I've never seen any of those in the UK, which is a shame, as they're an attractive design. The spigot is similar to the one on the Abacus Orion though which makes it look a bit more familiar.

I wonder why Thorn never made a gear in head Alpha 1? I think it would have looked good.

I don't know... perhaps they tried but had issues with the size of the gear shoe. Are there Mk1 Atlas Alpha 3's with gear in a shoe? Because if there are that can be used as a comparison... but my thoughts are maybe the gear shoe would be too long and/or bulky and thus possibly spoil the look of the lantern.
The Alpha 1 was always a bit strange anyway - it was only offered in 55W and 90W versions, thus covering the very high end of Group B and/or the low end of Group A. I think they should have at least brought out a 135W version. I doubt they'd have ever made a 180W version, as the Alpha 4 only went up to 135W and that was a lantern that could have been capable of going bigger.

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I agree - it would have spoilt the overall aesthetics of the lantern by making it too bulky. Therefore, Mike, I don't think it would necessarily 'look good'!

If it had been long and no wider than the existing shoe then it could have worked. In my mind I am trying to create the image of a geared Alpha 3 but with the optical section changed with an Alpha 1's Opticell.

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Personally i'd have loved there to have been minature versions of Group A lanterns.

Scaled down Alpha 3 for 50 and 80 W Mercury lamps and a 35 W Alpha 4 would've been interesting. As some Group A lanterns have excellent light control, I've always wondered if some of the iconic Group A lanterns could have been scaled down to Group B wattages and still ''worked''.

If I get a gearless MA90 then it could be converted to a geared 55W lantern (a freaky hybrid without a code!) and likewise for any Alpha 4s that may come down in the spring time.
Thorn did do a 'mini me' for the Alpha 8 by means of the Beta 79, particularly the Mk2 metal canopy and refractor bowl versions, and likewise the Beta 8 was a mini me of the Alpha 9.

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Not to mention the Beta 9 could be seen as similar to the Alpha 3; The original Beta 2 and the Alpha 2 and The Alpha 7 and the Beta 7.

I'm quite surprise a smaller Alpha 1-esque lantern wasn't put into production - I'd imagine it being like the Thorn version of the Sol'D'Or or similar.

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"I used to rule the world... Now I sweep the streets I used to own."
Remembering GEC.

I'm not sure if a gear in head MK 1 Alpha 3 was ever made that would of been a very heavy lantern, the remote MK 1 weighs more then later Thorn ones.
A 135W Alpha 1 opticell would of been hard to make and keep sealed.
I think that a larger shoe on an Alpha 1 wouldn't look to bad if designed well.

The Lemnis also illuminates Eureka!'s car park.

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From streetlighting to radio, dance through the night whilst the streetlights are glowing outside.