Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
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Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
There are parts of the motorway network that had [and still have in some places] unusual types of streetlights, in terms of brackets and/or lanterns.
I remember the columns on the M1 between junction 2 and Scratchwood (London Gateway) Services looking like they were massive scaled up version of greyhound stadium lights with GEC turtles. They've since been replaced by conventional lights at the end of the 1990s. They were nowhere else on the network.
Also near London I remember being on the M4 between Slough and Heathrow Airport in the late 70s and seeing unusual lights in the central reservation with double brackets that curved near the join. I think they also had quite flat heads. These were replaced for some reason between then and now but a good few years ago. They were also used on the Heathrow Spur.
For some reason streetlights on main roads near airports also used brick lanterns, but they tended to be rare elsewhere.
Park Lane also used to have strange heads not seen elsewhere which have now gone - obviously not a motorway but still unusual as I never saw them elsewhere.
I remember the columns on the M1 between junction 2 and Scratchwood (London Gateway) Services looking like they were massive scaled up version of greyhound stadium lights with GEC turtles. They've since been replaced by conventional lights at the end of the 1990s. They were nowhere else on the network.
Also near London I remember being on the M4 between Slough and Heathrow Airport in the late 70s and seeing unusual lights in the central reservation with double brackets that curved near the join. I think they also had quite flat heads. These were replaced for some reason between then and now but a good few years ago. They were also used on the Heathrow Spur.
For some reason streetlights on main roads near airports also used brick lanterns, but they tended to be rare elsewhere.
Park Lane also used to have strange heads not seen elsewhere which have now gone - obviously not a motorway but still unusual as I never saw them elsewhere.
M19
Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
The M1 lights around Scratchwood were among my favourites as a child. They were huge - far longer than necessary, I'd have thought!
They were elliptical in shape and had two bulbs in each one. I think they only vanished in the last three or four years. I remember them being very striking.M19 wrote:Park Lane also used to have strange heads not seen elsewhere which have now gone - obviously not a motorway but still unusual as I never saw them elsewhere.
Chris
Roads.org.uk
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
Park Lane used Atlas Alpha 8 lanterns.
The M1 lights were very 70s weren't they?
The M1 lights were very 70s weren't they?
Bryn
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Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
I used to love those old M1 lights. Once they finished and the tall tree lights of Scratchwood were passed, I always knew we were on our way (in those days to Nottingham). After that back then there were hardly any lights on the M1.
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
M2 into Belfast always had huge lights to cover all 10 lanes.
Not a motorway, but as a kid I liked the Westlink lights under the canyon underpasses, always thought they looked very Los Angeles - like I'd see on the TV.
Not a motorway, but as a kid I liked the Westlink lights under the canyon underpasses, always thought they looked very Los Angeles - like I'd see on the TV.
- sotonsteve
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
There used to be a couple of pictures in the SABRE photo galleries showing the old M1 lighting near Scratchwood. I saved copies of the pictures to my computer, and am looking at it now. There were two column styles, one with a welded flanged bracket and another with an L-bracket. The welded flange bracket style is the style used on the abandoned slip road, except those on the main carriageway were taller and with larger brackets. However, it seems the L-bracket style columns were the norm. The columns were probably 40ft, and the outreach brackets appeared to entirely span the hard shoulder, suggesting that they were a good 4 metres in length. The lanterns were GEC Z8420s, which are the flat-glass early style overshoe turtles. This installation was probably the most striking motorway lighting installation in the UK, due to the sheer size of the brackets.
The lighting on the M4 had a bit of a Dutch appearance to it. Tubular steel columns that stepped up, with double brackets that curved apart from each other in a small to moderate radius. The lanterns used were Atlas Alpha 6s. On some slip roads shorter columns with different style brackets were used, along with Atlas Alpha 10 lanterns.
Some unusual lighting down my way was catenary lighting. There was catenary lighting elsewhere on the English motorway network, but M27 J7-8 pushed the limits of catenary lighting and was experimental. Other catenary lighting had 5 lanterns per span, whilst that on the M27 had 8 lanterns per span. The columns were 15m tall and made by Petitjean, and the columns were spaced a whopping 90 metres apart. The lanterns were GEC ZD4565 'Bricks'. The experiment wasn't successful, and the lighting was replaced after 16 years' service with the current ZX4s.
The lighting on the M4 had a bit of a Dutch appearance to it. Tubular steel columns that stepped up, with double brackets that curved apart from each other in a small to moderate radius. The lanterns used were Atlas Alpha 6s. On some slip roads shorter columns with different style brackets were used, along with Atlas Alpha 10 lanterns.
Some unusual lighting down my way was catenary lighting. There was catenary lighting elsewhere on the English motorway network, but M27 J7-8 pushed the limits of catenary lighting and was experimental. Other catenary lighting had 5 lanterns per span, whilst that on the M27 had 8 lanterns per span. The columns were 15m tall and made by Petitjean, and the columns were spaced a whopping 90 metres apart. The lanterns were GEC ZD4565 'Bricks'. The experiment wasn't successful, and the lighting was replaced after 16 years' service with the current ZX4s.
Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
I saw some Old Concrete columns with LEDs on them in Lecister I actually think its because they either have a lack of columns or it just is just cheaper
Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
If the columns are still in decent condition, you'll find some councils won't bother replacing them even if they are concrete. Salford is doing this at the moment as they upgrade lighting to LED, with arms being removed and the columns having metal sleeves affixed at the top - especially as these lights are post-top (which Salford loves). After all, this is a more cost effective method, which gives them more money to spend on LEDs!
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- haymansafc
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
I prefer to see existing columns re-used rather than replaced just for 'replacement sake'. If there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the column, be it metal or concrete, I'd personally leave it in place and simply replace the lantern if necessary. It's a considerably cheaper option. In an age where we're all encouraged to recycle, it does surprise me at how councils don't apply this to perfectly serviceable street lighting columns (or even lanterns…).
The country on the whole has seen many perfectly decent and serviceable installations removed over the last decade or so and it does upset me at how we've lost some rare and interesting lanterns/columns simply because they're 'old' rather than actually needing replacement.
With regards to motorways with unusual installations, which may just about count, the northern terminus of the M53 (Bidston Viaduct) used to be lit with Thorn Alpha 4 lanterns. I don't think I've come across another installation with these lanterns on the network that I can recall…
The country on the whole has seen many perfectly decent and serviceable installations removed over the last decade or so and it does upset me at how we've lost some rare and interesting lanterns/columns simply because they're 'old' rather than actually needing replacement.
With regards to motorways with unusual installations, which may just about count, the northern terminus of the M53 (Bidston Viaduct) used to be lit with Thorn Alpha 4 lanterns. I don't think I've come across another installation with these lanterns on the network that I can recall…
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- RichardA626
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
I remember first seeing catenary lighting on the way back from a day in Blackpool, so they would have been on the M55 or M6.
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- trencheel303
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
Do the concrete columns with ZX3s on the A666 count? None that I saw were even sleeved, if that adds "unusual" points!
Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
What about the high mast lighting going into Liverpool on the M62? Anyone know where else these can be found? There were some at Birch Services as shown in the photo below but Streetview suggests that they've been replaced, or at least, the lanterns have...
Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
I thought the only catenary lighting that ever existed in the NW was on the then M62 (now M60 J12-16) and adjacent M61/A666 link.RichardA626 wrote:I remember first seeing catenary lighting on the way back from a day in Blackpool, so they would have been on the M55 or M6.
Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
It was, the only lighting in the 70s around Preston were the stepped columns that are still present on the M55.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
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Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
This has been done in Aviemore, knackered Thorn Alpha 8s have been removed from Stewart and Lloyd columns and the result is very pleasing. I'll put a photo on the Wiki.haymansafc wrote:I prefer to see existing columns re-used rather than replaced just for 'replacement sake'. If there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the column, be it metal or concrete, I'd personally leave it in place and simply replace the lantern if necessary. It's a considerably cheaper option. In an age where we're all encouraged to recycle, it does surprise me at how councils don't apply this to perfectly serviceable street lighting columns (or even lanterns…).
The country on the whole has seen many perfectly decent and serviceable installations removed over the last decade or so and it does upset me at how we've lost some rare and interesting lanterns/columns simply because they're 'old' rather than actually needing replacement.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
- RichardA626
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
It might have been the M61 then.wrinkly wrote:I thought the only catenary lighting that ever existed in the NW was on the then M62 (now M60 J12-16) and adjacent M61/A666 link.RichardA626 wrote:I remember first seeing catenary lighting on the way back from a day in Blackpool, so they would have been on the M55 or M6.
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- ben123newton
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
I think there is still one remaining on the approach to Hyde Park Corner from Constitution Hill.M19 wrote: Park Lane also used to have strange heads not seen elsewhere which have now gone - obviously not a motorway but still unusual as I never saw them elsewhere.
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- Patrick Harper
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
The trouble is once columns hit 40 and 50 years old they become much more difficult and expensive to service. For instance, replacement parts for certain circuitry may be unobtainable. The trend these days seems to be sleeving ancient steel columns for head replacement, but those columns may have been clearly EOL and/or rusting, so servicing seems kinda pointless if the columns need replacing anyway.haymansafc wrote:I prefer to see existing columns re-used rather than replaced just for 'replacement sake'. If there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the column, be it metal or concrete, I'd personally leave it in place and simply replace the lantern if necessary. It's a considerably cheaper option. In an age where we're all encouraged to recycle, it does surprise me at how councils don't apply this to perfectly serviceable street lighting columns (or even lanterns…).
The country on the whole has seen many perfectly decent and serviceable installations removed over the last decade or so and it does upset me at how we've lost some rare and interesting lanterns/columns simply because they're 'old' rather than actually needing replacement.
- sotonsteve
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Re: Unusual Street Lighting on Motorways Past and Present
With current street lighting there is nothing currently installed that cannot be kept maintained in terms of lamps and the control gear that operate the lamps. However, from next year mercury lamps and control gear will no longer be available.