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  • 1.  Obsolete track light head hunting

    Posted 11-09-2017 12:30 PM
    Hello Fine Forum Folk,
    The Shiloh Museum has an extensive architectural grade track light system, installed about 1991, made by the NL Corporation of Cleveland Ohio.  NL Corp. is no more, and has been kaput for a long time.

    We need more track light heads.  The trouble is that the connector betwixt head and track is unique.  We've had several local lighting contractors and experts look at these and no joy.  Common sense would dicatate changing out the tracks to a common Halo or Juno system, but that's not an option right now.  We simply need more heads for our current system. The heads we have bear the NL Corp. part numbers T3130 and T3230.

    Does anybody know a long-time commercial lighting person that can identify the connector type on my light heads?  See attached pictures, please. "Connector compare" shows a standard Halo connector on the left, our mystery connector on the right.  "Trackcrosssec" is a shot of the cross-section of our mystery track.  Note the two empty flanges at the bottom of the track--the "wings" on our connectors rotate on top of these flanges to help support the weight of the track light head.  

    Can any of you tell by the attached pictures what type these are, or what type will work?

    Does anybody know somebody who has upgraded their track lights from a system like ours, and now need to find a home for their old heads?  We need about 20 light heads, but will take what we get.

    If I can't find light heads complete, I can make do with just the adapter part,  I have taken the "male" adapter part from one of our heads and installed it into a Halo style light and that will work--IF I can find the adapters.  3D printing new adapters and installing them on Halo light heads may be possible, but that's an absolute last resort!

    I thank you in advance for your help.

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    Curtis Morris
    Exhibits Manager
    Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
    Springdale AR
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 2.  RE: Obsolete track light head hunting

    Posted 11-10-2017 10:18 AM
    Our problem is just the opposite of yours: An abundance of heads, but no source for replacement tracks.  I will be curious to see what responses you get, as I am sure that this is a problem common in the field.

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    David Beard
    Executive Director
    USS KIDD Veterans Memorial Museum
    Baton Rouge LA
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 3.  RE: Obsolete track light head hunting

    Posted 11-14-2017 10:39 AM
    Hello David,

    I've been told that the investment to produce the aluminum extrusions is vast, so that means most track light folks use existing extrusion forms to make their tracks.  Long story short, that's good news for you, perhaps another manufacturer is currently using the extrusion shape you need for tracks, and by extension their tracks will work for you.  Hope that made sense...

    We're sort of hoping for something similar--that our defunct track manufacturer did not use a unique extrusion, so maybe there's hope that somebody elses' tracks (and track heads) will work for us.

    OR somebody has upgraded their track system from one like ours, and they have a load of heads they can't use, but we can!

    Hope springs eternal, good luck David!

    ------------------------------
    Curtis Morris
    Exhibits Manager
    Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
    Springdale AR
    ------------------------------

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more