Artifact Gallery:
Battleship USS Iowa Museum Los Angeles collects relevant artifacts to help tell the story of the ship and the Surface Navy to a broad audience. Below you will find some of our accessioned artifacts in our collection. Not all items are on display and are monitored according to our collections management policy.
We accept new items in the collection on a case-by-case basis. Click here for more information.
Infrared Beacon / Signal Lamp
Object/Artifact
US X-12 NAN (Train Light) infrared beacon lamp. This lamp is intended to provide a point of train for a signalman using the 12 inch signalling searchlight with NAN hood. The beacon can transmit steady or keyed signals.
The housing is heavy cast metal (appears to be brass or bronze), painted grey. The housing is made in separate top and bottom pieces into which the glass is secured with gaskets. A separate top lid removes to allow changing the bulb. Four threaded rods and nuts secure the top and bottom of the housing to the top and bottom of the glass. The glass is of a special Corning material which is made to filter out all visible light while passing infrared. The lamp is made to mount to the top of a stanchion with 4 lugs in the base casting, or to hang from a padeye overhead. A black neoprene electrical cord approximately 6 feet long, with a WWII era US Navy style shipboard 120v electrical plug, is attached through a watertight packing. The lamp uses a 500 watt incandescent bulb.
A metal tag (which appears to be brass) screwed to the base housing is engraved with:
U.S. / X-12 Beacon (Train Light)
The glass is engraved with:
NAN F-1102 16-X
XF1 G 2A
CORNING 2568 7106
3000189
