12EAB. Off Milton Road, Greenhill, Wealdstone, London Borough of Harrow Located in the car park for Harrow Council are several types of GEC post type lantern, attached to tubular steel columns of differing heights. ZD10606s and ZD10841s are employed on the shorter (20 ft / 6 m) columns, while one ZD10517 and multiple ZD10839s are fitted to the taller (35 ft / 10.6 m) columns. Such a variety of different lanterns is unusual, as all designs would be of similar age, so the explanation that different types may have replaced damaged examples may not be true in this case, although why different types were selected is a mystery, unless the car park was used by the council and GEC to test the various products - GEC's lantern factory was at East Lane in Wembley, and wouldn't be far for company representatives to travel.

Part of the car park is now disused, although the columns remain in place.

The column to the right in the above picture supports a ZD10841, with a SELC 841 photocell providing the automatic switching.

The ZD10841 was designed to take a 250 - 400 Watt "Truelite" or 310 - 400 Watt "Solarcolour" lamps (the respective GEC names for mercury vapour and high pressure sodium lamps), and measures 838 mm (33 inches) in diameter, and 406 mm (16 inches) in height - such lanterns are slightly overkill for this mounting height!

The ZD10606 to the left has sustained some damage to its bowl.

An undamaged example survives elsewhere in the car park, although the canopy is not secured correctly.

A further ZD10841 was to be found behind the disused Wealdstone Social Club & Institute Building.

An example of the evolution of the SELC 841, the 8480, was fitted to this lantern.

Another ZD10606 was attached to a Stewart & Lloyd column adjacent the access road through the car park.

The ZD10606 shares some components of the ZD10841 - it measures exactly the same diameter, but is 482 mm (19 inches) in height. It could accommodate the same lamp types too, but also had the option of running a 90 Watt SOX (low pressure sodium) lamp.

One final ZD10841 was to be found on the open precinct area leading to Marlborough Hill

I believe that the flared base casting signifies that these could be earlier examples.

The only ZD10517 in the car park was on this column. This lantern was also known as the ZD574 when an internal counterweight (used in lowering the bowl for maintenance) was excluded.

This monster lantern is described in GEC catalogues as being "about" (I assume that GEC didn't have a long enough ruler!) 4 ft 6 inches (1370 mm) in diameter. It could accommodate three 250 - 400 Watt Truelite, 310 - 400 Watt Solarcolour, or 135 Watt SOX, lamps.

By comparison, the ZD10839 ran the same lamp types, but was marginally narrower at 4 ft (1220 mm) in diameter, and measured 425 mm (16³/₄ inches) in height.

As can be seen, there was much overlapping in GEC's product range at the time.

One of the two thumbscrews located on the base casting for holding the lantern together under normal circumstances.

At the time of photographing, part of the car park was given over to serving as a site compound for an adjacent building site. This column and its ZD10839 remained within it.

Sadly, the construction works have caused damage to be incurred to the bowl. This does, however, allow a slight glimpse into the lantern.

Another column was sandwiched between the site cabins.

Fortunately, the bowl remained intact here.

< Previous | Next >

BACK TO SURVIVORS IN GREATER LONDON

BACK TO SURVIVORS

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A MONETARY DONATION