SOX street lights, which areas still have them?

[Truvelo]

I spotted these yesterday in South St.David Street, Edinburgh:

Looks like it's fitted with a replacement LED lamp but still nice to see the original installation intact.

[scott125]

I spotted these yesterday in South St.David Street, Edinburgh:


IMG_9104.jpeg

Surprised they haven't removed them. I believe they are old tram poles. I cant think of any SOX in Edinburgh now. Plenty of the old column's remain though.

[Little Owl]

Pair of MA50s spotted near Grimsby, while hunting for surviving examples on Street View: https://goo.gl/maps/aHAJ2QHLrAdEPGmZ7

[scott125]

Pair of MA50s spotted near Grimsby, while hunting for surviving examples on Street View: https://goo.gl/maps/aHAJ2QHLrAdEPGmZ7

They look orignal, early 1980s I reckon?

[Little Owl]

I wonder if the two are still there in Liverpool? The model of the lantern may be very rare now.

https://goo.gl/maps/gn5vmg7vX6KG2J9P6

[MotorwayGuy]

I wonder if the two are still there in Liverpool? The model of the lantern may be very rare now.

https://goo.gl/maps/gn5vmg7vX6KG2J9P6

There's a few GEC bricks on some of those as well, strange how one of the columns as well as a few of the steel ones further down have had those ASD lanterns (that are usually used on short columns and look odd on main roads) but these have been left.

There's also this nearby that looks unusual.

[RJDG14]

There was one short stretch of the M1 that still had a lot of traditional SOX lights when I was on it less than 2 weeks ago. I've forgotten exactly where it was, but it would have probably been one of the stretches that hasn't been upgraded to smart motorway. I did take a photo, though.

[Chris5156]

There was one short stretch of the M1 that still had a lot of traditional SOX lights when I was on it less than 2 weeks ago. I've forgotten exactly where it was, but it would have probably been one of the stretches that hasn't been upgraded to smart motorway. I did take a photo, though.

There’s a very short length immediately south of J23A, would that be it?

[ManomayLR]

There was one short stretch of the M1 that still had a lot of traditional SOX lights when I was on it less than 2 weeks ago. I've forgotten exactly where it was, but it would have probably been one of the stretches that hasn't been upgraded to smart motorway. I did take a photo, though.

There’s a very short length immediately south of J23A, would that be it?

It's so odd, because J22-23a for some reason is still equipped with continuous HPS lighting, despite being conventional motorway.

Then, just after the 23a off-slip, the soft warm white blanket is replaced by a sea of bright yellow which is after only 10 seconds replaced with brilliant bright white as you go under the A42 flyover and onto the managed section, which has been upgraded to LED lighting.

Quite dramatic! I do love that section by night. I also like 23a-25 as one of the stretches which has retained continuous lighting for much of its length.

[RJDG14]

There was one short stretch of the M1 that still had a lot of traditional SOX lights when I was on it less than 2 weeks ago. I've forgotten exactly where it was, but it would have probably been one of the stretches that hasn't been upgraded to smart motorway. I did take a photo, though.

There’s a very short length immediately south of J23A, would that be it?

That sounds familiar - I think it was just south of a junction.

[Jonathan24]

One of the last remaining (mainly) SOX lighting stretches on a main road in Northern Ireland (which I'm aware of) has now been replaced with LEDs. Given the age of the columns, I surprised they didn't do a complete replacement, instead of just removing the curved arms and replacing with straight sections and LED lanterns.

There is another short stretch of SOX a little bit further up the road, but I'd assume that will shortly go too. Still the odd SOX lantern on Boucher Road too, but the majority have been replaced as they fail.

[Worcestershire Wolf]

There's still seems to be loads around Canvey Island, mainly down side streets attached to wooden poles. Here's one random street:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5179855 ... ?entry=ttu

but a few freestanding ones too:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5214454 ... ?entry=ttu

[FleetlinePhil]

We noticed this isolated SOX lantern still in use amongst the LEDs on Aston Street, Shifnal last weekend.

[Patrick Harper]

A few GEC Bricks have been left abandoned at M25 J17, and the ones beneath the surplus flyovers at M23 J7 have only just been replaced within the last year or so.

[Truvelo]

Tamworth is the place to go for some good SOX lanterns and not just the later stuff either. Some of it is pretty elderly.

[Little Owl]

A few GEC Bricks have been left abandoned at M25 J17, and the ones beneath the surplus flyovers at M23 J7 have only just been replaced within the last year or so.

I wish I could join forces with other collectors to encourage Hertfordshire to donate those bricks to me and other interested people, but I am not on any social media because of the very negative effect on productivity and mental health.

[Brenley Corner]

A few GEC Bricks have been left abandoned at M25 J17

The A282/M25 at J30/J31 still has old SOX lighting on the mainline which has apparently escaped from adjacent lighting upgrade schemes and is original from opening in the early 80s. The M25 lighting didn't work that well here when it was all SOX anyway, so I expect these don't work at all these days and there is the obligatory temporary "irregular street lighting" sign propped up somewhere.

[AndyB]

One of the last remaining (mainly) SOX lighting stretches on a main road in Northern Ireland (which I'm aware of) has now been replaced with LEDs. Given the age of the columns, I surprised they didn't do a complete replacement, instead of just removing the curved arms and replacing with straight sections and LED lanterns.

There is another short stretch of SOX a little bit further up the road, but I'd assume that will shortly go too.

The columns at Ballyrainey Road and Greengraves Road are only about 30 years old - originally those two junctions were unlit and there was no lighting at all between the SON (originally Alpha 8s, installed 1980) at the roundabout and near Belfast Road. If I remember rightly, originally the lanterns at Greengraves Road and Ballyrainey were Alpha 1s.

[Jonathan24]

One of the last remaining (mainly) SOX lighting stretches on a main road in Northern Ireland (which I'm aware of) has now been replaced with LEDs. Given the age of the columns, I surprised they didn't do a complete replacement, instead of just removing the curved arms and replacing with straight sections and LED lanterns.

There is another short stretch of SOX a little bit further up the road, but I'd assume that will shortly go too.

The columns at Ballyrainey Road and Greengraves Road are only about 30 years old - originally those two junctions were unlit and there was no lighting at all between the SON (originally Alpha 8s, installed 1980) at the roundabout and near Belfast Road. If I remember rightly, originally the lanterns at Greengraves Road and Ballyrainey were Alpha 1s.

Ah, thanks, wasn't aware they weren't of the same vintage as those at the roundabout (they possibly look to be similar, but hard to tell when driving past). I'm sure those at Ballyrainey Road will get a similar treatment very soon then.

[scott125]

One of the last remaining (mainly) SOX lighting stretches on a main road in Northern Ireland (which I'm aware of) has now been replaced with LEDs. Given the age of the columns, I surprised they didn't do a complete replacement, instead of just removing the curved arms and replacing with straight sections and LED lanterns.

There is another short stretch of SOX a little bit further up the road, but I'd assume that will shortly go too.

The columns at Ballyrainey Road and Greengraves Road are only about 30 years old - originally those two junctions were unlit and there was no lighting at all between the SON (originally Alpha 8s, installed 1980) at the roundabout and near Belfast Road. If I remember rightly, originally the lanterns at Greengraves Road and Ballyrainey were Alpha 1s.

Them Alpha 8s have done well to last over 40 years. I have noticed a similarity between the lighting between Ireland and the Glasgow area. Thorn alpha 4s and 8s feature in both places.