Recently, we were in Hopetown in the Abacos and we met the lighthouse keeper. He asked if we'd like to watch him light the light. "Sure" we said because the light mechanism is original from 1863 and it burns Kerosene. So, inside the tower, he has to haul a 5 gal container of kero up to the top with a pulley and empty it into the original tank. He then pumps it to pressure with an 1863 hand pump. He goes up to the light and opens a valve and preheats it by getting a tiny flame. After 10 minutes, he opens a valve and a large Coleman mantle like thing lights up slowly. He then opens curtains around the glass of the windows. When I asked why they had curtains, I was surprised to learn that otherwise the sun would come thru the huge Fresnel lenses and set the mechanism afire (these are BIG Fresnel lenses). The entire light mechanism weighing several tons is floating on a pool of mercury and has so little friction you can turn it with a finger. He then winds a falling weight clockwork mechanism to cause the light to rotate. TRULY, TRULY cool steampunk fantasy. he has to climb the stairs every two hours at night to wind the mechanism.