Old Westinghouse Dual Frequency Preheat Ballast

[joe_347V]

Here's a picture of a old Westinghouse dual frequency (25 or 60Hz) ballast that I've found while browsing a electrical forum. It's a preheat Tulamp ballast that runs two F40T12 lamps.

The frequency that the ballast runs on can be changed by a jumper that plugs into it's corresponding socket on the ballast.

I think the were used around the Niagara and Toronto area since I read that we used to have a 25Hz system  before it was changed over to 60Hz in the late '40s to early '50s.

I guess the frequency switchover here also explains why I don't see that many vintage fluorescent fixtures either in use or at Restore here.





From left to right; closeup of the left side of the label, closeup of the wiring diagram, and closeup of the right end where the jumper plugs in.







Link to original thread from Electrical Contractor Network

[Form109]

This is a Very Unique Ballast.......i Think some Electrified Train Systems opperate at 25 HZ so possibly it could be used in a Such Train system.

[joe_347V]

Thanks form109, I also made a few revisions to my original post above for clarity and to add some more info. 

[f36t8]

This is a Very Unique Ballast.......i Think some Electrified Train Systems opperate at 25 HZ so possibly it could be used in a Such Train system.

The electric trains in Sweden and some other Europeans countries use 16 2/3 Hz (one third of 50 Hz). The flicker from fluorescent lights at this frequency has to be horrible!

[Medved]

In trains here i've never seen lighting operated from the traction power system, it always run via the battery system (like in regular cars, only the voltage differ: I have seen 24V, 48V, 60V - newer use only 24V).
On many rail cars the primary power come from an alternator (or dynamo) powered by the car movement - so not dependent on traction power source.
I guess one of main reasons is the broad variety of traction power used to haul trains (for such small country): 4 or 5 types of diesel locomotives, 3 electric power systems (mainly 25kV/50Hz and 3kVDC, on some places 1.5kVDC) with the common practice to lower the pantograph when the locomotive power is not required (coasting) - the only universal power source is then only the car movement, plus it need only two connections to be made: Hauling hook and brake hose (Europe still for more then 90years only argues about the automatic connection system standard without any conclusion ahead, so still using the nearly two century old and dangerous loop-hook-buffer system).

[dor123]

In our push-pull trains with diesel locomotive, the electricity for the lighting is i think from a power coach with a diesel generator that supply power to the fluorescent lamp. The frequency of the electricity in them is unknown to me.