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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 3:36 pm 
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Simon Cornwell has kindly provided some further information on the lanterns I spotted in Malta. This may change some of the timelines of what replaced what..

This is now identified as a Holophane lantern, not a GEC. The design dates back to the mid 1930s as it is listed in a 1936 advert. However, given the destruction Malta suffered during WW2, I'm pretty confident this was installed during the reconstruction after the war.

Given the limited number of these lanterns left, were these the first type of lantern installed? Also of note, although the circular junction box/catenary mount is marked "REVO TIPTON" (see other pictures on Flickr) , the decorative bracket is actually by GEC, so a right mix of hardware.

This is confirmed as being of GEC origin - a GEC Universal Difractor Lantern Z8135B which dates from the late 1940s, which fits the post war reconstruction timeline. Did these replace the Holophanes or perhaps 2 suppliers were chosen?


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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 3:02 pm 
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I have just returned from a trip to Iceland. It's a European country, in Schengen but not in the EU, geographically in between Europe and North America, and culturally Scandinavian.

Iceland's street lighting is all quite modern in appearance and age. The majority of lighting columns are unpainted and galvanised. Columns are either stepped tubular or conical, with post-top lanterns or large curved brackets. The most popular light sources are SON and mercury, although ceramic metal halide is also popular in town and city centres, and LED is starting to break ground. I have not seen mercury in such high concentrations in a long time. Some mercury lighting, I would say, is only a few years old at most.

Historically, thanks to the Scandinavian influence, Jarnkonst lanterns were installed in large numbers. Jarnkonst was bought out by Thorn, and popular Thorn lanterns found are the Civic, Isaro, Plurio and Carat (Alpha 2000). I also saw three Alpha 30s. One of the most common lanterns of modern times is the Siteco ST series, particularly the ST100. Also very popular are the Louis Poulsen Albertslund post-top, Mazda Comete LV, AEC Uno, Philips SGS203 and General Electric cobraheads.

Here is an assortment of photos:

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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 7:35 pm 
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Thanks Steve, it looks like you had a good trip. The Alpha 30s appear to be in very good condition.

Are you able to confirm the lantern that features in the image third and fifth from the bottom?


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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 11:27 am 
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It is a Jarnkonst 7417. These almost always ran mercury lamps.


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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 8:21 pm 
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In Paris, some of tunnels are SOX-lit:

Conventional SOX luminaires

Extra diffusion!


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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 8:22 pm 
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When I first visited Germany in 2002 I was amazed to see fluorescent lighting in service, as it was not something I was used to seeing. Fourteen years later, and Germany like other countries is seeing LED street lighting creep in. However, there are still oldies to be found, especially in Nordrhein-Westfalen, which was always particularly a fluorescent stronghold.

In the town where I stayed back in 2002, many of the columns have been lantern swapped with LED fittings. Previously most of the lanterns in the town were twin lamped, whether this were SON, mercury, fluorescent and compact fluorescent. They appear to have lantern swapped most of the SON and mercury in the town with LED, also moving towards a radio frequency switching at the same time rather than retaining the "whole town" group switching of before. Interestingly, where fluorescent lighting was present it has survived the lantern swapping.

In other areas there are similar stories. LED lantern swapping appears to be targeting things like mercury, twin lamp installations and main road lighting more, rather than there being blanket replacements. So, where there used to be mercury and fluorescent, it is interesting because the mercury fixtures seem to be the greater focus of replacements whilst the fluorescent fixtures live on.

Among the first fluorescents I saw all those years ago when I arrived in Germany were some 1950s or 1960s curvy concrete columns fitted with fluorescents in the town of Schwelm. A chance detour revealed that these concretes are still present in all their glory, and I don't think a single casual replacement has been made since the early 2000s.

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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 8:27 pm 
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Fab installations there.


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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2017 4:53 pm 
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A recent trip to Gibraltar allowed me to catch up on installations last seen 2.5 years ago.

Sadly these vintage concretes have gone.

However, this GEC Z8260 fluorescent is still working. On my way back to the airport, I did spot another example, but it looked out of use.

Newly spotted was this GEC Z8455 one of several, but now all running SON.

I spotted this GEC Z9464 on a cast iron bracket last time (and probably privately owned), but If you move the view round, there is another identical one behind the tree next to the building, which has now had its branches cut back - although GSV hasn't been updated to show it.

Probably find of the trip was these privately owned GEC "small Oxfords".

LED hasn't made much of an in road - a few Victorian heritage lanterns in Main Street seemed to be about it. SON still rules - mostly Thorn Jets.

SOX is now mostly gone, a few Beta 5s lurk around, but maybe disused, but these GEC Z9464s are still there.


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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2017 2:55 pm 
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Back in the late 90s/early 2000s, Greece began a massive overhaul of its motorway network. Most of these aren't anything to write home about on the lighting front, but one particular stretch of Route 2 between Kozani and Veria employed large numbers of MA60s, all verge mounted, some even on dual brackets with columns spaced further apart. It is interrupted by SON in the tunnels.

I traveled this stretch twice during a vacation there. They are still serviced reasonably well, although I never saw a single dual bracket column with both lanterns working.

There is older SOX elsewhere, the lanterns of more traditional aluminium designs, but they were all a bit ropey and with casual reps everywhere. There are no casual reps on the stretch linked below.

Clicky.


Last edited by Paianni on Wed Aug 09, 2017 2:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Overseas lighting
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:57 pm 
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Great streetscene. Thanks for sharing.


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