97KH. Featherstone Interchange, Featherstone, Hilton, Staffordshire With thanks to AgentHalogen_87 for informing me of these Survivors. Installed around the junction that links the M54 Motorway to the A460 are a number of lanterns from Philips' 'MA' SOX (low pressure sodium) range (known collectively as the SRS 201 in some markets), including many MA 60s for 180 Watt lamps. Beneath the two bridges that support the M54 are examples of the earlier MA 90 (90 Watt), which attach to the bridge structure by unusual, and possibly, bespoke, brackets. These lanterns are all likely to date from around 1983, when the interchange was constructed.

Several MA 60s are present in this view taken from the north side of the interchange, looking back towards it.

The heavily-weathered GRP canopy of the foreground lantern shows what being left out in all weathers for approximately 41 years (at the time of photographing) does for a product. Despite this, the lantern interior still appears relatively clean.

The columns are all a tapering sheet steel design produced by Petitjean / Stainton - these columns were something of a mainstay for many high speed road junctions that were constructed, or relit, in the 1980s.

The lamp control gear is housed within the rear aluminium section of these lanterns.

Three MA 90s are installed beneath both bridges; these are on the westbound side.

The supplies to these lanterns originate in this control box that is attached to the bridge structure. The large steel wire armoured cable on the right will be the incoming supply, while the three orange Mineral Insulated cables to the left will feed each lantern individually. One of these MI cables must have failed, resulting in the installation of a new Hi-Tuff cable as a replacement. A photocell positioned on top of the box switches the three lanterns simultaneously.

The MA 90s attach to brackets that are fixed to the ceiling. The relatively damp environment beneath the bridge has caused corrosion to form on the lantern's gear section. As MI cable is especially susceptible to failing in moist conditions if it isn't sealed correctly during preparation, this may have been the reason for the section requiring replacement.

The background lantern is the one that required re-cabling; as can be seen, it is not clipped as tidily to the bridge structure as the original cable to the foreground lantern is.

The background MA 90 is seen here again, when viewed directly from below.

Emerging back into the daylight, more MA 60s were seen on the south side of the roundabout.

Unlike later MA 60s, and indeed, MA SOX lanterns in general, these examples do not feature a bowl clip at the front of the lantern.

The photocells now employed on all of these lanterns appear to be Zodion SS6s.

One of the MA 90s on the eastern side of the roundabout is to a later design, with the lamp control gear mounted within the lantern, using the body that is also used for versions of the MA 50 (135 Watt) where the gear is not located inside the bowl.

Although the gear was relocated to being within the lantern on later MA 90s, the MA 60's control gear was always housed in the external casting (on gear-in-head lanterns, anyway). Despite this MA 90 being a replacement, it is still old enough for the front bowl clip not to feature.

The final two MA 90s were back to the original design.

Creating a symmetry with the other side, a wall-mounted control box with the cabling heading out to each lantern was provided here too.

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