Mercury Vapour Lights
Edgebaston, Birmingham
Taken October 2004
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 Mar 2019The following few pics were taken on the stretch of the A38 (Bristol Rd) in Edgebaston, south of Birmingham city centre, between Pebble Mill Rd to the south, and the A4540 (Lee Bank Middleway) to the north. Many of the side streets have mercury fixtures, amazingly as of March 2019 still intact apart from a few LED spot replacements.
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 Mar 2019This is a Revo Birmingham fixture, Claire Pendrous also refers to it as a "Precint". It is a variation on the "Hatfield" fixture, with a fully enclosed lamp, possibly a special version done for the city in the 1960s. It burns a 80W coated mercury lamp.
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 Mar 2019Cley Cl, off Bristol Rd, and another Revo Birmingham. The ladder bar on the post is only for looks, as far as I know the posts are 1960s vintage like the fixtures.
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 Mar 2019There are other mercury fixtures on the side roads- this is an AC Ford AC850 remote ballast 80W mercury fixture.
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 Mar 2019This is a Simplex Diadem, again 80W mercury.
Claire Pendrous on her Midland Counties Streetlighting site reports that Birmingham City Council was cosidering a PFI to sell and lease back their lighting system in 2007, so why these have survived is a mystery. Perhaps they are classed as a private installation.
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 Mar 2019
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 Mar 2019
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 Mar 2019Corrie St/Manchester Rd E, Little Hulton
Taken April 2012
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 Jul 2024
This is a very rare sight around these parts- the remains of a Revo Prefect with a 80W mercury lamp. No roadway mercury survived the 1970s changeout to LPS in this part of the world, so to find any remnant of mercury at all is almost unheard of. Indeed I know of no other roadway mercury installations in Salford apart from this one, working or not. This just about counts as a roadway installation, it's located in a back alley at the end of the street mentioned.
Hamilton Street, Astley
Taken March 2002
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2012
Update October 2017: At some point in the last 5 or 6 years, the poles were removed. This short street is now unlit.
This is a tiny cul-de-sac on the edge of an industrial park with the only two mercury vapour streetlights I've found in the area. They are Thorn Gamma Six luminaires with 80W MBF lamps. As can be seen from these pictures, the lamps are past their best, having gone noticably green and not giving off that much light any more- most of the light you can see is spill from the LPS lighting on the main road.
The road I think must be privately owned because the local council only fits this type of luminaire with a 35W SOX lamp and this would also explain why they've not been relamped for many years.
Warrington
Taken 19-March-2002
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2012
Update October 2017: GSV shows that at least of 2012, this mercury installation survived. However, a more recent view from the main road shows evidence of metal poles and LED luminaires, so I suspect this installation has now gone.
There's an estate just off to the left of the A49, Winwick Rd leading from the M62 J9 into the centre of Warrington (before the roundabout that goes to Ikea). The roads pictured here are Lancing Ave, and Toll Bar Rd. Parts of this is still lit with mercury vapour lights, and they're not bad at all. Most of them are working, and still putting out useful amounts of light. There are two sorts in use- the ones pictured above are I think are Thorn Beta Fours with 80W MBF lamps on CU 'Avenue 2D' concrete posts. There is another post-top type in use as well. I'm going to go back there when it isn't pouring with rain and get some more pics.
Despite their age, and that they are being gradually replaced with HPS fitting as they fail, I think they provide a pleasant atmosphere for a residential street. The colour especially is more pleasing to my eye than HPS...
Update 25 Jan 2003:
I finally got back there and took some better pics- I got there at dusk so you can get more of idea with these pics how good the greenish- white light of these ancient mercury lamps is. The dead ones are being changed out one by one for 70W HPS on galvanised poles but this short stretch of road survives intact.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of 2012
There's one more type of post- top mercury luminaire used on this estate- I've taken advice and it's fairly certain these are GEC 5714s.
Boothstown, Manchester
Taken 18-March-2003
Forecourts of garages are amongst the best places to find streetlights that don't turn up anywhere else- small independant franchises like this one even more so, as they have less money to spend on niceties
like area lighting...this is the only garage in the area that I know of still lit with mercury.
This rather sorry looking example of a 400W mercury fluorescent 'with gear' Thorn Alpha Three is at the Total garage on the A580 near Boothstown. Until very recently it still had it's bowl, it was not a dayburner, and the lamp was very green with age. The rest of the lot is lit with Thorn Area Floods, again mercury, and lamps of a similar age. About 3 weeks ago, they were all relamped, including this one, but in the process it lost its bowl, and now burns 24/7. In the middle picture you can see the remains of the bowl still attached to the canopy by the hinge. I'm guessing the two clips which hold the bowl shut were damaged, and the contractor was told to just 'rip it off' rather than having to replace the whole fitting.
Just a word about the colour of the lamp- although it looks green and quite old in the pictures it's just the 'daylight' colour balance of the camera that's making it look that way. In fact the colour temperature of the lamp is what you'd expect from a new MBF lamp, alot bluer than the picture would suggest.
The twin bracket would suggest this fitting used to have a friend, but I don't remember this ever being the case.
Update 1 May 2003...
It's stopped working. Along with all the other lighting on the lot.
August 2003
Someone must have found the breaker as it's working again...still dayburning though.
This rather sorry looking example of a 400W mercury fluorescent 'with gear' Thorn Alpha Three is at the Total garage on the A580 near Boothstown. Until very recently it still had it's bowl, it was not a dayburner, and the lamp was very green with age. The rest of the lot is lit with Thorn Area Floods, again mercury, and lamps of a similar age. About 3 weeks ago, they were all relamped, including this one, but in the process it lost its bowl, and now burns 24/7. In the middle picture you can see the remains of the bowl still attached to the canopy by the hinge. I'm guessing the two clips which hold the bowl shut were damaged, and the contractor was told to just 'rip it off' rather than having to replace the whole fitting.
Just a word about the colour of the lamp- although it looks green and quite old in the pictures it's just the 'daylight' colour balance of the camera that's making it look that way. In fact the colour temperature of the lamp is what you'd expect from a new MBF lamp, alot bluer than the picture would suggest.
The twin bracket would suggest this fitting used to have a friend, but I don't remember this ever being the case.
Update 1 May 2003...
It's stopped working. Along with all the other lighting on the lot.
August 2003
Someone must have found the breaker as it's working again...still dayburning though.
RemovedChecked on "as of" date (either in person or via latest GSV available), removal happened as late as that date or before
as of early 2010s
..
Cathedral Approach Carpark, Manchester
Taken 24-November-2003
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
Update October 2017: In the past few years this whole area has been totally redeveloped, the carpark in the pics has been changed so the whole Salford Approach area is now built on. All traces of the lights in the above pics are now gone.
This car park is made up of waste ground next to the lines leading to Victoria Station, and the old Salford Approach (bottom centre pic.) and Cathedral Approach roads. This area is right next to the Exchange Square/ 1 Deansgate redevelopment, and is quite run down. A good thing for old light spotting, because the some of the lighting used on these long forgotten roads still survives. There are two 1950s Concrete Utilities concrete columns (bottom right pic.) and on them two top- entry BTH 'Urban Enclosed' luminaires with refractor bowls.
They are still in very good condition (not lit anymore though), one column is now host to a multitude of other lighting, but it's impossible to tell whether they use GLS or mercury lamps. I suspect MA/V lamps- I've seen pictures of these luminaires elsewhere in Manchester with mercury lamps in them.
As far as I'm aware, these are the only fittings of this type still standing, anywhere in the Manchester area.
The LH pic. lower down is looking over into Victoria Station- what looks like two Alpha Threes on twin brackets with unknown flat glass luminaires on the other sides.
