SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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ManomayLR
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by ManomayLR »

traffic-light-man wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 19:49
Gareth wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2020 13:27 Is the oval by Allerton Library not still there?

Also, there's still one off Taggart Ave (Dunbabin Rd), so far as I know.
I took a little detour on the way back in to the city last night, and the Allerton Library one looked like it was still going, as did the Queens Drive one. Unfortunately, the Dunbairn Road one was unlit, so I'm not sure if that's got much life left in it or the council will just swap it out with an LED unit on a new pole.
Gareth wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2020 18:23 There were a couple on Naylorsfield Dr in Netherley last time I was down that way too.
I'm sorry to report that these appear to have both bitten the dust, replaced with LEDs and metal poles.
The best LPS layout I can remember is M1 J23A-24. They did it properly, with lane control and LPS lighting BOTH in the verges AND in the central reservation. With LPS I remember a very bright orange reflection off the carriageway - but the modern VMS, concrete barrier and white LED look is something else in terms of futurism.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by traffic-light-man »

I was always fond of the M62 J5-6 central reservation (and verge for junctions, unsurprisingly) mounted SOX installation with the overhead gantries on the W/B, though the lighting has all gone now, replaced with nothing for the most part.

I did enjoy a night time trip along the M53 recently, where there's still a run of working central reservation SOX on double curvy brackets between J9 and J10, which was nice to see.

I have to agree that generally the LED lit stretches of motorway do look more futuristic, especially when combined with some of the more recent overhead structure designs.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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traffic-light-man wrote: Tue Sep 08, 2020 11:13 I have to agree that generally the LED lit stretches of motorway do look more futuristic, especially when combined with some of the more recent overhead structure designs.
I do think the lattice-work type gantries and the hanging-type MS4s are better-looking than the bulky ones that they install now.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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Emailed Highways England on the SOX lighting on the A1 and they plan in 2021 to replace the lanterns in the Hatfield areas whilst they are looking into the stretch between Sandy and Baldock for new lighting too. Ofc I do not want to hasten their departure conversely I love SOX lighting and wished that they were still being produced but to see patchy lighting across the A1 is damn right dangerous and a distraction to drivers.

Thankfully they don't seem like they will be removed and not replaced - as seen on many other stretches !!
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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thatapanydude wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 10:38 Emailed Highways England on the SOX lighting on the A1 and they plan in 2021 to replace the lanterns in the Hatfield areas whilst they are looking into the stretch between Sandy and Baldock for new lighting too. Ofc I do not want to hasten their departure conversely I love SOX lighting and wished that they were still being produced but to see patchy lighting across the A1 is damn right dangerous and a distraction to drivers.

Thankfully they don't seem like they will be removed and not replaced - as seen on many other stretches !!
Presumably with LED rather than HPS...?
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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EpicChef wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 08:05
thatapanydude wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 10:38 Emailed Highways England on the SOX lighting on the A1 and they plan in 2021 to replace the lanterns in the Hatfield areas whilst they are looking into the stretch between Sandy and Baldock for new lighting too. Ofc I do not want to hasten their departure conversely I love SOX lighting and wished that they were still being produced but to see patchy lighting across the A1 is damn right dangerous and a distraction to drivers.

Thankfully they don't seem like they will be removed and not replaced - as seen on many other stretches !!
Presumably with LED rather than HPS...?
I did mention replacing with LED though so far they have been HPS on the odd replacements taking place.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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thatapanydude wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 22:09
EpicChef wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 08:05
thatapanydude wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 10:38 Emailed Highways England on the SOX lighting on the A1 and they plan in 2021 to replace the lanterns in the Hatfield areas whilst they are looking into the stretch between Sandy and Baldock for new lighting too. Ofc I do not want to hasten their departure conversely I love SOX lighting and wished that they were still being produced but to see patchy lighting across the A1 is damn right dangerous and a distraction to drivers.

Thankfully they don't seem like they will be removed and not replaced - as seen on many other stretches !!
Presumably with LED rather than HPS...?
I did mention replacing with LED though so far they have been HPS on the odd replacements taking place.
I really don't like HPS... I'm just sick of them. The cozy yellow of LPS is very nostalgic, and the futuristic white of LED is the only thing that I find superior. Looking at our pothole rich private road under HPS light, I always call it "a scene out of a horror film" - not too bad a setting for some sort of violent crime. Should I be scared?
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by Truvelo »

thatapanydude wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 22:09 I did mention replacing with LED though so far they have been HPS on the odd replacements taking place.
I'm surprised by that as manufacturers websites are no longer showing them in their product lines. Everything seems to be strictly LED now.
EpicChef wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 22:40 Looking at our pothole rich private road under HPS light
Who's responsible for the lighting in your road? Are you able to change it to SOX yourself?
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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Truvelo wrote: Fri Sep 11, 2020 22:42 Who's responsible for the lighting in your road? Are you able to change it to SOX yourself?
1. did you mean LED rather than LPS - sadly they don't make LPS bulbs anymore
2. in any case I think the council still manages the lighting, there's an inventory of all street lights, last updated in July of this year, and our road is on it. The inventory claims that the Urbis ZX1s installed on our road were put in in 2010 - but GSV images from 2008 show they were there then. I do know our council outsources lighting to a contractor, so they would be responsible.
But interestingly, a mass LED conversion project has seen new lights on all the roads in our area APART FROM OURS! I'm wondering whether they're going to upgrade ours, considering other private roads have been upgraded.
3. I will anyway be reporting the fact that one of the ZX1s on our road, seems to be remaining on during the day... hopefully they will replace them all soon!
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by Truvelo »

I was hoping the responsibility would fall to the residents then you can install whatever lighting you like. Something like my avatar perhaps?
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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I noticed Perthshire still has a lot of SOX on the side roads and streets. For age id say 80s maybe even late 70s.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by traffic-light-man »

This little row of old overhead line fed (and I assume group-switched, perhaps even on a time switch rather than photocell) SOX lanterns is still going just north of Liverpool City Centre. More unusual given it has larger lanterns mounted higher up than most of the other remaining bits of lighting of that type in the area.

The large installation of vintage bollards is excellent, too.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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Some old surviving SOX on the Northbound entry slip on the M5 J4 has disappeared in the last week. It was day burning too but finally has bitten the dust to LED.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by L.J.D »

I think these must be the only ones hanging on in Wakefield. Also check out the flying saucer lantern just to the right. I'm pretty sure it's mercury and it's in working order all of them are. Ironic those oldies are still there given how it was Ameys base for the street lighting PFI years ago. Seems they never bothered to change their own on site lighting. More around the back.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

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L.J.D wrote: Thu Oct 08, 2020 11:05 Ironic those oldies are still there given how it was Ameys base for the street lighting PFI years ago.
The same way that car mechanics drive around in old bangers. Private land is eventually going to be the places where old lighting will survive.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by traffic-light-man »

I thought these two were worthy of a share when I was out and about the other day. The day-burning Liverpool Oval lantern is the one Bryn mentioned earlier upthread, looks as though it still has a 'bowl' too.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by Gareth »

That GEC Brick on Highway column doesn't look that old and is in great condition. I think that was the standard for casual replacements in Liverpool well into the 1980s. I'm not sure when it ended. Presumably when CU Phosco stopped making concrete columns towards the later part of the decade. The GEC Brick lanterns were discontinued around roughly the same time but I do remember seeing the odd one on metal CU columns. Think there might still be an example of this on Botanic Rd.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by Jonathan24 »

This is probably the wrong thread (as they aren't SOX) but anyone know what these are? I don't think they are Alpha 3's but possibly something of that vintage? I was surprised to see so many of them in this area:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.59183 ... 384!8i8192

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.59260 ... 384!8i8192
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by Truvelo »

They are GEC Turtles which normally run SON except for those in Birmingham which are SOX, an example here.
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Re: SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

Post by ManomayLR »

Truvelo wrote: Sat Oct 10, 2020 19:38 They are GEC Turtles which normally run SON except for those in Birmingham which are SOX, an example here.
LPS light fittings tend to be more elongated?
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