Untangling Eureka USA's "Christmas Lights"—1957-1982 ...

[paul]

... Sorting them by Table

This is a draft. I am waiting to hear back from a former Eureka employee on every model's official color names; which is such a large undertaking that it may not be for a while. For now, I have grouped them by observation according to color names that have appeared in some ads or parts lists.

 

[paul]

Reference List of Model-Types from online parts lists (incomplete)—

1401-A/B/D, 1402-A/D, 1403-A, 1404-A/B, 1405-A, 1406-A/B/D/E/G/H/J/K, 1407-A/B/D,
1408-A, 1409-A/B, 1410-A/D, 1411-A, 1412-A/B/D, 1413-A/B, 1414-A/B, 1415-A/AG/B/BG,
1416-A/AS/B/BS/D, 1417-A/B, 1418-A/B, 1419-A/B, 1420-A, 1421-A, 1422-A, 1423-A/B,
1424-A/B/D/E/F/G,1425-A/B/D/E/ F/G, 1426-A/B, 1427-A/B/D/E, 1428-A/B/D, 1429-A/D,
1431-A/B/D, 1432-A/B/D/E/F, 1435-A/B/D, 1436-A, 1437-A, 1438-A, 1439-A, 1440-A, 1441-A,
1442-A/B/D, 1443-A/B/D, 1444-A, 1446-A/B, 1447-A/B, 1448-A/B/D, 1450-A, 1452A/B/F,
1453-A/B/D, 1454-A, 1455-A, 1456-A, 1457-A/B, 1458-A/B/D/E/F, 1459-A, 1462-A, 1463-A,
1466-A, 1469-A, 1470-A/D, 1471-A/B, 1473-A/B, 1485-A/B/D, 1486-A, 1489-A/AM/B/BM,
1490-A, 1495-A

1903-A/B, 1923-A/B, 1925-A/AT, 1928-A/AT, 1931-A, 1932-A, 1934-A/A1, 1935-AT/B/BT,
1940-A, 1941-E,1942-A/B,1943-A/AT, 1945-B, 1946-A, 1947-A, 1950-A, 1967-A/AT/B/BT, 1968-A

2010-A/AT/BH/BHT/BT/R/RB/RY/RYT, 2011-A/B, 2012-A/AT/B, 2013-AM/BM, 2014-A/B, 2015-A/B, 2016-A, 2017-A, 2018-A, 2019-A/AT, 2020-A/B/BT/R/RB/RR/WT, 2021-BT, 2022-A/AT, 2023-A/AT, 2024-A, 2025-A/B/BT, 2026-A, 2027-A/AM, 2028-A/B, 2030-ADV, 2033-A, 2035-A, 2036-A/B, 2038, 2039-AT, 2042-A/B/D/ DT/E, 2043-A, 2044-R/RB/RG, 2047-A, 2048-A/B, 2049-A, 2050-A/B/R/RB, 2052-A, 2053-A 2058-A/AT/B/BT/D/DT, 2059-A, 2060-A/BR/RB, 2061-A/AT/B/BT/D/DT, 2062-A/B/D, 2064-A/B, 2068-A/AY/BYT, 2070-A/B/D/E/F, 2071-A/B/D/F 2072A, 2073-A, 2074-A, 2076-A, 2077-A, 2079-A, 2080-A/B, 2081-A/B, 2082-A,2083-A, 2084-A, 2085-A, 2086-A/B/D, 2087-A, 2088-A, 2090-A, 2091-A/B/D/DT, 2092-A, 2093-A, 2095-A, 2097-A

4036-A/B, 4038-B, 4040-A/B, 4050-A/B, 4053-A, 4060-A

5040-A/B, 5047-A/B, 5049-B, 5060-A/B/BX/E, 5070-A/B, 5071-A/B/D, 5077-A/B, 5085-A

2045A; 2055-A/AP/B/BP; C2094
________________

Model-Types Data Limited or Lacking—

1463-A; 1490-A

1928-A/AT 1987-88; 1943-A/AT; 1947-A; 1968-A

2001-A JCP 1986-87; 2003 JCP; 2008-A, 2009-A; 2011 (v.2, JCP) 1988; 2012 (v.2), 2016-A,
2017-A 1975; 2018-A 1975; 2026-A; 2027-A 1975; 2028-A/B; 2030-ADV; 2038-A 1988-90;
2032 JCP 1987; 2033 JCP 1987; 2034 (v.1) JCP 1987 (v.2 - Eureka’s The Boss); 2047-A 1975;
2058 1983; 2152-A; 2236-A; 2263-A; 2320-A/B/BT Sears 1989-91; 2330-A/B Sears 1989-91
C2034 “The Boss”; 2035-A 1973; C2039; 2045-A 1972; C2057; C2063; C2065; C2074; C2094; C2132; C2133; C2125; C2194; C2720; C2740; C2770; C4047

4053-A

 

[paul]

Trim Level Lists

I just made these up, but it gives a different perspective and shows the many variations of F & G uprights Eureka made from 1957 to 1982. And that doesn't include the commercial versions, those introduced from 1983 to 1994 or the Sanitaires!

 

[eurekaprince]

Hi Paul….thank you for organizing this detailed Eureka information. It is much appreciated!

I think you may be missing the 260 that started it all for me when I was a toddler in the early 1960’s. I really can’t remember what letter it was - don’t remember if the ratings plate said 260C or not. But it was a lagoon blue / chrome silver version of the first upright you described as 260 with the green highlighter. The graphic on the blue bag was exactly as you described it with the E/W boomerang logo inside a circle at the top of a vertical rectangle box. Everything was identical as you described, except it was Lagoon blue wherever you described pastel green, and it had a chrome silver headlight frame instead of the 50th anniversary gold. There was no “Twin Power” labelling (even though it was 2-speed) and there was no rubber hand grip.

This is a gargantuan task!!! The only thing that would be extremely helpful would be the addition of pictures for each iteration of the E/W uprights.

Thanks so much once again!

 

[kloveland]

Thank you for posting this.

 

[paul]

You bet, gentlemen!

About a year ago, I'd made a description list of Eurekas that I called the "Color-Pak" (like Eureka's "Handy-Pak" stand-alone tool holder and "Tool-Pak" onboard tool holder), so the trim tables above are based on it. Whenever I come across a vintage Eureka, I always like to have its backstory and other details, so I counted on others like you appreciating such info, too.


Brian,

You're just the right person to look around for Onward Manufacturing's Eureka records at some type of Canadian museum or library like the one in McLean County, Illinois.

I think, too, that the Canadian Model-Type 260-C (and possibly the chrome-hooded 260-D) either had different variations without changing the Type ID, or there were other Model-Type IDs that have yet to be identified.

Here's a photo of the Model-Type 260-A (posted by Aeoliandave on a trip to Ohio; although only called a 260) a photo collage of the Model 260 & its Types & photo acknowledgments & Handy-Pak photo that I put together. Btw, I wonder if the illustration you'd posted of the green 260 was a prototype or the original iteration with the push button switch?:

 

[paul]

A couple follow-ups:

1. Just noticed that the 260 & 260-A lacked handle grips. Online photos of the 260-E/-EK are the only ones I have seen with one. It may have been included on the 260-B, also.

2. I overlooked my word processing's automatic numbering error till now, so the photo acknowledgements should read "260-A" and "260-B".

 

[paul]

Other Eureka Upright Lagoon Blue Lines

The only ones I chose not to include were the monochrome Lagoon Blue ones from the 1400 Series.

Regarding Photo #3, I found no mention of a Model 2030 in any advertisement, list, or other online search. I speculate that it was either a short-lived Promotional or a private-label model.

 

[texbodemer]

Hi!

I haven't seen the 2041 before. It looks like my 260-EK with Dial a Nap.

Paul--this looks great! I'm still working out some of the serial number ranges.

 

[eurekaprince]

Thank you for the photos Paul!!! Very very helpful to see the model numbers attached to pics of “the real thing”!!!

 

[paul]

No problem, Brian—glad you appreciate it!!!!!

 

[paul]

Missed your response before, Nick—thanks for your compliment, that means a lot!

I was unable to locate a photo of the 2040, but the 2041 works well as an exemplar, too; and I agree that it resembles your 260-EK.

Hopefully Michela or one of her Eureka cohorts will find more shipping records to assist your list of serial number ranges.

 

[paul]

Silkscreen Colors

I spotted yet another Eureka detail—

From the "Gold Mist" (?) Model 270-B/271-B in 1968 to 1975 the bag cover silk screen colors matched the base colors until sometime during the last line in Orange when they used black ink.

Examples:

1. Model 2081

2. Model 2079

3. Model 2036

4. Model 2015

 

[paul]

Single-Speed Uprights 1962—1972

Model-Types—258-A, 259-A, 238-B, 248-A, 238-D, 228-A

 

[paul]

1957-1982 Intro Color & Style Sets Photos

(Color names have not all been verified.)

1. Chrome Hooded—1962-1970
2. Chrome Hooded—1968-1975
3. Chrome Hooded—1975-1980
4. Chrome Hooded or Based—c. 1975-1980
5. Gold Mist—1968-1972
6. Queen Anne Gold—1972-1975
7. Moss Green—1972-1975
8. Arctic Blue—1975-1977
9. Big Bad Orange-1975-1978
10. Ginger/Bicentennials—1975-1977
*11. Wild Moss—1976-1980
12. Continentals—1976-1981
**13. Brandywine—1978-1981 (other models introduced after the initial set)
**14. Arctic Blue—1978-1987 (other models or model-types introduced after the initial set)
**15. Cinnamon—1979 Intro-1989
**16. Self-Propelled—1979-1986
**17. Limited Model Color Sets—1980-1988

*ESP model-types were introduced in late 1977.

**Began and/or ended with one model—not the entire color set

 

[paul]

Model-Types 2042-A, -B, -D, -E

I know of no other Eureka model that was manufactured in more than two successive colors. Must've been a great seller.

Btw, Type B had the bottom plate with Edge Kleeners (I found no '2043' in parts lists or ads; so this was the only model of the period that wasn't altered from its ending digit of '2' to an ending digit of '3'.

 

[paul]

Re: Reply 15—Edit

2042-A & -B were equipped with the Vibra-Groomer brush roll.

 

[eurekaprince]

The 2042 was really the “Grand Prize Winner” of the upright ratings in Consumer Reports in 1973. It was listed as a “Best Buy” for offering high value for the price. Eureka’s 2082 came second I think just because it was more expensive due to the extra features like the Rugulator and CordAway and box-top bag. Because the 2042 performed with excellence without being overpriced, it must have been very popular in the stores and so was repeated in different iterations in the years that followed.

 

[paul]

Blues & Yellows