The original 6JE6 tube was used in RCA's large-screen (21-inch and 23-inch) color TV models of the 60s. These sets had a failure problem in the field. If the drive signal to the tube failed, it would immediately overheat. The bias voltage that controlled the tube's current was derived entirely from the drive pulse feeding into it.
The result was that if the tiny 6GH8 tube driving it were to shut down for any reason, the tube would cherry, melt the glass and blow out the expensive horizontal-output (flyback) transformer as well.
Bad news was that this kept occurring to sets under warranty. There were some house fires that got news coverage at the time.
RCA came up with a couple of fixes for this. First was to design a special circuit breaker with two inputs. The normal side was in line with the AC line cord. A second element went from the cathode of the horizontal-output tube to ground. If that tube lost its drive, it was supposed to draw enough cathode current to safely trip the breaker.
Safely, maybe. But not for the tube. The new breaker would protect the TV owner's house but not the horizontal-output tube.
Around 1968 or so RCA redesigned the 6JE6 with thicker high-temperature glass that wouldn't soften as easily, a heavier anode, and a "hard-seal" plate cap that had a black coating. Pretty sure the coating was to make it bond to the glass. The previous tube had only a thin wire from the anode, through the glass and soldered to a hollow brass plate cap glued to the envelope. This "black" plate cap was bonded to the harder glass around its entire 3/8-inch outside diameter.
I'm still looking for a copy of the advertisement I saw in Popular Electronics when the new, beefier "6LQ6" tube was introduced. The claim was that the anode would dissipate 200 Watts for 30 seconds without damage. Now RCA had a tube that would pop that dual circuit breaker safely and still work when the cheap tiny driver tube got replaced. It was claimed that using this tube would reduce "callback" repairs compared to the original 6JE6 type. This ad was clearly aimed at TV-repair shops.
I'm pretty sure Ed Dulaney saw this same ad and said to himself "200 Watts? I won't key a box any longer than thirty seconds!"
This was the only tube we used home-brewing base linears when I was in high school in the late 60s. Naturally hitting it that hard would reduce the life of the tube in a big way. But the practical anode rating for the upgraded tube was closer to 50 Watts, if you didn't key for more than a minute or so straight.
Along the way the original 6JE6 tube was still in production. It got revised twice, with the suffix letter "A", and then later "6JE6B". Some time in the early 70s, the older 6JE6 tube's design got revised yet again, and its ratings were boosted. Still had the skinny anode wire and hollow brass plate cap held in place with glue. But they gave it a suffix letter "C", to indicate it was the third upgrade of the design. Now you could brand a tube "6LQ6/6JE6C" even though it was still the old, wimpy design. Seemed kinda dishonest to me, but that's politics.
The upgraded tube with the dual strap leading from the anode to the black plate cap received a new JEDEC number. (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council).
The stouter version of the original 6JE6 was thereafter called the "6MJ6".
Can't remember the year of the changeover. Probably 1973 or 1974.
So, the meaning of that type number "6LQ6" depends on when the tube was made, as much as it does what's inside.
Gotta find that magazine ad.
73