If you need an internally-geared lantern, than I will be able to source a GEC Z8691 - but the bowl will be yellowed on that too.

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At least the yellowed bowl will add to the 'olde-worlde' feel of it's surroundings!  

Mike/gwilisandt, have the railway made any decision yet on how to upgrade the lighting at the crossing? Have you carried out the "upgrade" to the existing lantern on the side of the signal box?

Not at the moment Phosco, im more concerned about installing the  gate on the other side of the road at the moment, the bad weather knocked the job back about a month. The only thing I have done is replace the 60w GLS lamp in the signalbox lantern with an 11w CFL so the lantern can be left on overnight without massive bills! Its only a temporary fix, so will be looking for better options for lighting the crossing.
One idea has been to use two gas lamp type lanterns mounted at diagonally opposite corners near the gate slam posts. This would be more in keeping with the railway theme, especially if the side facing the road had a red glass    What lamps could be used is open to suggestion!

Mike.

I note the GSV image shows small gates which are split across the tracks on each side. Your image at the start of the post seems to show a new gate spanning the tracks in one section.

Lanterns diagonally on/near the gate posts would be a good idea, you would probably be better off keeping with repro gas lanterns in that case.

I would have thought you would need to be cautious about having a "red aspect" visible to road users as this may be interpreted as stop signal/light.

To reduce glare why not have frosted glass panes fitted to the lanterns? If you use repro gas lanterns they are big/tall enough to go for a "big CFL" or vertically mounted PL-L/PL-T lamps which would be equivalent to a 80W MBF at half the running costs and would probably give enough light for what you want. With frosted glass no one will know.

Thats right, we are converting the crossing from 4 gates to 2 large gates. This will mean the signalman can operate the gates on his own in future, will also make locking across the road to be able to clear the railway signals easier.

The red side of the lantern is what they used to do years ago to give a warning to road users that there is a crossing there. I supose its not essential in this day and age.
The frosted glass is a good idea, as is using a PL-L lamp or similar, even though I really like MBF, I can see that using a modern lamp is essential to reduce the running costs. (Carmarthen council has started to use PL-T burning Opalos for replacements on side streets, paths etc, I think they look brilliant, certainly my favourite 'new' lantern!)

Mike

The Opalo's will likely be running a 42w PL-T lamp... which is exactly the same as in the Mercury Replacement Lantern for York's streets - you get between 20-40% more brightness depending on the optics of the lantern. A more dedicated lantern will get the best results, while a conversion job will get more light going out sideways rather than on the road. If you're after amenity/area lighting rather than direct road lighting then a conversion would be OK

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I'm moving into a new house next month, and really want to put up a few columns around the back garden and front driveway to light the place up, and also show off a bit of MBF heritage. For the back of the house I have restored and re-geared an in-shoe Alpha 3 running 250W MBF to go high up on the back wall, so that should be nice and bright, and for the front I have a Simplex Diadem on an AC Ford outreach running 80W MBF. Oh, and there is also the remains of an old BTH SL612 side entry 400W fitting somewhere as well, but the refractor and glass are long gone.

I'd really like to have say five diverse mercury lanterns in the 50 - 125W range, top or side entry, up to early 1980s in age. I know I could buy a brace of AC Ford lanterns, but I'd really love something a little bit unusual. Columns will be locally sourced early 1960s jobs, these are being relit locally with small fluorescents, which look terrible, so I'd like to show how it should be done. So I'd welcome suggestions for small class B MBF lanterns, and also possible sources of these?

Am thinking of things like GEC Z8896, Revo Prefect, Eleco HW918/922. Suggestions and sources welcomed.

I also have a fond appreciation of early fluorescents, and would dearly love to get my hands on a Thorn Beta 6 / AEI Saxby. Or a Revo Junior Sol-etern. Something small in the line of 2 x 40W. Great lanterns, much better than the SOX that replaced them in my opinion. Anyone know where I could source something like that??

If you are planning on using MBF, I would suggest that you stock up with as many lamps as possible as MBF lamps are getting phased out later on in the year.

You can purchase MBF lamps from an electric shop in Selby, located opposite a closed down fuel station but they have to be ordered.

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From streetlighting to radio, dance through the night whilst the streetlights are glowing outside.

You'll be popular with your new neighbours!