Thorn Alpha 9 Lantern Installations
Thorn Alpha 9s are in stark decline. Despite their aluminium canopy, they were light lanterns, even with an integral gear. Their bowl (being made from acrylic) never yellowed, so they were almost always in good condition. They could be seen in service running 90W SOX or 66W SOX-E.
Lichfield Industrial Estate, Tamworth
Another finding from Lichfield Industrial Estate here: A Thorn Alpha 9. There are loads of the Thorn Alpha family in the industrial estate, and each individual lantern is unique! This one's outside a Tyre Shop, on Apollo.
It's mounted on an 8m Sleeved Stanton and Staveley concrete column, on a right-angled outreach bracket.
You can just barely see what appears to be a 90W SOX lamp through the yellowed bowl.
The same lantern at night.
Amington, Tamworth
Some Atlas Alpha Nines exist on Sandy Way, Tamworth. Pictured below is column T29:
The 90W SOX lamp can be seen inside; the bowl has been damaged over the years.
I re-visited this installation on 04/03/2024, to see it leaning backwards, likely the result of a truck reversing into it. What's crazy is this exact thing happened to an MA90 just two columns away. I find it hilarious to think there's a slight chance it could've been the same driver...
The lantern wasn't damaged (any more than it already was) by this impact. The 66W SOX-E lamp appears unharmed so the lantern likely still works at night.
I reported the column and an MEWP van showed up shortly after. I spoke to the worker about the two damaged columns and ascertained that they would be staying up for a while longer. The MA90 and it's column would have to come out entirely due to it being warped. The Alpha Nine will also likely suffer the same fate if it is not re-aligned... The base of the column was wrapped tightly in electrical tape.
Another installation on Sandy Way, column T32:
The water appears to have dissolved the rust on the lamp-holder holder, taking it down into the bowl. Amazingly, this is the only example on Sandy Way with this problem.
On a visit to Sandy Way in May 2024, tape was spotted securing the column door.
The bowl had also been cleaned.
Column T35:
The 66W SOX-E lamp is plainly visible due to the ageless bowl.
Long Eaton
Lows Lane, Long Eaton has a series of Alpha Nines, all painted white. Most are sadly either LED cobbed or have no lamp. To this column, that may have been preferable to this fate! After an impact around 2019, it was simply cut down and left. It has remained this way ever since despite the land around it undergoing some-form of regeneration. It previously supported an Alpha Nine.
The column's base has suffered significant damage. What remains of the isolator can be seen through the giant fracture.
The first (intact) column to be photographed was this Alpha 9, situated on a side-road next to Stanton Club House Bowling Club.
Tape has been wrapped around the column base to give it extra visibility for the trucks that constantly use this junction. If you look closely, you may see that the column door does not have the Stanton And Staveley logo on it, implying this door is a replacement.
The comical LED cob lamp is apparent through the bowl, as is a lot of wasted lantern!
Another angle of the same lantern:
Several Alpha 9s line the main road that the spur-road joins to. These are all integral geared.
The 90W SOX lamp in this example appears intact. The ignitor is hanging loose however. This ignitor is likely a repair job, as the other Alpha nines have a different ignitor. From the shape, it looks like a Philips SX 76.
On closer inspection, the lamp-bases have all gone white, indicating a damaged vacuum seal. This means the lamps would struggle to reach full brightness.
The next column along supports an Alpha 9 without a repair ignitor, instead likely hosting it's original one.
Opposite Seven Oaks Road, on Lows Lane is this Alpha nine.
The distinctive front-profile of the lantern is especially apparent in this image.
