It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 11:28 am

All times are UTC






Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 175 posts ] 


Author Message
PostPosted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 11:06 pm 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:46 pm
Posts: 540
Images: 11
Location: Colchester, Essex
David wrote:
And just up the A10 from Cheshunt (and passing these magnificent GR200s on the way), the Sainsbury's distribution depot in Buntingford has a complete installation of almost a dozen very rare lanterns.

I was lucky enough to be in Buntingford today to see their 2010 carnival, so after the procession I had a wander up to Sainsbury's Buntingford Distribution Centre to have a closer look at those P160s. Only the front of the Distribution Centre is visible from the public highway, but even poking my nose through just this part of the perimeter fence led me to believe that a dozen intact P160s may be an underestimation!

The Distribution Centre has now closed and is looking rather overgrown and uncared for, which was a bonus to me in one sense as it meant I could poke the camera through the fence to get a few shots, but it was also a disadvantage, as many of the P160s around the perimeter were now hidden in trees. But I did grab a couple of shots...

Image

Image

Although I noticed one solitary car on the abandoned site, I hadn't clocked that it might have belonged to the hot-footed security guard in the entrance hut who was hurrying for the door after he spotted me. I concluded that he wouldn't be able to leave the site that was in his care, so after I spotted him I just turned and walked away. Thankfully, I didn't have my collar felt further down the road!


Last edited by David on Mon Oct 09, 2017 3:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 6:44 pm 
Offline
Site Administration
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:38 pm
Posts: 3402
Images: 27
Location: Salisbury
I take it the P160s are no longer working or is the site still lit for "security" purposes? It is quite surprising they weren't replaced with SON lanterns.


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 10:40 pm 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:46 pm
Posts: 540
Images: 11
Location: Colchester, Essex
Yes, nearly all of them are still working (I pass the depot about once a month) although a few of the bulbs are blackened along some of their length making the bulbs look like 90w instead of 135w. Sadly I can't get a close enough look at the lanterns to conclusively say what bulbs they are using. Some lanterns in the quieter corners of the depot may have indeed just been converted to 90w SOX, as they could be run from the leak transformers already present in the column bases, but I very much doubt they are running years-old 140w SLI/H lamps to their eventual failure! The only close-up I have got of one of the lanterns is a little inconclusive due to the glued-on refractors, but there seems to be a visible lampholder at the column end and a dome-shaped glass end at the road end, suggesting conversion to 135w SOX.

As far as I can tell, the Buntingford Distribution Centre was active until that enormous Sainsbury's Distribution Centre opened near to the Holmesdale Tunnel on the M25, which was only a few years ago.


Last edited by David on Mon Oct 09, 2017 3:29 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:34 pm 
Offline
Site Administration
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:38 pm
Posts: 3402
Images: 27
Location: Salisbury
Interesting, I would have thought that if they are still in use they would have been converted to SOX, can't think that Sainsbury's would keep their own stock of SLI lamps - they would subcontract out maintenance of the lighting.


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 6:43 pm 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:46 pm
Posts: 540
Images: 11
Location: Colchester, Essex
If Sainsbury's were looking after their lanterns in-house, they might not have had any trouble sourcing 140w SLI lamps, because LampCo is just nine miles up the road from them and they only sold out of 140w SLI lamps at the beginning of the year :-D


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 1:28 pm 
Offline
Member
Random avatar

Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:13 am
Posts: 24
Location: Bury St Edmunds
Wow, that is a little goldmine you've found there. P160s are extremely rare as not many were used (authorities preferred to use more slimline 135w lanterns). I do hope some of these can be saved, I wouldn't mind betting that is the largest remaining installation of P160s left.

Anyone who is a fan of should check this out P160 Flickr - Claire Pendrous Google
As Claire says, it's a miracle it has survived, as can be seen from the Google shot, it is surrounded by much more modern lighting. There is a similar column adjacent to it, but it has a newer Eleco/Davis GR150 lantern.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:28 pm 
Offline
Member
Random avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 8:20 pm
Posts: 433
Images: 101
All the supermarkets round my way are lit pretty much in the standard way. My local Sainsbury's uses manky SGS203s on side entry adapters atop what look like cheap CCTV camera columns, Tesco uses Abacus Amtares globes and Abacus Orions, Asda uses high-mast lighting, whilst Lidl and Aldi just use floodlighting. What is interesting, however, is
Waitrose, which is lit by some kind of contemporary post-top, presumably running MH.

The service roads in two of my local Sainsbury's stores are quite interesting though:

Sainsbury's Barkingside GEC Z5678s (SOX) - all are now dayburning. One which was knocked over by a Sainsbury's lorry has been replaced by a Gamma Basique (fourth column along), but the other three are still standing and are in good condition, albeit a bit grubby. The car park is just lit by floodlights and one installation with casual replacement flat-glass black ZX3s.

Sainsbury's Ilford Beta 5s on stepped columns (presumably Thorn). Go one step forward and them zoom in to see the other three - it's just that the first one is obscured by the tree, so I placed the camera there so you could see it. Note that the furthest one by the blue gate is dayburning. The car park is lit by globes, and there is an undercover part lit by ceiling flourescent lighting typical of multi-storey car parks.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:08 pm 
Offline
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:48 am
Posts: 6227
Images: 1729
Rojojnr wrote:
All the supermarkets round my way are lit pretty much in the standard way. My local Sainsbury's uses manky SGS203s on side entry adapters atop what look like cheap CCTV camera columns, Tesco uses Abacus Amtares globes and Abacus Orions

Funny thing is that York was the same... until about 3 weeks ago.
My local Sainsbury's superstore, just a stones throw away, was lit by SGS 202's on cctv style columns... but there has been some major work done to the store. The store is presently closed for 10 days for some serious work, but previously had remained open even when large parts of the roof and walls had been removed!! Anyways, the carpark was relaid and the lighting removed (leaving staff to find their cars in darkness at night), but new columns are up and the new lanterns are MINI orions (or mini Vista Grande's, if such a thing is made) On sunday I went past and saw a pile of the new lanterns in bags. Just a shame they weren't closer to a gap in the fencing really!! :lol:  :twisted:
Meanwhile, Tesco at Askham Bar has had two or three Amtares globes replaced by Orions.

In Foss Islands Road, a new Waitrose store is being built. Formerly MFI, the present lighting is 'shoebox' style SON lanterns, and they're still standing. Most car park work at the moment looks to be focused on addressing the severe flooding issue in one corner that extends to the car park entrance if there's been a big downpour - whereby all surface water drains off the carparks of the bus depot and kwik fit adjacent and into the former MFI carpark. I am keeping my eye on this development, mainly because I'm after the automatic doors in the foyer!!

_________________
Tesco brings all the mums to the yard...
and they're like "do you have your club card"
Image


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:48 pm 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:54 pm
Posts: 2977
Images: 210
I think Waitrose uses the exacly the same type of lantern for there stores car park. The one up at Otley uses Abacus Orions but these might have replaced the other lanterns previously.

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


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 2:54 pm 
Offline
Member
Random avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:49 pm
Posts: 814
Images: 108
A new Sainsbury's has opened in my town (yes - ANOTHER Supermarket, to go with Tesco, Asda, Iceland, Aldi and Lidl) here

The existing SOX lighting has all been replaced now (Geared MA90s, Alpha 9s and Z9454s). Second hand SGS203s have been used in all cases, more commonly with flat glass and post-top on new black columns. Some have been retrofitted to old columns and brackets though. I think all lanterns have been replaced right down to the second SGS203 in the google cache. The 2 SGS203s in the cashe replaced huge arched CU Highway columns from the 1950s, in 1999.

A mini roundabout has been installed opposite the store in the middle of the road, with SGS203s and my old infant school is being demolished for it. :(

In the actual carpark you can just see typical Holophane lanterns, (QSSs and Vista Grandes) although you can also see a Beta 5 with missing refractors from a nearby street.

Also worth noting, the Gamma 6 on cast iron column behind the column has been retained, but the Albany closest to the camera has had its bracket removed and an unpainted one added with a second hand SGS203! Thankfully the GEC Z9555 Brick and the Eleco GR100 haven't been touched, though.

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


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 

Display posts from previous:  Sort by  


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 175 posts ] 

All times are UTC



You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 42 guests



Search for: