Off Windsor Road, Enfield, Redditch, Worcestershire With thanks to Leo Conway for informing me of these Survivors. Situated between some industrial buildings, which were once a depot for the Midlands Electricity Board, are several surviving 25 ft (8 m) columns, all of which support Revo C13723/S ("Dalek") lanterns, which would have run 140 Watt SO/H and SOI/H (low pressure sodium) lamps initially, but as technology improved, would have run 100 Watt (and later, 90 Watt) SOX lamps instead; these being of the same size and electrical characteristics of the older lamp types. Although only one of the lanterns shows obvious signs of damage, the likelihood of any of the other lanterns remaining in nightly service is slim at best.
Two tubular steel poles are to be seen at the western side of the site. These are similar in appearance to the type that would have supported overhead wiring for trolleybuses.
The bracket is clamped to the pole in two locations.
The Perspex bowl, although now translucent through ultraviolet degradation, remains undamaged.
Cast iron Revo control boxes are fitted to the two poles at a low height. Those two wing nuts look inviting...
The rubber insulation on the cores of the incoming supply cable have perished, exposing the internal conductors. These terminate into a later MK enclosure, with the live conductors then passing to a fuse before continuing on to the lamp control gear. The ballast takes up much of the available space within the box; sadly, it looks to be in poor condition through disuse. Beneath that, the capacitor carries August 1958 as its date of manufacture.
The second pole supports the only damaged lantern on the site.
A large tree used to surround this installation, and that may have caused the delicate Perspex bowl to break - either, in windy weather, or as the tree was removed. The smashed GE SOX lamp could be the result of vandalism, however, as the lamp still appeared intact in September 2020, long after the tree had gone, but had become broken by the following August.
The other two lanterns are attached to 'Highway' concrete columns, made by Concrete Utilities.
Despite (presumably) being of the same sort of age as the earlier two installations are, the concrete appears to be in good condition, with no obvious cracks or other signs of spalling visible.
The lantern too is in impeccable condition, save for the usual accumulated dirt within the bowl.
A similar installation, but one that features a longer outreach bracket, can be found further down the site.
The installation was bathed in glorious late December sunlight.
This lantern too looked to be complete, despite being nearly 70 years old at the time of photographing.
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