AC Ford AC850 Lantern Installations

The AC Ford AC850 is a compact, integral-geared, side-entry-only lantern that could run 80W or 125W MBF/U or 50W to 70W SON. They were still in production until the early 2000s, so some can still be found in areas that have not undergone LED replacement schemes. Their aluminium construction (and the inclusion of a gear) made them quite heavy for their size. The bowl -being polycarbonate- was often fried in these lanterns.

Birmingham

This example of an AC FORD AC850 is located on Dalton street, Birmingham. It is on a swan neck column, and hidden behind a building on a small stretch of Dalton road (likely forgotten about) along with a 2600 also on a swan neck column. This lantern likely runs an 80W mercury vapour lamp. It has a radio node in-place of a photocell.

This is not the only AC850 still surviving in Birmingham. Along with the REVO Diadem, these things are everywhere! Here is another example (column 4) on Weaman Street.

This lantern is also completed with a radio node cell. From this distance. the AC Ford name can just-about be seen protruding from the top of the canopy.

Another angle of the lantern:

This example (bracket and lantern) was re-used when it's old column was replaced, so a newer column holds them.

Another MBF/U example was discovered on the 08/11/2024. It is located on private parking, outside of Spaces - Birmingham, Crossway.

The lantern is in much-the-same condition as the others located in Birmingham, and still runs it's 80W MBF/U lamp like the other lanterns on the parking lot (although they are not AC850s).