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Gas street lamps

paul stacey

paul stacey

master brummie
I remember when young waiting for a bus directly oppersite the council house and seeing the gas lighter with his long pole and 'A' frame ladder going along and lighting the gas street lights, does anyone know the date when this lighting ceased to be street lighting in brum??
 
The last street lamp was removed from duke St in 1975. There is a picture on the forum somewhere
Mike
 
thanks aidan that video clip is brillient..ive been going through all the brum clips on this mace archive site....great ....just found the pic of the last lamp being removed from duke st..

lyn
 
Hi I am a newbie to this site, but being a Brummie, I have a question that you may be able to help me with. it's two fold really.
First, I have owned number 3 Gas Lamp ( I was told years ago that it came from Nechells) for thirty years, and I wondered anyone knew how they were numbered? I mean this has a small round plate at the top close to the ladder bars. Secondly, at the moment it is in a poor condition, due to needing a re-paint, does anyone know the actual Corporation colours used in the 30's and 40's? I know it was cream and blue, but what were the actual colours to keep it authentic. Thanks in advance. Gerry.
 
Nice find with the Gas Lamp, I am assuming you have the lighting column too. I cannot help with the numbering systems, as I recall they may have been numbered in situ too. Some were replaced as a matter of course due to damage or road works etc.

I do recall the corporation colours, but don’t have a definitive answer. Saying that, I do remember the newly painted lighting columns did vary slightly from the old. This may have been because paint manufactures did not always make the same colour range.

A possible scenario is the corporation may have used a BSI BS4800 accredited colour. This may have been known as the British Engineering Standards Association. Here is a link to an article on the colour systems. The point of BS4800 is these were only 98 colours from the whole of the building indusrty, so your in with a chance of getting near right.

Hope you will post a photo and keep us updated on progress.

There is a museum of gas in Leicester, well worth a visit.
 
Morturn said:
Nice find with the Gas Lamp, I am assuming you have the lighting column too. I cannot help with the numbering systems, as I recall they may have been numbered in situ too. Some were replaced as a matter of course due to damage or road works etc.

I do recall the corporation colours, but don’t have a definitive answer. Saying that, I do remember the newly painted lighting columns did vary slightly from the old. This may have been because paint manufactures did not always make the same colour range.

A possible scenario is the corporation may have used a BSI BS4800 accredited colour. This may have been known as the British Engineering Standards Association. Here is a link to an article on the colour systems. The point of BS4800 is these were only 98 colours from the whole of the building indusrty, so your in with a chance of getting near right.

Hope you will post a photo and keep us updated on progress.

There is a museum of gas in Leicester, well worth a visit.
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Hi! Many thanks for your prompt reply. I aquired the lamppost from the old Kingsbury Road, depot in Erdington, way back in the 1960's. This is a picture from then, when I had it in my front garden at a previous address. I am hoping to get it back to pristine condition, with the help of a guy who loves these old lamps. I had it electrified of course and I run a 200w bulb in the lantern. I am posting a LARGE photograph, so that you can see the detail at the top of the lantern. I am guessing at the 1930's, am I right? Thanks for the Link too. Gerry. JULY 19TH 2013 005.jpg
 
I was under the impression that the cities gas lamp posts were cream with a brown lower base - not unlike the old GWR, but a different shade of brown.
If you trawl through some of the threads here on BHF - especially those with photographs of older parts of the city you will find some photos which should be of help. Admittedly most and black and white but there are many coloured ones. Maybe threads about buses, pubs and districts would be a good stating place.
You can do this whilst resting from the labours of cleaning down the old paint on the post! :grinning:
 
Radiorails said:
I was under the impression that the cities gas lamp posts were cream with a brown lower base - not unlike the old GWR, but a different shade of brown.
If you trawl through some of the threads here on BHF - especially those with photographs of older parts of the city you will find some photos which should be of help. Admittedly most and black and white but there are many coloured ones. Maybe threads about buses, pubs and districts would be a good stating place.
You can do this whilst resting from the labours of cleaning down the old paint on the post! :grinning:
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Thanks Alan. Yes, it is going to be a labour of love though mate. When I bought the lamp post it was a Cream post, and the base of the post was blue (A'La' Corporation buses) so am unsure of the exact colour code. It still has the number "3" at the top. It's a shame the pictures on here are mostly black & white..... Gerry.
 
Radiorails said:
I was under the impression that the cities gas lamp posts were cream with a brown lower base - not unlike the old GWR, but a different shade of brown.
If you trawl through some of the threads here on BHF - especially those with photographs of older parts of the city you will find some photos which should be of help. Admittedly most and black and white but there are many coloured ones. Maybe threads about buses, pubs and districts would be a good stating place.
You can do this whilst resting from the labours of cleaning down the old paint on the post! :grinning:
Click to expand...

My recollection of lamp post colours are, as you say, cream or off white but the base was more dark maroon rather than brown, but of course I may be mistaken.
 
jmadone said:
My recollection of lamp post colours are, as you say, cream or off white but the base was more dark maroon rather than brown, but of course I may be mistaken.
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I do think that there were other colours, but this one was indeed Cream, and Corporation blue base to the post. thanks. Gerry. ps I guess we shall have to find a COLOUR photograph of a cream & blue one now....ha-ha. Gerry.
 
jmadone said:
My recollection of lamp post colours are, as you say, cream or off white but the base was more dark maroon rather than brown, but of course I may be mistaken.
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Your recollection is probably more accurate than mine, as the last time I probably looked at one was over 65 years ago!!
 
Maybe Walsall or West Bromwich were blue. Strangely enough I do not recall those in the Solihull area, which is where I lived as a youngster. But I do remember the German POW's digging trenches for gas mains and new street lamps near Shirley railway station.
 
Radiorails said:
Your recollection is probably more accurate than mine, as the last time I probably looked at one was over 65 years ago!!
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Ha-ha, yes I know. I have a better photograph somewhere of the post, but may take time for me to find it. This sound so odd, discussing lampposts, but I thought if I can find the colour code, then that would be great, if not...then I will paint it as near to the original as I can get. Thanks for your interest. Gerry
 
Don't know how accurately the colours were transcribed in this photo (transparencey) I took at Lawrence St.
14. lawrence st houses B.jpg
 
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Radiorails said:
Strangely enough I do not recall those in the Solihull area
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I seem to remember that they were silver (or rather aluminium paint). There was one just outside my house which I must have looked at for 20 years but can't guarantee I have recollected the correct colour!
 
jukebox said:
I seem to remember that they were silver (or rather aluminium paint). There was one just outside my house which I must have looked at for 20 years but can't guarantee I have recollected the correct colour!
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Funny isn't it. A bit like Signal Boxes; we pass them every day as we cross level crossings, but never even give them a thought. They are there in front of us on a daily basis, but ask anyone what colour they are....... Gerry
 
Post 14#. from Astoness, was the thread that I was trying to remember in my initial post.
I knew someone would find it. Lots of pics of the past in that thread.
 
Eddyjayauk said:
Hi all, I have a lamp post similar to the one shown, I purchased it from the Bham city highways Dept 35yrs ago, I converted it to Electric light and it now stands in my front garden, I had to remake the lantern head as it was missing. Regards Eddyjay.
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that's great matey. I have another picture of mine, let me see if I can find it. Here it is in the depths of winter, covered in frost. GerryDecember 7th 2010 The Mere. In Depths of Winter. 019.jpg
 
jmadone said:
My recollection of lamp post colours are, as you say, cream or off white but the base was more dark maroon rather than brown, but of course I may be mistaken.
Click to expand...
That was my thought too when thinking about the electric sidestreet lamp posts of my youth. I think the Museum of Science and Industry might have had a cream/blue one when their Birmingham tram was displayed behind a big window. Perhaps, as now, the colours changed from year-to-year. The rule seems to be that they can't be the same as the neighbouring local authorities!
 
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1547666400822.png
Looking through the thread mentioned in post 14# most of the street lights are electric and are therefore green - tall ones above roof line on busier roads and also on the side streets. However I did spot these photos there.
 
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