Simplex Aries (35W) Lantern Installations
The Simplex Aries comes in two versions, 35W SOX and 55W SOX. The easiest way to identify them is by the length of the lantern. The 35W version is noticeably shorter than the 55W version, owing to the smaller size of the SOX lamps. This lantern can come in either remote-geared or integral-geared versions. The canopy is made from GRP (fibreglass) with the bowl being composed from poly-carbonate. Finding one of these in good condition is extremely unlikely. Due to the materials they are made of, the GRP canopy is almost always tarnished, and the bowl yellowed. These lanterns are side-entry only.
Blackwood Road, Tamworth
Simplex Aries lanterns litter the residential areas here in Tamworth, often in large pockets. Here on Blackwood Road, there are tens of them (The smaller 35W version) lining the main road. All of these currently work as of November 2023, which is impressive, a testament to the lanterns durability! They use Zodion SS6 photocells and are remote geared.
Column T2 was pictured first on my May 2024 trip to the estate. These columns are all 5m tall, but the large near-right-angled bracket extends the installation to 6m tall.
The under-profile of the lantern allows a clear view of the 26W SOX lamp.
Column T3 was next:
Followed by column T4, which had something notable about it in the past.
The Simplex Aries was pictured in late 2023 with a hanging off bowl, revealing the 26W SOX lamp within. This also confirmed they are remote-geared.
The bowl was clipped back on a few days later.
I continued down the road to column T5, with a bent bracket. It's not too apparent from this angle, but if you look closely, it's bent backwards away from the camera. A clip is also missing from the lantern and the column door is dented. This damage indicates that the column had a low-speed impact from a vehicle. I couldn't find the clip around anywhere, so I thought that the damage must have occurred long ago. After checking maps, my hypothesis was correct, with the column being struck pre-2009.
A logo was discovered on the column door, but I am yet to find out who made the column.
Column T7 was also photographed, the feeder-pillar for this section of road visible in the foreground.
I then took a detour, travelling down Sudeley, and re-joining the main road via Slingsby (opposite column T12)
T14 was captured shortly after.
A closer look discloses a burned lamp-support.
Column T15's picture followed.
T19 was the last individual Aries-supporting column to be snapped! It's bracket appears bent upwards slightly.
At that point, rather than snapping individual columns (as they were all near-identical) I set up my camera for some shots of them all in series, and I captured what-may-be one of my favourite images I've taken yet:
