I've Seen the Light
 

In order to do a poor imitation of NBN I coughed up $3 (for the bridge) to get you all these pictures.

In the middle of the Delaware River just below Philadelphia International Airport stands Tinicum Island. On the NJ side of the river in Billingsport (Paulsboro), smack in the middle of half dozen baseball and football fields, stands the Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse.

First lit December 31, 1880, the lighthouse is a steel skeletal structure standing 85 feet tall with 112 steps leading from the base of the tower to the lantern room, through what looks like a giant piece of pipe standing on end.

Originally there was in addition to the light; a seven room keeper’s house, a brick oil house, frame barn, cow shed, poultry house and outhouse on 4.8 acres of land. Today, only the lighthouse remains.

In 1890 there was a fixed red light 109 feet above sea level and visible for 8.5 nautical miles. The light was later be changed to a white light with a red sector, which marked the turning point to the next range. In 1917, the light was changed from oil to electric. Today, still an active aid to navigation, it is a fixed red light exhibiting 500,000 candle power from a 1,000 watt lamp.

The river is divided into ranges which are nothing more than sections of channel between turns.
5/8ths of a mile from this light, at the edge of the river, stands the Tinicum Front Range Station. By lining up the taller rear lighthouse with the shorter Front Range Station, the Captain or Pilot knew his ship was in the channel. When he got to a point where the Front Range Station and Rear Range lighthouse for the Fort Mifflin Bar Cut Range were lined up he would turn and follow those lights through the Mifflin range.

Since shipping channels have a nasty habit of moving, the Front Range Station has been relocated a number of times over the years.
:)

Very cool lighthouse. A supervillain would feel right at home.

It is cool...sort of a lighthouse stripped down to its essentials.

It's in New Jersey. Some crackhead sold the parts for rock.

Awesome pictures, bruce, and good history lesson.