CTC16 Flyback Cooling

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by old_coot88

In the shop, yes, with a Pomona adapter and Simpson 260. But in the field and on the clock, it wasn't always practical to do so. But we did carry a couple of 'magic light bulbs' consisting of a #44 bulb adapter to put in the plate cap lead, to visually dip the eff.coil. One was for small top caps (6JE6 etc.), the other for big top caps (6JS6 etc.).
With a little practice, it was easy to gauge the current from the 'orangeness' of the bulb's glow.

The HOT lamp was an RCA accesory, but IIRC it was a #39 lamp. The lamp got smashed in the bottom of the tube caddy and I had to order a box of them. Not a real common type. A small cap for the 6KM6 and a large cap for the 6JE6 et al.