Eleco HW897

Its with huge thanks to Claire for this Eleco HW897, arriving into the collection in a stellar condition. A few years ago, I was shown a photo from 1991 of our garden during the first summer after moving in seven or eight months prior, before I was even born. In the garages, it could just be made out that the Eleco concrete columns had these post tops mounted, which throws the whole lineage of lanterns into disarray seeing as the Beta 5's that were installed before I was born date to the 80's. I decided that I should try to obtain one of these lanterns as a result.

The lantern appears to be completely undrilled, but this was not actually the case on arrival, the canopy having been drilled for a minicell. Around seven years ago, I was on a job involving the removal of one of these matching lanterns down a footpath mounted on a concrete column. Unfortunately due to those two things, the column had to be pushed over, the lantern immediately exploding everywhere as it hit the ground. The only thing that survived aside from the canopy and base casting was the MBF/U lamp. I decided on a whim to save the canopy, as I did from a PT828 also removed in the same manner, in the hope that one day I finally obtain one of these lanterns. Fitting the canopy returned the lantern to a totally undrilled and untouched condition once more.

Almost every single screw turns on this lantern, amazingly even the grub screws turn free but rather frustratingly three of the screws that hold the cone in place are seized, so I now need to consider how to go about getting these out, as the plastic around that area is so fragile due to the thinner plastic. I have an idea how to get them out though, and once out, I'll respray the whole lantern to my standard hammered silver exterior and white canopy underside, and this will be another local lantern completely restored.