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PostPosted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 5:07 pm 
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Truvelo wrote:
Those Nedal columns appear to be same ones as used in Sandwell, only ours all have Vectras mounted on the top :x


Sorry to potentially annoy you Truvelo but I think that what you mention above is a fantastic installation! Or how about this side-entry version? I really like this installation  :D

Nedal columns are a great choice for the Blackpool PFI, as are Urbis Evolos, as is remote monitoring. But SON? I have to say I was very disappointed and rather bemused to see the new Evolos in Albert Road running SON. Seeing as I'm sure when I read about the PFI first on the net it mentioned the new streetlights in Blackpool would be using 'white light' how is SON white light? Furthermore, what is the point of replacing SON with more SON?

The latest road I've spotted with replacement Nedal columns is Wellington Road. I hope if they come to replace to replace the lighting in nearby Bolton Street they don't use SON Evolos to replace the CFL Irises because that would be a joke!  :roll:


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 11:27 pm 
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I think Urbis Evolo's can be seen in manchester now... Well, that's what the lanterns looked like. They have been installed on the platform for the Piccadilly Gardens metrolink station. They've only gone up in the past couple of months.
No pictures and no idea what lamp they run yet, sadly.

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 11:38 am 
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mazeteam wrote:
I think Urbis Evolo's can be seen in manchester now... Well, that's what the lanterns looked like. They have been installed on the platform for the Piccadilly Gardens metrolink station. They've only gone up in the past couple of months.
No pictures and no idea what lamp they run yet, sadly.


Hopefully they'll run MH. There is a lot of white light in Manchester now, which is great to see! (Hint, hint, Blackpool...  :lol: )


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:09 pm 
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Hopefully the SON fittings in the city centre will get MH lamps retrofitted sometime soon - such as the highmasts dotted around the central streets (such as near Victoria station and near Portland Street)

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 3:34 pm 
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A year or so back some older SON lanterns dotted around Blackpool had MH lamps retrofitted but all were just one MH lamped-lantern surrounded by lots of SON-lamped lanterns. Very strange!
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Back to Blackpool's PFI and oddly I noticed today a few random columns on Dickson Road (a main road into the town centre) are being replaced by the Evolos. Although some of these are old concrete Stantons from the 1950s many of them are hexagonal Staintons, some from 1999 and some from as recently as 2006! As the PFI is meant to work on a priority basis how is this section of lighting a priority? I know Dickson Road is a busy road with both traffic and pedestrians and it also borders a very rough area but it's well-lit already with mostly modern lighting and I don't see how these Evolos will light it any better if they are SON because the 'old' lanterns (MRL6s from 1994, Vectras from 1999-2006) are SON anyway and both types used are excellent lanterns.


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PostPosted: Fri May 14, 2010 2:00 pm 
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I'm pleased to report that, now more of the Evolvo are connected as part of the PFI, the vast majority are running either MH or CFL (white light anyway, I can never really tell the difference at a glance!)  :D  All of the side street Evolvos that are connected (and there are a fair number now) are running white light, it's only the Group A Evolvos mounted on ten-metre high columns that are running SON. It was these that I saw connected first, hence my saying that it appears that SON is being favoured.

I also noticed that down one road (Tyldesley Road) the new PFI Nedal Group A columns have been fitted with post-top Vectras running MH. Now I'm wondering whether it's just coincidence that all the Group A Evolvos are running SON, whilst the only Vectras to be fitted to ten metre columns (and any other PFI column for that matter) are running MH? It's too early to know for sure, as of yet, most of the new columns are Group B ones, but interesting nevertheless!

I'm very impressed with what I've seen though now, as I love the combination of Evolvos post-top on Nedal columns, and now I've discovered most of them so far are running white light, I'm really, really impressed!  :D


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PostPosted: Fri May 14, 2010 10:43 pm 
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Harris87 wrote:
I'm pleased to report that, now more of the Evolvo are connected as part of the PFI, the vast majority are running either MH or CFL (white light anyway, I can never really tell the difference at a glance!)  :D  All of the side street Evolvos that are connected (and there are a fair number now) are running white light, it's only the Group A Evolvos mounted on ten-metre high columns that are running SON. It was these that I saw connected first, hence my saying that it appears that SON is being favoured.


I think (and don't quote me on this!) that the group B Evolos (which are actually the exact same lanterns as the group A ones dimensions-wise) are running MH as the light output seems right, more pin-point light source than linear. They are very good though and could even be running Cosmo, I will have a closer look at the optic next time I pass one to find out. If the optic is smaller than usual it would probably be a Cosmo lantern.

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I also noticed that down one road (Tyldesley Road) the new PFI Nedal Group A columns have been fitted with post-top Vectras running MH. Now I'm wondering whether it's just coincidence that all the Group A Evolvos are running SON, whilst the only Vectras to be fitted to ten metre columns (and any other PFI column for that matter) are running MH? It's too early to know for sure, as of yet, most of the new columns are Group B ones, but interesting nevertheless!


Yes, now that was a pleasant surprise! I'm sure the Evolo can do high-wattage MH just as the Vectra can but it does seem strange a different lantern has been used. Also, I haven't noticed any radio antennas on top of the Vectras like I have on the Evolos, will have another look next time I'm in the area (probably tomorrow).

Talking of Tyldesley Road, on Wednesday I was passing the junction with Rigby Road when I saw the lighting contractors attempting to remove this Stanton 8B column. They were having great difficulty getting the sturdy old column out of the ground and it just didn't want to break free! I even heard one of the contractors shouting and swearing at it! (Which is no way to treat such a grand old lady!  :lol: ). In the end though it was finally removed along with it's contemporaries and 60 years of history was wiped away  :cry:

Next group A road to be done is Rigby Road, let's see what lanterns are used along there!

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I'm very impressed with what I've seen though now, as I love the combination of Evolvos post-top on Nedal columns, and now I've discovered most of them so far are running white light, I'm really, really impressed!  :D


They do look good but it's such a shame that in a few years there will be barely anything else! I'm sorry to say but I think if streetlighting had been like that when I was a child then I would have probably never developed an interest in streetlighting at all  :( This PFI has really opened my eyes to appreciating all the lovely old concretes we still have left and I'm so glad Google SV came along before the PFI started.


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PostPosted: Sat May 15, 2010 10:16 pm 
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To add to the above post I visited Blackpool today and a lot of the side roads off South Promenade have now got Evolos installed. They were all dayburning today (which is common with new installations of remote-monitored lighting) and were burning a white light. From looking at the optic I suspect strongly now that the Evolos run CPO (Cosmo) lamps. For saying these lanterns are remote-monitored I have yet to spot a lantern with a control node (or 'pigeon') on top. I don't think they would look very good on an Evolo and would probably spoil it's sleek design somewhat! I was surprised to see this ten year old 8m Stainton column with 100w SON Vectra 2 is being replaced by a 6m Nedal column with (presumably) 45w CPO Evolo! I am surprised at how young some of the columns are that are being replaced. I previously mentioned the Staintons on Dickson Road being replaced (some of which are only four years old). As well as these the Stainton highway hockeysticks at the start of Rigby Road which date back to about 2003 are also being replaced. This to me is madness! I can see the point in replacing all the old concrete columns around town but to replace metal columns which have plenty of life left in them just seems wrong to me. Couldn't the lanterns just be swapped over?


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PostPosted: Sun May 16, 2010 1:57 pm 
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Yes, now that was a pleasant surprise! I'm sure the Evolo can do high-wattage MH just as the Vectra can but it does seem strange a different lantern has been used. Also, I haven't noticed any radio antennas on top of the Vectras like I have on the Evolos, will have another look next time I'm in the area (probably tomorrow).


That is strange then. With regards to why SON has been used on Albert Road, Central Drive and Dickson Road, perhaps these are only trial columns or 'in-fill' columns. I think this because they have only been installed down part of each of those roads, leading me to think that maybe they aren't directly part of the PFI to do list, rather done out of necessity? Who knows, not me that's for sure!

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Talking of Tyldesley Road, on Wednesday I was passing the junction with Rigby Road when I saw the lighting contractors attempting to remove this Stanton 8B column. They were having great difficulty getting the sturdy old column out of the ground and it just didn't want to break free! I even heard one of the contractors shouting and swearing at it! (Which is no way to treat such a grand old lady! :lol: ). In the end though it was finally removed along with it's contemporaries and 60 years of history was wiped away :cry:


It is indeed a shame, and it comes as no surprise that they were having such difficulty getting it out, they're huge! I'd imagine they'd struggle even more with those round-bottomed versions! I wonder what they do with old columns once they're removed, the sheer size and weight of them must make them quite troublesome. It'd be easier if they just left them in-situ  :lol:


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Next group A road to be done is Rigby Road, let's see what lanterns are used along there!


More Evolos, as of yesterday. These aren't yet connected though. Also Highfield Road is in the process of having new columns installed and they too are fitted with Evolos (also not yet running). Makes the Vectras appearance seem even more strange!

Quote:
They do look good but it's such a shame that in a few years there will be barely anything else! I'm sorry to say but I think if streetlighting had been like that when I was a child then I would have probably never developed an interest in streetlighting at all :( This PFI has really opened my eyes to appreciating all the lovely old concretes we still have left and I'm so glad Google SV came along before the PFI started.


I agree with all of this. Streetlighting is becoming much more functional and uniform. At least when the whole of Blackpool looks much the same we'll hopefully still be surrounded by the concretes, MRL6s etc of Lancashire. It certainly will be quite a contrast between Blackpool Borough and the surrounding areas when the PFI's done. Strange to think that in years to come these new PFI columns could be seen as in much the same light as the concretes now when they themselves are old and being replaced. Vectras and Evolos could become collectors items  :lol:  I also find it a bizarre thought that 2600s will likely be extinct in Blackpool before too long. I might even start missing them! Unless of course they remain on the 1990s hockeysticks.

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To add to the above post I visited Blackpool today and a lot of the side roads off South Promenade have now got Evolos installed. They were all  dayburning today (which is common with new installations of remote-monitored lighting) and were burning a white light. From looking at the optic I suspect strongly now that the Evolos run CPO (Cosmo) lamps.


Thanks for that. What makes CPOs different to other MH? Is it the colour it gives off, as these new lanterns seem a warmer white than say the MH Stratums which seem a colder blue-white.

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For saying these lanterns are remote-monitored I have yet to spot a lantern with a control node (or 'pigeon') on top. I don't think they would look very good on an Evolo and would probably spoil it's sleek design somewhat!


I have seen one (on a side road off Lytham Road) and you're right about them not looking good, far to big and bulky. However at least the vast majority won't have pigeons on them, as they do look, like you say really sleek otherwise.

Quote:
I was surprised to see this ten year old 8m Stainton column with 100w SON Vectra 2 is being replaced by a 6m Nedal column with (presumably) 45w CPO Evolo! I am surprised at how young some of the columns are that are being replaced. I previously mentioned the Staintons on Dickson Road being replaced (some of which are only four years old). As well as these the Stainton highway hockeysticks at the start of Rigby Road which date back to about 2003 are also being replaced. This to me is madness! I can see the point in replacing all the old concrete columns around town but to replace metal columns which have plenty of life left in them just seems wrong to me. Couldn't the lanterns just be swapped over?


I'm guessing (and hoping) that they are only replacing newer columns that are casual replacements or form just a small handful of columns on a road of concretes. I would imagine this is to keep the road uniform in appearance, and that roads that are already uniform with newer columns (Bispham, Road, North Drive et al) will be kept as they are, or have new lanterns retrofitted. This will make far more sense than simply replacing every single column regardless of age.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:10 pm 
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The Liverpool, Merseyside Regional Factfile is currently rather small and probably needs an update. I thought I'd alert this thread to see if anyone wants to have ago at editing/contributing towards the wiki page.

The top right hand corner of the factfile should have a 'Log in' link - just use your standard UKASTLE username and password. Many thanks :D


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