Detroit, MI
48 pics
03 Apr 2013
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2014
Update Mar 2018: Despite the civic chaos surrounding the city administration around this time (2013 and on) they managed to replace a lot of the really old stuff within a couple of years of these pictures being taken.
The first few pics taken April 2013, the rest October 2012 before the LED changeout started in earnest.Detroit was home to a huge amount of vintage installations, some dating from the beginning of last century. This is an example of some of the newer stuff, a Westinghouse Reflectolux Senior, series overhead wired mercury on Conant St south of E 8 Mile.
03 Apr 2013
These pics taken April 2013
There have been a lot of spot replacements done with these fixtures- Holophane RSL. Despite them being an old fixture, they are still bought new from Holophane by Detroit Public Lighting.
There have been a lot of spot replacements done with these fixtures- Holophane RSL. Despite them being an old fixture, they are still bought new from Holophane by Detroit Public Lighting.
03 Apr 2013
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2014
These pics taken April 2013
This is quite a typical scene- mid last century Westinhouse fixtures, overhead wired, with spot replacements of cobraheads.
03 Apr 2013
These were further south on Conant, between E Nevada and E McNichols.
03 Apr 2013
These pics taken April 2013
Downtown it's a little newer, the multi lamp acorn fixtures are reproductions.
Downtown it's a little newer, the multi lamp acorn fixtures are reproductions.
03 Apr 2013
These pics taken April 2013
There's even some brand new stuff, like these GE Evolve 140W LED cobraheads.
There's even some brand new stuff, like these GE Evolve 140W LED cobraheads.
03 Apr 2013
Status unknownCheck attempted on "as of" date (usually via GSV in this case), but status of light could not be determined at that time, usually as fixture could not be found again
as of Apr 2019 but probably gone 2014
These pics taken April 2013
However there's still a lot of old stuff downtown- this Westinghouse mercury teardrop is underground series wired, with the isolation ballast on top of the pole.
03 Apr 2013
These pics taken April 2013
An example of the spot replacement with the Holophane RSL fixtures, in this case the loop is dayburning. Detroit does not control their loops with photocells, most loops are cascaded from other ones with CTs controlling the primary oil switches.
An example of the spot replacement with the Holophane RSL fixtures, in this case the loop is dayburning. Detroit does not control their loops with photocells, most loops are cascaded from other ones with CTs controlling the primary oil switches.
14 Oct 2012
These pics taken October 2012.
Until it was all ripped out, large parts of the city looked like this- Westinghouse teardrops, mostly mercury, and spot replacement Holophane RSL fixtures, also mercury.
Until it was all ripped out, large parts of the city looked like this- Westinghouse teardrops, mostly mercury, and spot replacement Holophane RSL fixtures, also mercury.
14 Oct 2012
Somewhere on W Fort St, another typical scene- a Holophane RSL on one of the oldest type of wooden pole, with a cast iron arm.
14 Oct 2012
Another relatively common sight- at some point this run was multiple wired, and the luminaires were replaced with Josyln MV-141 "spaceships".
14 Oct 2012
Even the multiple wired lights can be interesting, here's a GE Form 79VR in Wyandotte.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Aug 2018
This is Baumey St and 6th St in Wyandotte.
Update July 2024: Looks like a lot of this old stuff was gone by Aug 2018.
14 Oct 2012
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Oct 2020
Still in Wyandotte, this is Ford Ave at Lindbergh St, and more Josyln MV-141s.
14 Oct 2012
A closeup, this is the smaller version of this luminaire, up to 250W.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Oct 2014
E Palmer and John R in Detroit proper, and two of the oldest wooden poles, one with an incandescent teardrop and one with a cobrahead retrofit. That style of teardrop seems to be the oldest, and the climbing pegs on the pole presumably date it all the way back to the days when there were arc lamps which needed their carbons changing regularly. Having said that, the usual way arc lamps were mounted at the turn of last century in the US was on lowering mechanisms.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Sep 2015
A little further down Palmer, at Brush St now, and new housing developments but still the ancient lighting. Most of the teardrops like the one here no longer worked by this point (Oct 2013).
14 Oct 2012
A closeup of this fixture formerly at Brush & Palmer. The fixture itself is hung from the arm on insulators, and the remains of the series wire leadins can be seen- one is disconnected.
14 Oct 2012
A final look at this amazing bit of streetlighting history, which managed to hang on until 2015 at least.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Jul 2016
Further along Brush St, north of I-94 at Medbury. Much of the system was effectively abandoned by this point, as can be seen here.
14 Oct 2012
Looking at this run of oldest style wooden poles and incandescent teardrops on Brush St, all this was swept away by 2015 and replaced with LED cobraheads on new overhead wired wooden poles.
14 Oct 2012
Actually that looks like a mercury lamp in that fixture, although I'm not sure if Detroit used and straight series mercury, I doubt it though. There isn't and room in the head for a mercury
ballast, that's for sure. It's possible the ballast is in the base of the pole or in a pull box, I wasn't able to confirm that.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Jul 2016
This is Brush St at Piquette, a more modern cast iron pole with one of the black wooden ones in the background.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Jul 2016
On the other side of the Brush/Piquette intersection, a teardrop hanging on. You can see why this installation was in need of decommissioning, some of these fixtures were in imminent danger of falling.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Jul 2016
Further north on Brush, at Milwaukee, another cast iron pole with ornate short arm.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of Jul 2016
Continuing north on Brush, this is at Custer and there are a few more modern teardrops on short arms on the power poles.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2015
This sequence was taken on the 6400 block of Miller St, near the railway tracks. An intersting selection of old lights, since 2015 all gone now.
14 Oct 2012
A green painted GE Form 79VR this looks like, but in surprisingly good condition.
14 Oct 2012
A more standard GE Form 79, on a very long arm.
14 Oct 2012
14 Oct 2012
A common sight in Detroit at this time, a smashed lens.
14 Oct 2012
A wider view of the smashed light, and the end of this small sequence of pics.
14 Oct 2012
SurvivingChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), so can be assumed to be surviving at least as far as that date
as of Nov 2023
This next sequence of pics is of a parking lot at 7701 Walbridge St, which can be accessed from Van Dyke St, just north of I-94. It's been abandoned for years, but the lighting has survived largely intact.
Update July 2024: Latest GSV is Nov 2023 from the freeway, from which the tops of these poles can be seen. The twin arm pole nearest the freeway has one of the arms detached at the pole and hanging by the cables, but most of the rest of this installation is amazingly, still largely intact.
14 Oct 2012
It might have been the parking lot for the stores on Van Dyke, or possibly for The Trombly Adult Day School which was on the adjacent lot. Either way, it's not been used for many decades.
14 Oct 2012
A closeup shows these are Westinghouse Reflectolux Senior fixtures, so from as far back as the 1930s.
14 Oct 2012
Not sure what the mountings on the median are for, it brought to mind loudspeaker mounts for a drive-in movie theatre, but who knows...
14 Oct 2012
Unsurprisingly, one or two of the bowls are broken.
14 Oct 2012
Long twin arms make this a very distinctive installation. The weeds growing out of the pavement show how long it's been since this lot was used for parking.
14 Oct 2012
A GE Form 79VR lights the entrance, but is probably a later addition.
14 Oct 2012
One fixture has lost its bowl, but the lamp is intact. This lamp, being a semi-reflector, is an incorrect replacement, but it tells us that the installation is multiple wired, and incandescent.
14 Oct 2012
I think this was the only single arm fixture on the lot.
14 Oct 2012
A closeup of the Form 79VR. The ringed lens can be clearly seen here.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2015
Heading south on Van Dyke, over the freeway, this is at Charlevoix and a surviving teardrop/cast iron fluted pole. Ths one was surviving into 2015, note the missng access door at the pole base. This is an indication, in this part of the world, that copper thieves have been looking for cable to steal. This light was changed to overhead multiple wiring at some point.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2015
A block further south of where we were on Charlevoix, this is E Vernor Hwy and a couple of bishop's crook style short arms.
14 Oct 2012
A closeup of the arm. I think the fixture like others on the metal poles we've seen, is a Westinghouse.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2015
14th St at Pine, and an indication that before the city streetlight maintenance crews were laid off, there was maintenance going on of the series systems that were still working. Here you can see one of the oldest wooden poles, retrofitted with a Holophane RSL and a series ballast- the grey box with the wires coming out of the pole to it. Those thick wires are the series loop. As with the other stuff round here, this arrangement hung on until 2015, then was replaced with an overhead multiple wired LED fixture on a new wood pole.
14 Oct 2012
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2015
Just south of I-75 where we were for the last pic, is the famous landmark of the former Michigan Central Station, and in a way, a just as iconic streetlighting sight for Detroit. The Holophane RSL by this point (2012) was discontinued, but Holophane made batches specially for the city, and this one has an external series ballast.