Construction - Vintage Warning

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
1,587
Location
Under the Hood
Anybody remember when construction sites used Smudge Pots (before flashing lights) ?

I can just barely recall them being used in the early 60's.
At night, the construction site would have several scattered around in an attempt to warn people.

Doing an internet search, I see they were also used in RR Yards.

Shows you how times have changed.

A also remember when Car Dealerships would shine WW2 Spot Lights into the air to announce the arrival of 'new' model year cars.

You know your 'old' when you can say - "when I was born, there were only 48 States, they were still making them".

Smudge Pot
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
 
Last edited:
I have a very dim recollection of seeing one. I must have been 4 at the time; probably around 1980? I recall seeing one and thinking it was a bomb. I mean, I watched cartoons as a kid, that's what bombs looked like! Complete with flame and all, at some road construction site. I don't think I saw it more than once though, so maybe it was some old timer (or some old town) using it; I think the blinking yellow lights were already around by then.
 
I remember those smudge pots very well. When we were kids we would always be screwing with them. Nothing like fire to entice young children. Try to imagine that in today's,
"Lawn Dart Free World". We never got hurt by them. But they really would blaze up nicely when you rode by them on your bicycle, and kicked them over. Some of the bigger one's held almost a gallon of Kerosene.

The biggest danger was getting Kerosene or Diesel stains on your new, "Red Ball Jet's", or "U.S. Keds" gym shoes.
 
Yep. I know someone who has a couple. Interesting pieces of memorabilia. They also required people and equipment to fill them up

There was a time before flashing lights and Interstate freeways.
 
i am 66 years old and i remember the smudge pots well. The search lights lasted in use longer than the smudge pots . Thanks for the memories
 
First pic
I spotted this one in Sweden outside of a fancy restaurant earlier this year.

We have 4 at our cabin in WI. We fill them with citronella oil. They burn quickly. The wick is probably 3/4 thick. They are stainless like this one in second pic.

IMG_20190604_220437.jpg


Stainless-Steel-Smudge-Pot-Road-Torch-Warning-Lamp.jpg
 
Last edited:
Last I saw them was in the very early 80's in rural Western MA, either the town or university used them during road work. Always wanted one for the deck.
 
My dad had a couple of them back in the 60's. (Gee, I wonder where he got them.)
They weren't something you wanted to touch with bare hands. Filthy, sooty things. Heavy too.
 
We used to swipe them to play 'Army' with. Could be a grenade, bomb, smoke signal, whatever you needed it to be. A highly versatile piece of ersatz ordinance.
 
I remember them as a kid , just barely , i'm 64 now so it's been a few years
 
My family's dealership had the old WW2 antiaircraft spotlight truck that would shine the light up in the sky all summer. The wild thing was that the light came from a small flame and the illumination was all from the giant mirrored reflector in the spotlight.
 
Ahhh memories of my youth. These, along with static electricity straps on gas tankers making sparks as they drove were such a cool fascination! You can still find the pots on ebay. In my travels, gas/oil trucks around the world still use the static straps too.
 
Originally Posted by dishdude
This doesn't sound like a very good idea.

What doesn't? The torch pots? It's all we had back then.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top