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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:50 pm 
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Likewise in the former North Humberside area (East Riding of Yorkshire) most of the lanterns are from the Humberside era, now any replacement wil have an Arc nailed to the current column, similar to how Calderdale does it. I can't remember if North Lincolnshire or North East Lincolnshire (Greater Grimsby Cleethorpes) both of which used to be South Humberside does, as replaced lanterns in these areas will vary.

The eventual outcome will be if the generic rollout continues nothing will look local anymore. I do think that all councils should design something for their own area only with the two or three colour tones for the entire set up.

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PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 10:28 pm 
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I have seen a colour photo of what Accrington use to look like when Hynburn had its own local identity. On main routes columns were painted grey with a red base. I'm going to try and get a scan of the photo.

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 12:59 pm 
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You could argue that the borough I live in, London Borough of Redbridge in north-east London, as has its own unique identity due to the curious mix of lanterns that it uses. In the southern part of the borough where I live, the lighting is pretty standard and consists predominantly of 1990s SON and mid-2000s-2010s MH. White deep-bowled ZX3s from the mid-90s mass replacement scheme and Furyos (which have been replacing the ZX3s on some of the busier, strategic roads since 2008 due to the council's new "white light" policy), as well as white and black ZX2s and Sapphires in some places, on the main roads, and ZX1s and SGS203s on the side streets. Sintras are also used on a few of the wider streets. On top of this, there are a few cul-de-sacs which retain SOX lighting (Eleco GR550s, with some XGS103 casual replacements). However, things have started to get a little more varied over the last couple of years, with Sapphires, Furyos and some other metal halide lanterns (whose identity I'm unsure of) replacing some of the ZX1s. Ilford also has some Urbis Saturns and Philips Metronomises. The northern part of the borough, however, is where things get very interesting. There is a mix of SOX (Z9554s, GR150s, Alpha 4s and MA50s), SON (SGS203/4s, Trafficvisions and most recently second-hand ZXs, which have probably been replaced by Furyos in my part of the borough) and MH (Sapphires, Furyos and Urbis Frogners) on main roads. Side streets in this part of the borough are mostly SON and MH lit. The SON is predominantly SGS203s (some of which I believe may also run mercury, in which cases these are KGS203s), although post-top Iridiums, Sintras, and, on one street, Thorn Rivieras also make an appearance. The MH is predominantly Philips Milewides (which mass replaced Eleco GR550s in the mid 2000s) , but I have also seen Arcs and even Thorn Triumphs used. Post-top Furyos are starting to make their mark now too, mostly replacing the 1980s SGS203s. Also, like in my part of the borough, there are a few cul-de-sacs here and there which still sport Eleco GR550s (with some XGS103 casual replacements). One cul-de-sac also sports XGS104s, and some have Eleco HW918 post-tops still clinging on in alleyways. These were the predominant side road lantern in the borough before the ZX1s and SGS203s came along in the mid 90s. Finally, there are two streets in the borough which use LED lanterns: one uses LED Roadway Lighting SAT-26Ss (replacing SGS203s on some severely peeling columns) and Urbis Pianos (replacing 1980s SGS203s on another).

So, all in all, I think you could argue that Redbridge has an identity of its own! You're certainly hard-pushed to find some of those lanterns in other London boroughs! There also used to be some Alpha 3s (with SGS203/4 and MRL6 casual replacements) on a couple of streets but these were all replaced in 2008 and 2010 by the Urbis Frogners. Ilford (the borough's main town) also had some MK II Alpha 8s, but these were replaced with Philips Citysouls in late 2008, as well as some MRL6s (of which only very few now remain) and SGS204s (of which numbers have now dwindled to two). But I think it's pretty safe to say that the Frogners are the new Alphas 3s and Citysouls are the new Alpha 8s. The 1990s ZX3s replaced a variety of SOX, mostly Eleco GR100/150s, but some Alpha 3/4/5s and MAs were also replaced.


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 10:38 pm 
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One word: homogenisation.

I fear London Underground is going this way too. Once stations and lines had their unique identities, but today everything is standardised in order to save costs.

mazeteam, you're absolutely right about Leeds; its Iridiumification has led to a generic city. It's interesting how they're still installing Iridiums given all the newer alternatives available on the market.

David wrote:
I can't think of another county or region where the Highways Agency are still happily installing brand new SOX lanterns, with the exception of Hertfordshire of course.


I used to be able to name many. Unfortunately I think you've pretty much covered it. My London Borough of Enfield has completely transformed over the last 6 years and their energy bill must leave a lot to be desired as each 35 W SOX lantern is replaced with a 70 W SON-T Arc 80.


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 8:23 pm 
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I've just been taking a look at Folkestone in Kent as I was on holiday there a few years ago and remember there being some classic and quite quirky installations there - and I'm pleased to say there still are, although the Arc has now invaded the town big time! But check out this selection of beauties:

Shorncliffe Road is probably the best example of local identity as it has these slightly unusual S&L installations with SGS203s and one Alpha 8 (a very uncommon lantern in Kent) installed. The white part of Shorncliffe Road which runs parallel to the railway line is also lit end-to-end with GR150s on S&L columns, without a single casual replacement in sight! A bit further down, on Cherry Garden Avenue, are a few double-bracket S&Ls with GR150s surviving.

Castle Hill Avenue is lit with GEC Z5699s on 1950s S&L columns. There's only a couple of casual replacements, and they're both Gamma 6s!

The town centre still has loads of these huge S&L brackets still standing. Many of them still hold their original Alpha 3s, but others hold SGS203/4s, Alpha 8s, Iridiums and Arcs, all of which would have replaced the Alpha 3s over the years. All these lanterns look fantastic on these brackets though! There's a double bracket installation with Alpha 3s behind the camera, on Dover Road!

The seafront has these unusual contemporary installations which I think date back to the mid 2000s. And look at what the council have come up with to light the island crossing in the foreground!

Wear Bay Road still has this row of top-entry mercury lanterns on 1950s S&L columns. Behind the camera you can see more of these installations with more modern metal swan-necks and Philips lanterns installed.

Harbour Way has this unusual swan-neck column with a Philips MI50 installed.

What looks like a couple of WRTL 2-Tones can be seen lighting the pavement by some traffic lights on West Terrace.

The path running between the sea and The Leas is lit with these gorgeous columns with Urbis Saturns installed. Urbis lanterns are very uncommon indeed in this part of Kent (excluding National Rail-owned ones, that is)!

Yes, I know what you're going to say about these, but the columns are certainly different and add an interesting twist!

These unique installations can be found just around the corner!

Cheriton High Street is the only road I know of in Kent which has geared MA60s. Note that the MA60s' brackets have been tilted up slightly as well, giving them a slightly unique twist! There are also some integral geared MA50s, which are relatively uncommon in Kent (especially in large numbers like this).

Romney Avenue has a couple of Eleco post-tops. In the background you can just glimpse a Vectra casual replacement (another uncommon lantern in Kent, although Canterbury City Council uses them a fair bit on side streets). Also at the top of the hill are some GEC Z9538s on hockeysticks, also rare to find in Kent!

Finally, on Holywell Avenue, is this Eleco post-top (or is it a Revo Solumbra?) with a canopy which is too big for the lantern!

So there you go! A nice selection of local identity there, don't you think? This may not be everything interesting streetlight-wise in Folkestone, but this is what I can remember finding when I searched Streetview a little while ago and from my holiday a few years ago!


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:02 am 
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The last link shows a gearless Revo Solumbra.

Also, the 'top entry mercirues' are not actually top entry, but much rarer side entry Revo Belltops.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:28 am 
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I have been to Folkestone myself a couple of years back, did you ever visit Folkestone Harbour railway station as there is a couple of GEC 'British Rail standard' flo tubed lanterns still in situ?

The contemporary lanterns on the harbour run CDO as far as I can remember. There is/was a top entry Revo Prefect in a car park, presumably replaced by dual bracketed Iridums. If no where else has this type of installation, than Folkestone may still have a lighting identity to call its own.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 9:09 am 
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I have been to Folkestone myself a couple of years back, did you ever visit Folkestone Harbour railway station as there is a couple of GEC 'British Rail standard' flo tubed lanterns still in situ?

The contemporary lanterns on the harbour run CDO as far as I can remember. There is/was a top entry Revo Prefect in a car park, presumably replaced by dual bracketed Iridums. If no where else has this type of installation, than Folkestone may still have a lighting identity to call its own.


No, can't say I noticed the flourescent lanterns at Folkestone Harbour station, although I have been on the platform of the station since it's been closed to mainstream rail traffic!

Yeah, you're probably right! I've no idea who makes them but they are pretty unique! I know the Isle of Thanet had a few Revo Prefects on side streets, but they're probably all gone now as the Thanet has had a bit of a cull on some of its older lanterns (although it has done a pretty bad job of it, as there still are some old lanterns randomly dotted about among the newer ones). I know there was one Prefect on a Stanton column in Birchington-on-Sea, but it got replaced by an Arc on a hockeystick column in 2009. So, in that case, yes, I think it's pretty safe to say that Folkestone very much has its own identity!

While we're on the subject of Kent, I remember that a street called Northgate in Canterbury had some pretty unique mercury lanterns. Sadly they've all now been retrofitted with SGS203s since I saw them in situ in 2004, but I've found a couple of old photos featuring the lanterns here and here! I'd love if anybody could identify them as they were classics I've never seen anywhere else!


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 12:43 am 
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...but some councils shamelessly don't bother painting their columns any more.

I think the reason why column painting has fallen out of favour in the last few years, is partly down to the huge amount of new PFI plant that has been erected, often at a fast pace. Painting programmes may have been removed from the specification of works due to the extra costs demanded, plus the acceptance of unpainted street furniture means little opposition is to be found from the general public these days. Our lighting schemes have become so mundane that it is almost like the columns themselves don't wish to be noticed.

As we know though, some authorities do still paint columns for aesthetic reasons, usually sanctioned by a grant from another departmental budget. Compared to the old municipal liveries which had civic pride, almost in every brush stroke, the new schemes are as jarringly functional and predictable as the lanterns themselves. Below are some recollections of municipal lighting near to my neck of the woods!

Whilst Manchester's columns had traditionally been two tone "Corpy Grey", going over to a single grey in the 1980s, it was only after the 1996 post bomb reconstruction where black gloss became the corporate colour.  Since the 2007 Amey PFI scheme however, the vast majority of "A" and "B" columns in Manchester are unpainted, apart from civic areas where black once again prevails.  This is quite a contrast to the old days of the Manchester Corporation lighting department, where everything including the lantern canopy was painted, as had the gas lamps previously. Some of the lanterns in my collection still showed the original green paint under the later grey colour.

A typical Trafford MBC column used to be two tone blue but has since become all over black, with a gold vinyl transfer of the municipal coat of arms stuck on, just in case it gets lost.

Stockport MBC has painted its main road columns with its mid grey tone and 2' black overlay to ground level since the 80s, having superseded the original 1974 livery of white and pale blue. Traditionally, the borough's columns wore a high gloss paint, however more recent paintjobs have used a more environmentally friendly product which lacks the quality of the old stuff. As members may be aware, Stockport has been a major user of 6m stainless steel for new group B installations for many years, and therefore these do not require painting.

Tameside Council having inherited the lighting stock from Hyde, Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw et al in 1974, originally went for a universal "ice blue" livery. In more recent years, the centralised look has gone out of fashion and in its place are local colour schemes, which attempt to recreate what has passed. This programme even included the painting of concrete columns. This habit of painting concrete stemmed from an earlier exercise in Stalybridge, near Ashton. Due to the filming of scenes for the 1979 film "Yanks", a few of the 1950s columns complete with top entry Eleco lanterns were painted a deep blue /grey colour to blend them into the surroundings.

Anyway, as a reminder of how things used to be when painting a lighting column, here is a scan from Clwyd CC's "General Conditions Specification for Maintenance and Minor Works - street lighting & illuminated street furniture" for 1977-79.


Attachments:
clwyd1.JPG
clwyd1.JPG [ 185.56 KiB | Viewed 23550 times ]

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 8:30 pm 
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The Isle of Wight used to have very distinctive large curve brackets especially on its main road columns. The PFI has swept through and the vast majority of installations are the typical "sans bracket"/post top style of mounting. However I did spot this new installation - complete with Lumas - that harks back to days of old.

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Prior to the PFI the columns were silver painted (but this itself replaced an earlier colour scheme). It seems where a longer outreach of the lantern is needed, the PFI has used brackets to mimic those of the past. Note the last column in the distance on the right, has a post top mounted Luma.


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