77c. Nottingham Road, Chaddesden. Situated within the compound of an electrical substation at the junction of Highfield Lane stand two 15 ft base-hinged Abacus columns supporting Atlas / Thorn Gamma 5 post-top lanterns. Given that a near-identical arrangement exists within the substation compounds in Darley Abbey and Mackworth, I expect that this lantern and column combination was the standard lighting installation for Derby's substations at the time that this 1930s' substation was last refurbished, which was probably the late 1960s or early 1970s.
As with the Darley Abbey example, the lanterns are not lit unless the substation is occupied at night. Had they been operational, the slovenly individual who decided to fly-tip an old refrigerator may have thought twice about their actions.
The transparent bowls fitted to these lanterns allow the 3-BC mercury vapour lamps and glass refractor domes to be glimpsed.
The second of the two lanterns features a cleaner bowl than the first does. Both columns have the characteristic flared spigot end that was an option when fitting a Gamma 5 lantern to this type of column.
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