Low pressure sox lighting

[najaB]

I call that shade salmon orange, not quite got the orange of a sox! But close from a far

These were a fairly strong orange. I didn't get a picture, and without a colour reference scale it wouldn't have been much use anyway.

If I manage to pass that way at night again before I leave I'll see what I can do.

 

[Ladder23]

These were a fairly strong orange. I didn't get a picture, and without a colour reference scale it wouldn't have been much use anyway.

If I manage to pass that way at night again before I leave I'll see what I can do.

Would love to see, I'd be sure it's what I'm familiar with seeing and it's very close!

 

[m79900]

There's a short stretch of them in Fourlane Ends near Alfreton. Very noticeable when at night.

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[route101]

There's a short stretch of them in Fourlane Ends near Alfreton. Very noticeable when at night.

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Looks like High pressure sodium judging by the lanterns.

 

[m79900]

Looks like High pressure sodium judging by the lanterns.

Ah ok. They're still very much orange though.

 

[John Webb]

Looks like High pressure sodium judging by the lanterns.

Ah ok. They're still very much orange though.

High pressure Sodium still have a lot of orange in them. The reason route101 and I can say they are high pressure sodium is that the low pressure lamps are tubular in shape and need long narrow fittings whereas the HP lamps are more 'bulb-like' so fittings can be shorter as in the Streetview extract.

 

[ABB125]

Pretty sure this is low pressure - spotted on the approach to Glasgow Central. Somewhere along Salkeld Street. There were a few of them.


Edit: these are extra notable in that they appear to have overhead power distribution rather than underground

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Edit: these are extra notable in that they appear to have overhead power distribution rather than underground

They do indeed... and here's the Streetview link, which gives a clearer view of the cabling.

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[AndyPJG]

They do indeed... and here's the Streetview link, which gives a clearer view of the cabling.

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Probably those cables are 'private' cables ie highway authority owned, rather than individual columns being connected directly to the mains supply network. Likely that a whole street of lights being controlled by one 'master' light column.

 

[Ladder23]

Pretty sure this is low pressure - spotted on the approach to Glasgow Central. Somewhere along Salkeld Street. There were a few of them.
View attachment 173080

Edit: these are extra notable in that they appear to have overhead power distribution rather than underground

Fantastic spot, thanks for the photo.

despite the mess I’d love to walk that at night !

 

[m79900]

Having scoured Google Maps, it looks like most SOX lights in my area (Matlock/Wirksworth) were replaced about the 2020 mark, which is apparently quite late. The change honestly completely passed me by, but I remember the old and miss them now I know. There is a single lamp I know is still working though. (pretty sure it's low pressue) on Matlock Green. Passed it earlier.

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Would it not be possible to put orange/yellow lenses on LEDs so they look similar?

 

[najaB]

Would it not be possible to put orange/yellow lenses on LEDs so they look similar?

Why would you use lenses/filters rather than orange LEDs?

 

[Ladder23]

Having scoured Google Maps, it looks like most SOX lights in my area (Matlock/Wirksworth) were replaced about the 2020 mark, which is apparently quite late. The change honestly completely passed me by, but I remember the old and miss them now I know. There is a single lamp I know is still working though. (pretty sure it's low pressue) on Matlock Green. Passed it earlier.

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Would it not be possible to put orange/yellow lenses on LEDs so they look similar?

There is led fixtures which have a similar colour to someone who isn’t exactly a sox fan, but to me they’re not that similar, they’re a much more orange pinky tone rather than yellow orange, actually quite common where I am

I miss the sox fixtures a lot, sadly very very few remain where I live and a few of the ones I’m aware of don’t work or have new installations fitted close by and are redundant

 

[High Dyke]

I really miss the orange streetlamps - so calming.

Here you go.

 Image. Orange streetlamps

Also found this video on YouTube Here

 

[route101]

Is there any pockets left in London?

 

[m79900]

Are high pressure sodium lights still produced then? Now I've started noticing/looking out for orange lamps, I've noticed that these seem to still be out in quite large numbers, especially on trunk roads. I know SOX have gone out of production completely., but are High Pressure lamps still made?

 

[DerekC]

Are high pressure sodium lights still produced then? Now I've started noticing/looking out for orange lamps, I've noticed that these seem to still be out in quite large numbers, especially on trunk roads. I know SOX have gone out of production completely., but are High Pressure lamps still made?

A quick Google suggests that replacement SON tubes are still available from mainstream suppliers like CEF. Complete lamp units much less so - only one or two car park lights and similar still available.

 

[najaB]

These were a fairly strong orange. I didn't get a picture, and without a colour reference scale it wouldn't have been much use anyway.

If I manage to pass that way at night again before I leave I'll see what I can do.

A fairly terrible picture as it was taken in a moving car as night fell so the phone didn't know what to focus on, but you can hopefully still see that the light spectrum is quite orange and closer to that of low-pressure lights:

 

[Cloud Strife]

I was observing the difference between 'traditional' orange lighting and new LED lighting when flying into Wrocław a few days ago, and it's interesting to compare the two. You can clearly see that the new LED white lighting is much better at focusing the light and covering more of an area, but the orange is just so much softer and nicer to the eye.

 

[Ediswan]

Are high pressure sodium lights still produced then? Now I've started noticing/looking out for orange lamps, I've noticed that these seem to still be out in quite large numbers, especially on trunk roads. I know SOX have gone out of production completely., but are High Pressure lamps still made?

This Chinese firm claims to still make SOX lamps and gear.
https://www.qianshunlighting.com/company

We’re proud to say that today, QS Lighting stands as the sole SOX lamp manufacturer in the world, offering a comprehensive range of products, including SOX lamps, electronic/inductance ballasts, igniters, and LCD check lamps. We fulfill the global demand for SOX lamps.

 

[LUYMun]

My small interest in this subject has been sparked by this Ringways Manchester video on SOX lamps in their local area a while back:

Much of my local area's street lights largely consist of metal halide lamps that were successors to SOX in the late 2000s, but was before the advent of LED. One SOX lamp remaining is adjacent to a nearby park, where its location is just beyond the realm of public highways. After putting out a question to a Facebook group, streetlamp enthusiasts have identified this as a Philips MI26. It still lights up as normal, but compared to metal halide shines all around instead of concentrating downwards. My town started converting a few to LED but time will tell how quickly the conversion goes, and how long this one remains SOX.

 

[Ladder23]

My small interest in this subject has been sparked by this Ringways Manchester video on SOX lamps in their local area a while back:

Much of my local area's street lights largely consist of metal halide lamps that were successors to SOX in the late 2000s, but was before the advent of LED. One SOX lamp remaining is adjacent to a nearby park, where its location is just beyond the realm of public highways. After putting out a question to a Facebook group, streetlamp enthusiasts have identified this as a Philips MI26. It still lights up as normal, but compared to metal halide shines all around instead of concentrating downwards. My town started converting a few to LED but time will tell how quickly the conversion goes, and how long this one remains SOX.

View attachment 175740View attachment 175741

A very informative video which I have seen and enjoyed,

nice spot also, it’s funny how since I found the page (I believe the same one you mention) I have become alert to existing sox lighting on my travels

 

[route101]

Any SOX left in London? There was some in SW London along Chertsey Road but went along here last night and appears have been replaced.

 

[Ladder23]

Any SOX left in London? There was some in SW London along Chertsey Road but went along here last night and appears have been replaced.

Not sure about London but I know the A1 heading in, along Borehamwood area there is a large stretch.

 

[westv]

It's probably an ageing thing but I do find today's streetlights seem to make the area they cover far gloomier than before.

 

[John Webb]

It's probably an ageing thing but I do find today's streetlights seem to make the area they cover far gloomier than before.

I think this is because the older lamps with their diffusers spread the light around a lot more, so adjacent front gardens and houses were also illuminated. The replacement LED lighting is far more directional down towards the road and pavement surfaces so gardens and houses remain mostly in shadow.

 

[AY1975]

Is there any pockets left in London?

I think I may have mentioned earlier in this thread, or in another thread, that there are still a few left in the London Borough of Sutton, or at least there still were when I was there in May of last year. Can't remember which street it was on but I think it was a side street somewhere near Sutton station. There was also one just outside Carshalton station but that one seems to have disappeared or is at least no longer in working order.

There's also a concrete lamppost with a SOX lamp still in situ on Putney Park Lane on the Dover House Estate in Putney but I don't think it has been in use since at least the late 1980s or early 90s, when the Borough of Wandsworth replaced most if not all of its SOX lamps with "pink" lamps (which themselves have since been replaced by LED lamps).