It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 8:04 pm

All times are UTC






Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 790 posts ] 


Author Message
PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:11 pm 
Offline
Site Administration
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:38 pm
Posts: 3402
Images: 27
Location: Salisbury
Some excellent pictures there David, I think you have the monopoly on spotting the rare relics from yesterdays travels!


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 12:01 am 
Offline
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:48 am
Posts: 6227
Images: 1729
David wrote:
On passing through Great Whelnetham in Suffolk, I was so distracted by this pole bracket-mounted top-entry Phosco P107 that I missed these rare lanterns on the other side of the road!


That top entry Phosco is possibly the wierdest lantern I have seen!
The lanterns on the other side look like Falks ones - funny just how many old (and former) service stations seem to have these outside them...

Quote:
Image
It was getting late in the day when I arrived, but the bright sunlight was still shining on this Siemens Kuwait lantern and also dramatising the clouds behind. The harsh lighting seemed to enhance the presence of this magnificent beast!

I love that picture!

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


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 5:56 pm 
Offline
Member
Random avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:49 pm
Posts: 814
Images: 108
Seriously, my jaw nearly fell on the floor when I saw that picture with the Beta 9s! I'm so shocked to see so many surviving there, as I didn't think they were ever very popular, and most would've been replaced anyway.

They are my favourite lantern ever! (Along with the Alpha 3 :D) Whilst I think it's nice for rare lanterns to be left in service to enjoy, if any do get removed, I wouldn't mind having one my way! :P

I wonder in other parts of the country, how many other rare lanterns such as Beta 1s, Old style Beta 2s, Beta 3s, Beta 6s etc still survive! Not too sure, but that photo has given me hope!! :D

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


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 6:23 pm 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:47 am
Posts: 75
Location: Sandwell
I have to say that picture of the Kuwait is rather good. A bright object against a dull sky always comes out well. Dull objects in front of a bright sky just produce a silhouette.

Here's another oldie soldiering on. As the SOX lighting is itself getting on a bit I'm surprised this mercury lantern is still in situ.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 9:29 pm 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:54 pm
Posts: 2977
Images: 210
That Kuwait image is brilliant, I wonder if it works still, if it does then excellent.

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


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:18 pm 
Offline
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:48 am
Posts: 6227
Images: 1729
I'm going to echo Indust, and say I'd be interested in a Geared Beta 9 if any of those come down! :D

Obviously they look better in-situ, but with everywhere seemingly having an "efficiency drive" going on, and the phase-out of mercury before 2016, I would well expect a lot of the interesting stuff will be going soon.

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


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 11:33 pm 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:46 pm
Posts: 540
Images: 11
Location: Colchester, Essex
Indust wrote:
Whilst I think it's nice for rare lanterns to be left in service to enjoy, if any do get removed, I wouldn't mind having one my way!

mazeteam wrote:
I'm going to echo Indust, and say I'd be interested in a Geared Beta 9 if any of those come down!

I'm afraid I don't know anyone in Suffolk, else I'd put in a request for one myself, alongside one of those Eleco two-forties!

As I seem to have done alright at finding old stuff recently (most of them from gratefully-received tip-offs I should add!), I thought I would hunt down Southend's GEC Z8432 Viatrons after work yesterday. I last saw these while on a day trip back in the early 2000s, although I had no idea what they were and, not knowing their heritage, even thought they looked pretty awful at the time!

Image
At the very western end of Chalkwell Esplanade, there is a cul-de-sac used for seafront parking by day trippers, and it still has some Viatrons on well-maintained cast-iron poles.

Image
A close-up of one of the GEC Viatron lanterns, which are all painted the same colour as the columns.

It looks like the original 'brackets' were 180-degree semicircles which would have had top-entry lanterns on them, and these have been cut in half with a short extension welded onto them to accommodate the new Viatrons in the 1950s!

Image
The view above originally had four Viatrons, but one has been casually replaced.

Image
And looking west from the same spot reveals another two Viatrons, bringing the total number of Viatrons in this street to five.

Image
Another street in Southend - The Leas - has three Viatrons in a row, bringing the total found yesterday to eight. There may be a few more of course!


Last edited by David on Mon Oct 09, 2017 3:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:29 pm 
Offline
Founder
Random avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:17 pm
Posts: 1679
Images: 32
:o  :o  Fantastic find David!!  :D

It proves that you can get SOX 'heritage' lanterns.


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:10 pm 
Offline
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:48 am
Posts: 6227
Images: 1729
for anybody interested in the location, there is a post i put into the google streetview thread about 2-3 weeks ago.

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


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 
PostPosted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 10:32 am 
Offline
Member
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:35 pm
Posts: 79
Images: 1
Alex wrote:
:o  :o  Fantastic find David!!  :D

It proves that you can get SOX 'heritage' lanterns.


SOX? They were originally mercury lanterns. I assume they've been converted to SON now.

If you check the town on the Francis Frith website then you'll see several shots from the 1950s which show the decorated brackets with their original pendant lanterns. It looks like the town was relit in the mid 1950s when the concrete columns were installed with Viatrons - I assume the decorated columns were altered at the same time.

All the best,
Simon


Top
 Profile  Personal album 
 

Display posts from previous:  Sort by  


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 790 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: No registered users and 29 guests



Search for: