Atomic lamps?

[Chet]

On YouTube I did a serach for NYC railroad films.
One of those films (1950's New York Central Railroad - The Big Train)
described the ongoing research done by the New York Central back in the
50's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCeCPrpAK60
At 8:16 into the film they mention a new type railroad lamp (they show a
switch lamp) that could be self-powered by atomic energy and would run for 7
years...
What 'atomic' referred to wasn't explained, but I'm wondering if anyone is
familiar with the process???

[newshound]

"Chet" <an...@nospam.centurytel.net> wrote in message
news:BsydncAnwPrCBAPW...@centurytel.net...

My guess is that it will be a glass tube containing tritium, which is an
alpha source, with a phosphor on the inside. These were used in telephone
dials in the UK in the 1960's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritium_illumination

[newshound]

"newshound" <news...@fairadsl.co.uk> wrote in message
news:807k3l...@mid.individual.net...

I mean a beta source, of course. That's what comes of typing with the new
puppy sitting in my lap....

[Tim Wescott]

Not Radium?

--
Tim Wescott
Control system and signal processing consulting
www.wescottdesign.com

[Jim Stewart]

If it were Radium, it would last a lot longer
than 7 years. Tritium has a half-life of 12.3
years. A wild-ass guess would be a reduction
of intensity of about 30 percent at 7 years.
I'd say that would be the replacement point for
railroad service.

[Bill Noble]

do an internet search for "Traser watch" - I have one, 1/2 life about a
decade - and very handy

"Chet" <an...@nospam.centurytel.net> wrote in message
news:BsydncAnwPrCBAPW...@centurytel.net...

[Martin H. Eastburn]

I had a TI LCD watch with Tritium in the liquid.
Didn't use a battery to light it up!

Battery was to darken the segments only.

It worked great - alpha particles - the half life
got the watch - dimmer and dimmer. Finally the LCD
would work but only in the sun. And then it was tricky!

Martin