Alpha Three burning mercury on the mainline! M6 northbound

[trencheel303]

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[Bryn666]

Highways England are responsible for that single column, so it escaped the replacement of all the mercury Alpha 3s in use in the MSA. It probably won't get replaced until someone crashes into it.

[Brenley Corner]

Given your information, Bryn, I suspect it is the same reason that there is still this oddity on the exit from the eastbound Rownhams services on the M27 which has survived for years - even through the recent widening.

Streetview Link

Tony

[sotonsteve]

I very much doubt Highways England is responsible. Just because it is across the official boundary doesn't automatically make it Highways England's responsibility. Third parties do have assets on Highways England's network, including some street lighting. I can think of a few locations where other "authorities" have assets that sprawl across the boundary.

[trencheel303]

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[Brenley Corner]

Dear oh that's absolutely bizarre!! Does it still work?

No, but then none of the road lighting at the east end of eastbound services has worked for ages.

[scott125]

...services near Burton-in-Kendal / Tewitfield on the northbound slip to the services.

posted the same thing on Ukastle.. not sure how well this will go down as its own thread here but I felt it deserved given the relative rarity of such an item.

Travelling down from Scotland today and couldn't believe my eyes when I copped a white, distinctly mercury looking lantern burning in amongst SON. Cast a glance over (as well as you can at 70 on the carriageway) and I'm almost positive it's got a 250/400W HPL in there. In relatively fine fettle as well, not greened out and with still reasonable brightness.

If you're ever up that way you have to see this. It could well be an Atlas Alpha Three, regardless it looks sans bowl. Very rare at this stage I would think, and probably on borrowed time.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.17683 ... 6656?hl=en

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.17706 ... ,16z?hl=en

You can bet your left butt cheek I'll be stopping in on the way back up to take some pictures. /nerd

How old do you reckon that light is ?id say 70s

[Bryn666]

I very much doubt Highways England is responsible. Just because it is across the official boundary doesn't automatically make it Highways England's responsibility. Third parties do have assets on Highways England's network, including some street lighting. I can think of a few locations where other "authorities" have assets that sprawl across the boundary.

The circuit may be third party, but it's on HE land, and that means it requires HE levels of intervention to replace. That column would end up requiring a slip road closure to replace, and an MSA operator isn't going to bother with that. Lose a night's trade for the sake of replacing an Alpha 3? Not a chance.

If it's in advance of an 'End of Motorway Regulations' sign, it's on HE land, and they'll have the final say on what happens to the column.

I had a nightmare getting signs replaced as part of the M65 J5 LPPF scheme as different bits were HE circuits, and others LA. As a result signs I wanted changing didn't get touched.

[trencheel303]

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[Bryn666]

That section of the M6 wasn't complete until around 1970, the services will presumably have quickly followed, so at that vintage it is quite likely it's an Atlas Alpha 3 - I recall them having the plastic bowls, similar to what used to be at Keele and Charnock Richard.

[RJDG14]

Was it a blueish colour like this:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... Jersey.JPG

Or was it a whiter colour like the one attatched?

[trencheel303]

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[Jonathan24]

For anyone that is interested, this seems to be quite a common theme across a lot of service areas. Fir example, I had a very quick look on Google at MSAs on the M6 and there are quite a number where the lantern on the last column is either different or missing altogether. Where the lantern is present, it is quite often the same as the one which has been linked to in the OP, but not sure if any of them still work, or have since been replaced.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.79526 ... 6656?hl=en

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.79665 ... 6656?hl=en

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.80180 ... 6656?hl=en

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.13798 ... 6656?hl=en

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.47136 ... 6656?hl=en