174F. Tyseley Railway Station, Wharfdale Road, Tyseley, Birmingham As with the neighbouring station of Small Heath, Tyseley retains some of its British Rail-era GEC Z8260 lanterns that all but disappeared from the legacy post-privatised railway infrastructure by the early 2000s. The Z8260 was designed to run two 2 ft (600 mm) 40 Watt linear fluorescent lamps, and it was probably thanks to the abundance of Z8260s on the British railway network that this unusual lamp size / wattage combination remained in production for as long as it did.

This Z8260 is attached to a Stewart & Lloyd tubular steel column adjacent a footpath leading to the Tyseley train depot.

The Perspex bowl is too grubby to be able to discern whether the lantern retains any lamps; however, the small break towards the front of the bowl appears to show clear space beyond it, suggesting that the lantern is empty and disused.

Another Z8260, this time with a polycarbonate bowl, is seen further down the footpath. The lantern has rotated slightly on its bracket.

A wall-mounted example is attached to the outside face of a panel that makes up the staircase down to one of the station's two island platforms.

The close-up reveals that although both lamps remain in place within the lantern, the top one has detached from its rear lampholder, which would prevent the lantern from working at all, owing to the two lamps being wired in series through one Quickstart ballast.

The same lantern again, as seen from the platform side.

The second Z8260 on the footpath is seen again, also from the platform. The presence of LED floodlights suggests that the older lantern is obsolete.

As these lanterns are (unusually) not fitted to hinged columns, obtaining access to them must be difficult, which is probably what ended up sealing their fate.

As an extra, this vintage sign is located at the far end of the platforms, and just in case anyone would have trouble to interpret its meaning, a modern equivalent is installed beneath. This picture was taken during the 'Master Cutler' rail tour in March 2024, which involved the use of another 1970s' British Rail staple - the fabulous, and iconic, InterCity 125 High Speed Train.

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