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Catenary Lighting - think again?
http://ukastle.co.uk/discussion/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=349		 Page 2 of 4
Author:  mazeteam [ Sun Nov 20, 2011 12:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
Hmmmm, actually you do have a point there. Wood poles set in a field in the middle of nowhere can be carrying low(ish) voltage power cables for decades, or can be going along a village main road with uneven loadings (due to cables going off to feed houses) and they don't bow out of shape. With a bitumen-based initial treatment they can go on for donkeys years. And you don't need welding experience to attach the catenary equipment to wood poles - just some big carriage bolts and a spanner!
Author:  Scott15 [ Sun Nov 20, 2011 9:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
If they can survive the County Durham and Cumbrian moors I'm sure a motorway in the South West won't give them much trouble  ;)
Author:  Urbis Saturn Land [ Sun Nov 20, 2011 5:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
Scott you do have a point there, as with most motorway lighting the columns are in battleship grey, if wooden columns were used instead they would work really well on more rural motorways / dual carriageways such as the M62, parts of the M5 and possibly the A24 between Buckbarn Crossroads and Washington roundabout.
Author:  Phosco152 [ Sun Nov 20, 2011 7:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
Wooden columns aren't generally used over around 8m for telephone poles and power lines for a reason - they become too heavy and don't have the structural strength to carry a high cantilevered load located at one point on the pole. When they are trees the load is more distributed over the height due to the spread of branches.

There is no way you could use wooden poles for catenary lighting as you need them to be all matched to ensure the string of lighting is straight - trees grow with bends.

Wooden poles are not "crash friendly" either.

In the US 12 and 15m poles are used for power lines but due to the "non straightness" of the poles the lines are far from straight and true. Even over there, steel poles are now replacing the taller wooden ones.
Author:  Scott15 [ Mon Jul 30, 2012 7:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
Phosco152 wrote:
David's photo from Nov 2009 shows the SON catenary lighting on either the A30 or A4 near Heathrow I believe, rather than the M1 SOX lighting.


The catenary lighting in that photo looks terribly inefficient. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't require additional lighting from the sides.  Two lanterns per span would be better or just taking it down and using 400w SON lanterns in the usual set up.

I like it just because it's not seen much in Britain any more. If compact fluorescent could do brighter lamps and use a similar set up to those suspended in superstores that could possibly work for motorway lighting. But there's the other problem cantenary is normally in the central reservation and the HA seem to have moved to verge lighting for easier maintenance etc.

As I mentioned once before possibly the use of a wood and steel pole combination for cantenary but I can't see this happening.
Author:  Rojojnr [ Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
Here's a photo I took today from the gallery of some surviving catenary lighting with what I presume are Eleco lanterns just around the corner from London Bridge tube station on Southwark Street.
Author:  Indust [ Fri Oct 25, 2013 3:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
Rojojnr wrote:
Here's a photo I took today from the gallery of some surviving catenary lighting with what I presume are Eleco lanterns just around the corner from London Bridge tube station on Southwark Street.


Brilliant to see these still surviving, I saw some similar ones when I was very young in either London or Glasgow (I was very young!)  :D
Author:  Rojojnr [ Fri Oct 25, 2013 4:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
Quote:
Brilliant to see these still surviving, I saw some similar ones when I was very young in either London or Glasgow (I was very young!)  :D


Nice to know I rekindled some memories for you, Indust!

That's not the only catenary lighting in London either! WRTL 2600s (yes, you heard that right) have been used in catenary form to replace what looked a little like Eleco GR2s last year for the Olympics. They look to be second hand as their canopies and bowls look a little too grubby to have only been exposed to the elements for a year!

The A4 Great West Road through Hounslow also still retains catenary lighting. I think they are Philips lanterns which run SON.
Author:  Phosco152 [ Fri Oct 25, 2013 5:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
Actually they are Phosco. More pictures of the same catenary lighting are in the same place on Flickr.
Author:  Acacia Cat [ Sat Nov 02, 2013 4:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Catenary Lighting - think again?
Rojojnr wrote:
Quote:
Brilliant to see these still surviving, I saw some similar ones when I was very young in either London or Glasgow (I was very young!)  :D


Nice to know I rekindled some memories for you, Indust!

That's not the only catenary lighting in London either! WRTL 2600s (yes, you heard that right) have been used in catenary form to replace what looked a little like Eleco GR2s last year for the Olympics. They look to be second hand as their canopies and bowls look a little too grubby to have only been exposed to the elements for a year!

The A4 Great West Road through Hounslow also still retains catenary lighting. I think they are Philips lanterns which run SON.

As if the design of the 2600 wasn't bad enough, they had to go and install it like that!  :lol:
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