Lionel
Bearing Circle, US Navy, Mk I Mod 2, 1943, in Wooden Case
$125.00
This is a WWII-era US Navy Ships Bearing Circle, Mk I, Mod 2 in its original wooden case, made in 1943 by The Lionel Corporation. This model has two adjustable vanes (peep and far) with prism for viewing compass bearing and spirit level. The Bearing Circle was placed on top of a magnetic compass or gyro repeater and used to measure bearings of terrestrial objects. The Peep vane and Wire vane are lined up with the object of interest, whose bearing is subsequently read on the compass rose using the reflecting prism that is integral at the bottom of the wire vane.
From US Navy:
Taking a Bearing
Assume that you are getting a bearing on a light house. Install either a bearing or azimuth circle on the gyro repeater, and make sure that the circle rotates freely. Train the vanes on the lighthouse so the light house appears behind the vertical wire in the far vane. Drop your gaze to the prism at the base of the far vane, then read the bearing indicated by a hairline in the prism.
Circle is ~10.25 inches diameter. Case is 11.5 inches square and 4.25 inches deep.