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PostPosted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:38 pm 
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It's a shame mercury is so inefficient as it is (in my opinion) very pleasing to the eye. I guess the nearest modern equivalent is CFL. Are the Alpha 3s that remain running mercury or SON? Nottingham still has a fair few mercury Alpha 3s.


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PostPosted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:47 pm 
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If there are any Alpha 3's left, they are running SON. The wall mounted twins along Grainger Town were all SON - with the odd one having a CDO lamp fitted.
As for that MBF Riviera, I may have to pop up that way and take a look for myself... as it is VERY unusual to have a more modern lantern running an MBF lamp. The newest lantern I have that runs MBF is a Thorn Beta 79, which I believe was installed in the mid 1990's. MBF was still being installed in York beyond the 1970's, as I have glass bowled GEC lanterns where the bowl has a date stamp of 1978.

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 8:35 am 
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They are running SON, and they are in poor condition, lots have bowls missing, some are replaced with MRL6s pretty much in the same condition, and the last time I was down they had new 10 metre black columns standing next to them, so they could be gone by now, but some wall mounted examples will escape the PFI. North Tyneside may have a few mercury Alpha 3's.


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:58 am 
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The road up to Blackpool Zoo used to be the only example of mercury Thorn Alpha 3s in my area (there were loads of them, they were just all SON apart from these!). These managed to last until 1994 when they were replaced by WRTL 2600s running SON. A shame, as they were all in good condition!


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:48 pm 
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I doubt there is any main road mercury, however I spotted this at a petrol station near Newcastle. I believe it is an older version Thorn or Atlas Alpha3
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 9,,2,-11.1
Not a very clear image, garage is reopened now and lantern is still there although no longer working. Bowl is in immaculate condition, still with mercury lamp. I believe it has been hardly used.


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 12:02 am 
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Well I can't see any bowl clips, so it may be an old Atlas Alpha 3.

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:54 am 
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It seems Atlas Alpha 3s were the lantern of choice for petrol stations in the 60s. A Total garage in Blackpool had two geared versions until it got remodelled in the late 90s.


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:44 am 
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This one had two, however one bracket was removed. The Garage is now lit with mercury lighting mounted in the roof above the pumps.


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:42 pm 
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A clearer image of an old Atlas Alpha Three with fully detachable canopy.

It's one of a pair that reside to this day on an old petrol station forecourt in Colchester. Photo taken in November 2008.


Last edited by David on Mon Oct 09, 2017 5:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 1:22 am 
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Do they still work David?


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