Along with the lanterns, their Fabrikat outreach brackets were rescued too. For ease of identification in the following images, the lanterns are distinguished by the last digit of their former column numbers - from top-to-bottom, these are 9, 0, 1 and 2. Lanterns 9 and 1 ended their days operating part-night, and fitted with Zodion SS9-DLS photocells rated at 35 Lux ON, midnight OFF, 05:30 am ON and 18 Lux OFF. Lanterns 0 and 2 retain their original Royce Thompson Oasis 2000 all-night photocells rated at 55 Lux ON and 28 Lux OFF. The Oasis cells are fitted in leftover Sirebeck photocell casings; Royce Thompson having bought out this company in the late 1990s.
The table below lists the manufacturing dates of the four lanterns, their photocells and lamps:
| Lantern Date | Lamp Date | Photocell Date | |
| 9 | 8B (February 1998) | 5F (June 2015) - fitted August 2016 | February 2014 |
| 0 | 9J (September 1999) | 7F (June 2017) | September 1999 |
| 1 | September 2014 | ||
| 2 | 4K (October 2014) - fitted December 2015 | September 1999 |
The column supporting lantern 0 was discovered to be defective (it had twisted during manufacture); thus, it was required to be replaced before the road's adoption by the Local Authority. This occurred on Saturday, 14th September 2002, and was carried out by contractors employed by Tarmac's Street Lighting division. Fortunately, I was on hand to hinder the contractors on the day, and to be employed in the role of "official lantern holder" (a very important role) until the bracket was united with its new column. Little did I know at the time that I would be holding a rather more weathered lantern and bracket less than seventeen years later!
The same column eight years later, in December 2010, following a covering of snow.
At the time, the lamp fitted dated from the 22nd July 2008. A further nine years later, the canopy was in a far more grubbier condition, when removed!
Lantern and bracket 1, pictured a few weeks before removal, in early March 2019:
Lantern 9 in mid-March; fortunately, the lichen growth on its GRP canopy hadn't worsened in the subsequent weeks!
With only days to go until the MI 26s were due to be removed, I ventured out after nightfall and captured the following images. Here, 1 is in the foreground, with 0 and 9 visible in the background.
Looking the other way, 2 creates a very contrasting view, with the cold, dark sky against the warm, welcoming glow of the SOX lamp.
From the other end of the road, 9 appears in the foreground, with 0 visible behind.
A close-up of 1:
When the ESLA's first lamp failed in February 2006, I captured the resultant darkness. In the process, 2 was (inadvertently) spotted too:
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Lantern and bracket 0 were the first to be removed, on Monday, 29th April 2019. I am pictured below with my newly-acquired toy.
1 and 2 were removed from service a day later, with 9 succumbing to LED on the 1st May (although, it had been disconnected from its cut-out on the 30th April too), bringing an end to the 19 years of SOX lighting on my road. 2 was last re-lamped in December 2015; the video below shows this happening:
| Philips MI / F/XGS Lanterns in the Collection | ||||||
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FGS 103 (June 2003)
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FGS 104 (Oct 2002)
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MI 8
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MI 26 (June 1992)
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MI 26 × 2 (June 1998)
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MI 26 × 4 (Feb 1998 / Sept 1999)
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MI 50 (Feb 1988)
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MI 55 (Aug 1989)
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MI 80 (Oct 1985)
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XGS 103 (Oct 2001)
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XGS 103 (Dec 2002)
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XGS 103 (Dec 2003)
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XGS 104 (Oct 2002)
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CU Phosco P567A | Thorn Beta 5 (1998)
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