57AB. Off Wellington Road, Nantwich, Cheshire With thanks to Dwight for informing me of these Survivors. Installed along a narrow footpath that passes alongside the town's railway line before entering Brookfield Park are two 15 ft (5 m) GEC concrete columns with curved top-entry brackets, both fitted with GEC 'Small Oxford' Z5566 lanterns for 80 - 125 Watt Mercury Vapour (MBF) lamps. Sadly, both lanterns have lost their distinctive glass bowls, although the lamp survives in one - in the lantern that is attached to the column that is positioned on a now-disused section of the footpath. There may have been additional columns installed along here formerly, but only these two remain now, and I am not certain that they retain live supplies.
Unhelpfully, the first column from Wellington Street is positioned alongside a tree, which was in full leaf when photographed in July 2024 (funny, that).
The bowlless and lampless lantern was just visible through the leaves.
The bracket also came into view with some careful positioning.
A Royce Thompson P12H miniature photocell had been installed on this column's door at some point. Notice that the door is hanging open slightly...
I took advantage of the situation, and had a nosey in the base compartment. A split concentric cable provides the incoming supply, which then connects to the photocell and a contactor. The switched side of the contactor connects to an outgoing private cable that feeds the other column (and any others that may have existed previously), along with the local wiring for this column. A 1980s' (estimated) GEC ballast is situated at the top of the backboard, with the capacitor installed below it.
The second column is now in an overgrown area, although a simple wire and concrete post fence still marks the line of the footpath.
The lantern's enamelled reflector shows signs of rusting, owing to the probable disuse. Its "Street Side" indicator faces the wrong direction too, curiously.
This column's door was missing completely, revealing a far more straightforward setup - just a single cut-out this time, and a ballast (no capacitor, although its fixing clip remained in place).
CLICK HERE TO MAKE A MONETARY DONATION
© 2002 - English Street Lights Online