SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

[Chris5156]

There is a solitary SOX lantern still in situ here on the A4010 Wycombe Road in Princes Risborough, and it remarkably still works (I can confirm this having travelled through Risborough in darkness recently)! It has somehow survived the Buckinghamshire Council LED scheme, despite lanterns on surrounding columns having been replaced by LEDs.

This is true in Staffordshire too. When a whole road has been up downgraded to LED they leave a single SOX or SON lantern in place.

Is there a particular reason for this? The only occurrence of this I've seen in Bucks is that one in Risborough. I've not seen it elsewhere.

I’d guess it’s something very mundane, like an issue accessing one random light on the day the crew is there to do the LED replacement. They then move on and either don’t make a note of the need to come back or are too busy with a county-wide LED programme to come back.

[FleetlinePhil]

Despite a second pass to replace some of the stragglers, Calderdale's LED conversion contractors still seemed to miss some SOX installations. These two are very close to my home in Todmorden, although the one located in the alley had been out for many months - quite possibly since Covid. However I noticed the other evening it has now been returned to its SOX glory !

Wait, they converted LED back to LPS?

Sorry, no, both these remained SOX, and I merely meant that a replacement SOX element had been fitted to the failed light. Why these two were missed I have no idea, there are several others in nearby back alleys that were replaced by LED. I noticed the other evening there are also some SOX visible on the W side of the A646, I must have a look now the afternoons are drawing in.

The other one of the SOX lights linked to above failed a few weeks back, and after a false start when Calderdale emailed me back saying they couldn't find a fault, it has been now replaced. However, this time it is not a SOX replacement, but a white light fitted into the old lantern. It sits right at the post end of the lantern bowl and is a warmer white than the nearby LEDs, but beyond that I couldn't say what it is.

The SOX in the alley that was replaced in late 2022 is still going strong, though!

[Worcestershire Wolf]

There are a few left on the Blackpole Trading Estate in Worcester. I am guessing that this is a private road and doesn't come under the responsibility of the county council hence their survival:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.21845 ... ?entry=ttu

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.22172 ... ?entry=ttu

[Truvelo]

Yes, I've seen a lot on industrial estates and businesses recently and they must be privately maintained. Most I've seen are mercury so they are even older.

[Sabrista]

There’s these old things right outside my office:-

https://maps.app.goo.gl/BGM4QiZcN5G5KzVP6?g_st=ic

Never seen them working when I was leaving work in the dark.

Serena

[Truvelo]

There’s these old things right outside my office:-

https://maps.app.goo.gl/BGM4QiZcN5G5KzVP6?g_st=ic

Never seen them working when I was leaving work in the dark.

Serena

Those are Philips MA50's which are mounted on short columns for their power output.

[Sabrista]

Not much power in them if they don’t work!

Serena

[Patrick Harper]

There is a solitary SOX lantern still in situ here on the A4010 Wycombe Road in Princes Risborough, and it remarkably still works (I can confirm this having travelled through Risborough in darkness recently)! It has somehow survived the Buckinghamshire Council LED scheme, despite lanterns on surrounding columns having been replaced by LEDs.

I notice an identical column covering the bus stop further on still had an MA90 until 2022/2023.

[StockburyRoundabout]

There is a solitary SOX lantern still in situ here on the A4010 Wycombe Road in Princes Risborough, and it remarkably still works (I can confirm this having travelled through Risborough in darkness recently)! It has somehow survived the Buckinghamshire Council LED scheme, despite lanterns on surrounding columns having been replaced by LEDs.

I notice an identical column covering the bus stop further on still had an MA90 until 2022/2023.

Indeed it did! I know Buckinghamshire Council's contractors replaced a substantial number of lanterns in Spring/Summer 2023. The one I referred to obviously survived, alas the one you also mentioned did not.

[Jonathan24]

There aren't many SOX mounted on electricity poles which have such a long arm (at least in Northern Ireland anyway)

[Brenley Corner]

All 4 slip roads on the A3/A2043 junction in SW London still have SOX lanterns. This is the northbound off-slip but it seems all 4 slip roads have interesting lanterns. I drove past them at the weekend and they were still there but in the daytime so no idea how many of them still work.