Of course the other argument is that it's safer for the public if the control gear is in the lantern ie sometimes vandals used to rip off the column doors (must admit that thankfully this doesn't seem to happen anymore in my area) exposing the control gear which then some kid could come along and put their hand into. Add to this the fact that with no door on the column the gear could have got wet with rain (or due to dogs   ) and you have a dangerous situation on your hands  

Stainton was set up in 1978 as the UK manufacturing arm of PJ of France. A management buy out in 2001 led to them becoming independant of PJ.

Standards for installation of columns specify that the door must be facing opposite to the direction of traffic when mounted behind the kerb. If mounted at the back of the pavement it is acceptable for the door to face the kerb. This is probably to ensure that the door is shielded from road spray and that for maintenance work the operative is facing the traffic rather than having his back to it.

There really isn't any point having a fully waterproof door as this just increases cost. Modern doors with good overlaps or fully flush doors like on the ALC Nedal columns ensures that rain won't get in.

I don't think we will see remote gear lanterns making a comeback as it makes the column more complicated to wire up and with smaller gear nowadays there isn't really any need.

In Wiltshire, once a door is reported missing it is classed as an emergency repair to be fixed within 24 hours. There are pictures on Mike's website showing columns which have a sticker "door missing call Police" stuck on the control gear inside the base.

Calling the police? isn't that a bit extreme?



In some cases they never went away. I've realised that along the dual carriageway section of the A1079 Hull Road in york, the columns are PJ's with the big square doors, as too are some around New Earswick shops.


I've seen some 2 door columns used in car parks. I suppose it depends what's on the top - a double header bracket or something like an Abacus orion dual lamp version would still need a dual door column.

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I know of some 1990s columns that have TrafficVisions fitted that have double doors, but it's similar situation to the pictures Phosco152 posted about the TafficVisions being original to the columns. But yes, its rare to seee double doors on new columns now, let alone with new lanterns. (Although retrofitted Iridiums onto 1970s upcranked double brackets, with a column that uses 2 doors can be seen but twin Z9554s [one two part cell for both lanterns] were fitted there before)

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"I used to rule the world... Now I sweep the streets I used to own."
Remembering GEC.

The mid 90s columns on Blackpool Prom have double doors but this is because they also contain control gear for the Illuminations (as well as supporting the overhead wires for the tramway but that's irrelevant here of course... just shows you what a lot of work they have to do!   ).

The previous columns had double doors as well and these may have had gear for two different lamps in as discussed in the 'Blackpool Illuminations' thread.

I had a look at the columns in the car park of The Range today... it's a shop on the site of what used to be our ASDA store.
The lanterns are the Abacus sugarcube lights, the columns are abacus too - but are double doored. The lanterns are remote gear, so whether the dual doors are for access to the ballast and the cutout seperately I don't know, or whether the columns used to have double brackets...

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Or twin lamped lanterns? Abacus Orions can be twin lamp, but in the case of the Orion they only have room for the integral gear for one lamp, so if twin lamped one set of gear has to be located in the base. Perhaps the older ones had no room for integral gear.

If you take a look here and scroll down about halfway down the page you will see the picture I meant.

It's wrong for them to say "call the Police". Do the Police even know? Better to have a label saying "Door Missing? Call 0800 XXXXXXX"

Press 1 for option XXX
Press 2 for option YYY

or wait for ever for an operator....