GEC Z9532

Lantern acquired in October 2007.

Thanks to Simon Brown for this lantern. The 'Nightwatch' variants continue yet again with this aluminium canopied, gear-in-head version. This example was removed from Carisbrooke Road in Portsmouth on 7th September 2007, and was replaced due to ongoing lighting renewals as part of the city's street lighting PFI programme. This version of the Z9532 is seemingly non-existent in Derbyshire.

How the lantern looked in-situ. This photograph was taken by Simon Brown a few days before the column was removed.

If you hold your mouse cursor over the following photographs, the image will change for the equivalent one showing the newer GEC Z9532 - in this way, both lanterns can be compared.

Whilst the overall design of the lantern has not changed that much between the two versions, there are some obvious differences between both lanterns - the older design has an aluminium canopy, whereas this has been changed to GRP on the newer version. The newer bowl (apart from being slightly shallower) also features moulded-in refractors whereas the older example has stick-on refractors which have become unstuck over time. Fortunately, the remained inside the bowl and so, after being cleaned, will be able to be stuck back onto the bowl.

The newer canopy has been modified slightly in order for a NEMA socket to be fitted on a flat plane. I assume that the P42 may have been added to the older example as a result of being converted from time switch operation, although this may be incorrect.

The older bowl gives the lamp a more 'diffused' appearance than the newer bowl. The older one is also supported by an aluminium frame whereas this is not present on the newer version. The green sticker relates to the clean-and-change schedule for this lantern.

The gear tray in the older version extends for the full length of the lantern and is hinged, whereas in the newer version it only reaches to about three quarters of the lantern and lifts out.

Another difference is that the gear in the older example is actually fixed to the tray, whilst it is fixed to the canopy in the newer example. The existing capacitor in the older example was found to be open-circuit, and so a modern one has been fitted alongside. As with the ZD10807, the ballast label has completely worn away over the years. Unusually, the original capacitor carries no date code, but is made to BS 4017:1966, which gives a clue as to its approximate age. The ballast, however, carries the code '22CL', with the two letters being a possible date code instead, as this would represent November 1971 in GEC coding, and would be accurate for the age of the lantern.

Click here to see photographs of the lantern undergoing restoration

Following restoration, the lantern was quickly reassembled and relamped: