202IA. Crown Street, Brandon, Suffolk With thanks to Dwight for informing me of these Survivors. Attached to pole brackets along the road are several GEC Z5580 lanterns (and two Z5590s), all likely to be running 80 Watt MBF (mercury lamps). Despite the age of the lanterns (the Z5580s will be around 60 years old in 2024), all are in good condition and show little to no damage.
The first of the installations to be seen when approaching from the south.
The fused service cut-out is attached directly to the wooden pole, whilst the lamp control gear is housed in a dedicated metal box enclosure.
The bracket is an AC Ford product, and uses a simple 1" BSP pipe and 90 degree elbow, followed by a 3/4" BSP reducer to accommodate the top-entry lantern.
The first of the Z5590s is to be found at the junction of St Margaret's Drive.
A brief diversion onto St Margaret's Drive itself allowed the picturing of a GEC Z9538 that was missing its bowl.
The missing bowl revealed that the lantern ran a 35 Watt SOX (low pressure sodium) lamp instead of the 55 Watt lamps that these lanterns run normally. As can be seen, however, the shorter lamp fits without a problem, and will also run on the existing integral control gear without requiring much alteration of wiring.
Back on Crown Street, another pole bracket-mounted Z5580 was located adjacent a bus stop.
A small amount of dirt exists in the lowest portion of the lantern's glass bowl.
The narrower footway on the other side of the road necessitated the use of a shorter outreach bracket for this Z5580.
The shorter outreach allowed the bracket to be attached without the need for additional support in the form of a diagonal stay bar, as seen with the other examples.
This particular installation's maintenance number is 459.
The final Z5580 to be pictured was at the point where Crown Street became Manor Road.
The more observant viewers may notice something slightly different about this lantern.
The lantern is installed 'backwards'; this may have been done deliberately as the installation is positioned on the inside of a sharp bend, and so the refractors will ensure that the main beams are concentrated on the approaches to the bend in this arrangement.
This Z5590 is situated alongside the entrance to a short cul-de-sac off the main Manor Road.
The Telensa radio node, used for switching the lantern in the modern era, is positioned on the side of the control gear enclosure.
The polycarbonate bowl is heavily discoloured from ultraviolet radiation produced by the sun and the lamp, and several cracks emerge from a central point.
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