Wow. I'm amazed there are any of those still running, especially with those ballast lamps being consumable and irreplaceable. Nice restoration by the looks of it.

Yes, hope you have a stock of ballast lamps!

Unfortunately I don't, only the one in it that's new old stock. If/when it comes to it, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to dismantle it, cut out the original lamp and solder the connections to a new 100w GLS lamp.

Best use it sparingly then!

Is this the same fitting that was originally red and the previous owner had installed a small magnetic ballest?

What is this netaline's rarer cousin? Never seen this one before. Just made me think if you can't replace the ballast can you run resistive wire through it like a netaline?

Yes, this is the same fitting I bought a few years ago that had been converted, and badly repainted. I had the means to convert it back to how it would be originally so I thought I would. If I had no other options I could always put the magnetic gear back in I suppose.

It predates the Netaline by a few years, receiving a design award in 1959!

Bloody hell! That's older than I expected! Why is it so difficult to replace the ballast lamps? Nvm googled it. Could one not be made out of a 4 pin starter with a lamp soldered in like SuperSix says?

Finding stock of them is pretty much impossible now.

If I was you i'd take the starter out, save it and just run it on normal gear.

I bet an electronic ballast would fit in the end. Best bet for maintaining the ballance.