Peter Rivet wrote:

> Thanks for those, they are good pictures. The
> older main road lamps shown there are in fact
> the product of three different eras: 1930s gas lamp
> columns, 1950s 45 degree brackets and control
> boxes, and 1960s/70s sodium lanterns.
The lighting of Cambridge's traffic routes (with the exception of the historic
city centre) is remarkable for two reasons: firstly, it was a remarkable bodge
job and, secondly, much of it still survives.

Still, what was the city's lighting engineer going to do with all the gas
columns he'd purchased? Too short (even by 1930s standards) and lacking in any
provision for gear, he cobbled together a solution using upwardly sloping
brackets and clamp-on control boxes. By contrast, the delegation of components
between the city's two lighting suppliers was well thought out: BTH supplied the
lanterns and gear, whilst REVO produced the brackets and boxes.

It is believed the installation initially used open low-pressure sodium
lanterns. These were never positively identified but are considered to be BTH
as the Rugby firm supplied other street lighting equipment for the city. I can
remember these open lanterns surviving in quantity until the early 1990s,
although their use was sporadic and no entire roads were lit by them. Their
replacement was accelerated after I spotted the blackened, charred remains of
one which had caught fire.

The last open low-pressure sodium lantern hung on until 2001-2. It was
inexplicitly smashed to pieces whilst still connected to the bracket.

The replacement closed low-pressure sodium lantern is the AEI Amber. These are
still extremely common around Cambridge. In other cases, REVO Silvergolds (with
the metal framed glass refractors) were used and can still be found lighting
peripheral routes around the city, although these are always mounted on more
conventional REVO Monarch columns and brackets. In one rare instance, one road
is lit with REVO Silvergolds on the gas column/upwardly sloping bracket
combination.

All the best,
Simon



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