Station Rd Replacements

This next batch of pictures were taken on the 3rd November 2004. Work had already been carried out a little way along the tree-lined patch, but today, three columns that were near the shops were removed.

Yes, unfortunately, two of the three columns were, indeed, the ones from the Survivors page.

It wasn't long before the HIAB pulled up, ready to remove the column. The nearby pedestrian crossing was disconnected as temporary signals were, again, used.

The workmen are pictured here, looking rather happy, which I'm told is a rare occurrence - but then it was early, and work hadn't properly started yet!

Steve took the opportunity to pose for the camera!

The next few pictures show the column being lifted and lowered to the ground:

Notice the two HL4N cells in the right hand picture - obviously the column-mounted one was made obsolete when the Alpha 4 was fitted.

Evidence of the column's original light green paint finish is visible on the exposed portion of bracket - the darker 'Derbyshire Green' being applied later.

If anyone is interested in seeing the wiring and gear for a Civic, here it is:

The column was then prepared for cutting.

As before, the old column sections were loaded onto the HIAB, and the new column was brought down.

More happy faces - maybe someone just announced that the next round was on them!

The hole from the old column was re-used to fit the new one, although it had to be lengthened to fit the longer column shaft.

The new column and lantern were soon into position.

Onto the next column (which I had, fortunately, been able to photograph the night before)...

This column proved quite a difficult one to move, as the pavement is very narrow in this section, and there was a large amount of concrete around the base.

The Opticell seal on this Alpha 1 clearly has perished - hence, the reason why the Opticell was a bit dirty internally.

Finally today came the Alpha 1 that had my lamp in it....

I remember Jeremy showing me the gear to this column when he'd finished making it safe - I thought at the time that 100 Watt SOX must be a mistake until he explained that this was the original wattage before the 90 Watt lamp came out.

This is the last picture that I took before the column was lowered - it was actually at an angle here, as can be seen by the tilted lantern. This column was also difficult to remove, but this time it was because of the large amount of telephone wires only a short distance above.

I managed to save my lamp, as well as the old cell, which turned out to be an Oasis 2000 with a sprayed cone!

The lamp hadn't changed much in just less than a year - it was a bit black around the U-bend of the arc tube, and by the electrodes, but I could still recognise it as the one that I had used in the Z9454. I think I'll hold onto it now - leaving it in the condition that I got it back in.