- Edison Battery Booklet -

In the late 1960's, a friend was cleaning out his Dad's garage and found some Edison batteries.  Of course, since he had no use for them and was going to throw them out, I took them.  Along with the batteries, his Dad gave me the original instruction book for the batteries.

They were removed from a junked electric service truck sometime around 1920 - who knows when they were made.  The guy's Dad used them as the filament supply ("A" battery) for a battery radio.  In the early 1930's, he got one of those newfangled "plug-in" radios and retired the Edison batteries to his unheated garage (Louisville, KY) where they sat for over 30 years discharged.

The first thing I did when I got them was to hose them off and top-off the water in the cells.  I then put them on charge, figuring they were shot.  Not so!  They took a charge and, after discharging and charging them a few times, they worked just fine.

About four years ago, intending to use them, I changed the electrolyte.  After charging, I couldn't tell any difference.  I should have just left them alone.

For those of you who are interested in such things, here's the booklet: