31F - Potters Lane, Wednesbury, Sandwell, West Midlands

31F. Potters Lane, Wednesbury, Sandwell, West Midlands With thanks to Dwight for informing me of this Survivor. Alongside the site access for the West Midlands Metro extension project is a 1980s' GEC Z8526 'Turtle' lantern attached to an 8 m base-hinged Abacus tubular steel column; the type of support being a clue as to the installation's purpose. Until 1993, the South Staffordshire Line crossed at this point, with the column providing illumination for the level crossing that used to exist here - this 1983 image shows the setup, complete with the column. The abandoned tracks remained in place in the carriageway until 2012, when they were removed and the area re-surfaced.

Having been abandoned for 30 years in 2023, the column is now very rusty. One of the posts used to support the flashing "wig-wag" signal head for the level crossing remains alongside, although all of the equipment is long gone.

The patterned refractor bowl (as opposed to a bowl with a white diffusion spot in the centre) indicates that this is a later version of the Z8526.

The lantern has rotated slightly on its bracket.

The distinctive Abacus base was difficult to see amongst the well-established weeds.

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