with a carbon filament. Wattage: Began at sixty watts, currently shines at four watts. Left burning continuously in firehouse as a nightlight over the fire trucks. For some research test results on another Shelby bulb at Annapolis, Maryland, follow this link.
Recognition: Declared the oldest known working lightbulb by the Guinness Book of World Records. Ripley's Believe-It-or-Not researched it in 1972 and declared it the oldest. Charles Kurault of the television program On the Road with Charles Kurault visited the bulb in the 1970s and included it in his book as well. Declarations from the President, Congress, Senate, State Senate and Assembly, and Shelby, Ohio. In 2007 it was again recognized in the Guinness and Ripley's books.
Closest competitors: The second-longest bulb was listed in the 1970 Guinness Book, under the heading Most Durable, says that "on 21 September 1908, a stagehand named Barry Burke at the Byers Opera House in Fort Worth, Texas screwed in a new light bulb and that it was still burning". The building was renamed the Palace Theatre, and the light was known as the Palace Bulb ever since. It now resides in the Stockyards Museum, and will have been burning for a hundred years as of September of 2008. A website is in the works.
The third, a bulb in a New York City hardware store, Gasnick Supplies, had been working since 1912, but it is unknown if it still works today.
The fourth is known as "the bulb" which, like ours, burns in a firehouse in the town of Mangum, Oklahoma. It has been in operation since around 1926, has no special power conversions, and is turned on and off with normal use.
The fifth was a bulb in a washroom at the Martin & Newby Electrical Shop in Ipswich, England; it dated from 1930 and burned out in January of 2001.
Future plans: The City of Livermore and the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department intend to keep the bulb burning as long as it will. They have no plans at present what to do with the bulb if or when it does burn out. Ripley's has requested it for their museum.
Visiting: You can visit the bulb depending on the availability of the firemen on hand. Go to the rear of the station and ring the bell. If they are in someone will answer the door. Otherwise you can see the bulb if you look through the window up on the top of the wall to your left. To contact them directly you may call the LPFD at (925) 454-2361.
Celebration: We commemorated its centennial on 8 June 2001 at the fire station.

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