Local Thorn Gamma 6s

The Gamma 6 was a very popular post-top lantern throughout Derbyshire - it first started appearing in the mid-1980s in housing estates dating from this time. Many footpaths on older housing estates were lit for the first time around then as well; and so the Gamma 6 was the choice lantern. The lantern was later used to replace failed GEC Z5698Us in the City until the late 1990s. The choice of lamp was usually 35 Watt SOX; however, 70 Watt SON and even 80 Watt mercury examples were used in places.

This 1980s' style Gamma 6 is fitted to a Post-Top bracket in the South Derbyshire village of Melbourne. Notice that the bracket has a lid - this is where the control gear would be placed for a gearless lantern; though this Gamma 6 is likely to be gear-in-head, with the result that the bracket is likely to be devoid of any equipment. I have not seen this lantern working but it probably uses either a SOX or a SON lamp.

By the 1990s, the canopy of the Gamma 6 had shrunk in depth somewhat but there were no other changes to the lantern appearance-wise. This example is on the footpath which runs behind our old house - I could see the lantern from my bedroom (back then a GEC Z5698U was fitted; which is why I have such an affection for this lantern as a collector) and would frequently watch it switch on and warm up - not knowing anything as to how this happened and what the type of lamp was (it would have been SOX). I remember being quite upset when I noticed that the Z5698U had been replaced - it would have been the mid-1990s, so the Z5698U would have been approaching its 20th birthday - what a shame I didn't collect back then! Fortunately, another Z5698U survives at the beginning of the footpath, and so I am keeping a close eye on this one!

This Gamma 6 in a car park off Stratford Road in Chaddesden runs a 125 Watt mercury lamp.

The South Derbyshire village of Rosliston is home to a number of wide-canopy Gamma 6s; the only place in Derbyshire (that I know of) where such lanterns exist. This example attached to a seemingly rather short column (perhaps because of the presence of nearby overhead electricity conductors) is fitted with a Zodion SS9-DLS part-night photocell.

As well as also being fitted with a part-night photocell, this example also has a deflector fitted in the back of the bowl, in order to minimise the amount of light being cast into the windows of adjacent properties.

The paint finish on this all-night example's canopy is in better condition; ironically, this is likely to be an older lantern than the two above examples are. Notice the slightly more unusual post-top sleeve fitted to the Stanton 10F concrete column.

A downside to wide-canopied lanterns is that the underside of the canopy attracts airborne dirt rather too readily.

Judging by the presence of a lower gasket on this example, the bowl may be a replacement - the later Gamma Basique lantern including a lower gasket on its bowl, in order to improve the overall IP rating.

Although these examples are geared for 70 Watt SON lamps, the lanterns were later fitted with ceramic metal halide lamps of the same wattage, as part of a "white light" scheme for the village.