Well I finally got back to Rochdale again... despite it seeming as though some greater force was trying to stop me getting there, be it through successive red lights on the way to the train station, getting there and my train being full to the brim (a first for a lunch time service) and no other passengers being allowed on (the second time this has happened in two weeks, different services though), the next train which is normally in 5 minutes ahead of time today decided to be 4 minutes late so I missed the connection at Leeds, then the train I do get at Leeds being a cattle truck then then gets caught on two red signals therefore adding 10 minutes to the already longer-than-it-should-be journey....
My plan had been to check the roads south of the train station, Kirkholt, then Tintern Avenue area.... but a combination of becoming engrossed with what I could get photos of at Kirkholt and how bitterly cold it was put an end to the third part of my plan.
The bad news is all the Wardle Solars on the streets south of the train station are gone... here's Gate Street:
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The good news is that Kirkholt's lighting stock remains largely untouched... BUT this is changing as several excavation holes are in place for service transfers.
Dean Court (but Hartey Lane is the same):
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Rhodes Crescent has the holes but no changeover yet. Mornington Road and Kew road are the same. A lot of the side streets off Hilltop Drive are the same as well.
As Claire has said, work seems to be focusing on side streets. Daventry Road still has a few columns that haven't got lanterns - they've been like this since last year.
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This does mean the 90W Solar on The Strand still stands proud
Though the reflector is a bit pock-marked:
The one at the bottom of the hill on Balderstone Road is the same. I had been here when just the Solar was lit, but at the point I got my camera out all the other lanterns lit - and I'm not joking either, they all struck at the exact same time without even a few milliseconds delay! Goes to show how well modern photocells can be made.
And now for the really good news:
I've found some more! 6 more to be exact.
4 exist on Kirkway, and 2 on Tavistock Road - all 35W examples, but in differing states of repair.
The following 4 are on Kirkway, and they still work (except the first one, which I didn't see lit when I came past at well gone 6pm).
This one isn't too bad.
This one has the lamp held in place by what looks like a shoe lace!
Lamp held in by string.
These two are on Tavistock Road... when I came past later the whole road was dark - either every column is supplied by the clock from one of the Solar supporting columns, which has either broken or burnt the fuse out, or the supply to the road has been isolated.
I didn't spend as long with these pictures as there were youths around and my hands were about to fall off with the cold!
The only other top entry lantern I have seen is this Eleco (presumed to be a top entry version of the GR100 - presumably the bowl from one would fit this)... the bowl of this one is in a state.
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Here's a Gamma 6 illuminating its replacement:
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Hilltop Drive is all 90W SOX, mainly GR100s... what's also nice is as you go up the hill and look back you also get the SOX of the M62 in the background:
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Anyway, that's the score. I highly doubt the 35 watters I found today will last more than 2 weeks before removal.... it just depends on how long transfers take. If they're on a special contract like Amey had in York last summer, then these columns will be gone within the next 2 weeks - but if the transfers are on a normal schedule, then it might be 2 months.