194AD. North Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire With thanks to Dwight for informing me of these Survivors. Situated on the roadway of the North Road Industrial Estate, near the site of a former gatehouse, are two derelict 25 ft (8 m) Concrete Utilities' Highway 'X' columns, both of which support lanterns that (in later years) would have run 90 Watt SOX (low pressure sodium) lamps. The most notable of the two lanterns is a 1950s' British Thomson-Houston (BTH) Amber lantern, whilst the other is a 1970s' Thorn Alpha 9. As the Alpha 9 was something of the spiritual successor of the BTH, and later Associated Electrical Industries (AEI), Amber lantern, there is a possibility that this was ordered as a replacement from Thorn, with another Amber having been here previously.
The Amber's column is now on a patch of waste ground, with foliage having grown around it since the area became abandoned.
The bracket appears to be in a good state of repair, with no obvious signs of cracking or spalling being present.
The lantern's Perspex bowl has become cloudy through age.
Structurally, the column is in far worse, and even dangerous, condition, with large chunks of concrete having fallen away, and large vertical cracks existing throughout the structure.
From this angle, the abandonment is clear.
Did I mention that the column was in poor condition? This crack is at the base, and measures several millimetres across in places.
Around the corner, at least, the Alpha 9's column seemed a little more stable.
The lamp is still fitted within the lantern, awaiting the day when, once again, it will run.
This could be a while away, however, as the presence of a nettle growing up through the column's supply cable hole would suggest! Although very faded, the wattage stamp is still just visible on the ballast - as it states that the ballast will run 90 Watt SOX and 140 Watt SLI/H (linear low pressure sodium) lamps, as opposed to 100 Watt SOX lamps or even 140 Watt SO/H / SOI/H lamps, which earlier ballasts would have mentioned, we can deduce that the lantern and gear (at least) are 1970s' products.
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