12EAA. Sandridge Close, Wealdstone, London Borough of Harrow With thanks to Dwight for informing me of these Survivors. Situated within the communal parking area for the Churchill Place flats are two 15 ft (5 m) 'Byway-X' columns made by Concrete Utilities, and fitted with post-top lanterns. One is a Phosco P178, while arguably the more notable of the two is the second lantern, which is a Revo 'Silvercrest' A40.473. Both are designed for running 80 - 125 Watt MBF (mercury vapour) lamps, and indeed, this light source appears to be what the two lanterns were running when photographed in October 2024.
The two installations are pictured from a convenient raised vantage point that allowed access to some of the flats. The Byway-X column with the Silvercrest is seen in the foreground, while the P178 is in the background.
One of the two thumbscrews used in securing the Silvercrest's bowl was seen to be loose.
Looking the other way, the raised section is visible behind the column.
Unusually for a post-top lantern, the bowl and canopy are roughly oblong in shape, rather than circular.
The Perspex bowl has become translucent from years of UV degradation, which would have been exacerbated by the MBF lamp.
Revo literature states that releasing the two thumbscrews allows the bowl to detach from the canopy, causing it to slide a short distance down the column (with a nylon cord preventing it from falling away completely), allowing access into the lantern.
Fortunately, the column's inspection door had been secured using a 'Tamtorque' band; the original CU 'drop-latch' lock having failed. Releasing the band allowed the internal wiring to be appreciated. MEM (Midland Electric Manufacturing) porcelain fuses are connected to both the incoming live and outgoing neutral cores - this was standard practice when the column was installed. Above these, a Horstmann Y-type mechanical solar time switch controlled the lantern's operation. This was set about about four hours (and approximately a week) fast, so naturally, I altered this, though I was unable to tell whether the lamp struck when switching the time switch into manual override mode. A GEC ballast is installed above the time switch, although it has lost its label to indicate the exact lamp type that it is designed to run (a common issue with this type of ballast contained within a light green case).
The capacitor carried the manufacturing date of 10 / 69, providing an indicator as to the installation's age. Given that Revo's street lighting division had become Relite in 1967, the Silvercrest may have been fitted as new, old stock, but equally, could have been installed here second-hand as a replacement for a second P178.
Speaking of P178s, the example fitted to the other column featured the more uncommon transparent bowl.
Despite said bowl having a rather grubby underside, the lamp was still (just about) visible within.
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