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100W MV GE M-250A2 FCO In North Kingstown, RI. This one is a 1984-1987 model. NECo used a LOT of these in the 80s and sadly removed a lot of them less than 10 years later when the HPS onslaught occurred. The utility pole is pre-1965 too since it's got a brown insulator instead of gray. The transformer has been replaced though. They went around and replaced most of the transformers around 15-20 years ago. They replaced more old ones around 5 or so years ago after a transformer blew in Johnston, RI and fried appliances in several homes on the small dead-end street. Of course NGrid didn't pay the homeowners anything to replace their TVs, computers, microwaves, refrigerators, toasters, coffee makers, and whatever else was fried by the transformer blowing. I'm glad I wasn't one of those residents. Another reason to dislike LEDs since they're all circuit board powered and would fry too. Keywords: American_Streetlights

100W MV GE M-250A2 FCO

In North Kingstown, RI. This one is a 1984-1987 model. NECo used a LOT of these in the 80s and sadly removed a lot of them less than 10 years later when the HPS onslaught occurred. The utility pole is pre-1965 too since it's got a brown insulator instead of gray.

The transformer has been replaced though. They went around and replaced most of the transformers around 15-20 years ago. They replaced more old ones around 5 or so years ago after a transformer blew in Johnston, RI and fried appliances in several homes on the small dead-end street. Of course NGrid didn't pay the homeowners anything to replace their TVs, computers, microwaves, refrigerators, toasters, coffee makers, and whatever else was fried by the transformer blowing. I'm glad I wasn't one of those residents. Another reason to dislike LEDs since they're all circuit board powered and would fry too.

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Filename:08161505.PNG
Album name:Mike / Outdoor Lighting
Keywords:American_Streetlights
Filesize:567 KiB
Date added:Aug 17, 2015
Dimensions:689 x 584 pixels
Displayed:189 times
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=19744
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Comment 1 to 8 of 8
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merc   [Aug 20, 2015 at 07:40 PM]
That's weird. Especially in the USA. Confused I'd expect at least partial refund from the power company in our country.

On the other hand, I once heard a funny story (can't validate if it's true) that gypsies were stealing electricity by putting wired horseshoes on power lines. Some electricians from a power company who find out moved one horseshoe from one wire to another, thus changing the voltage from 230 V to 400 V. The effects were similar. They were just watching cursing gypsies because of fried televisions, VCRs etc. Laughing
streetlight98   [Aug 20, 2015 at 11:51 PM]
Yeah you'd think they would have offered some form of compensation but they claimed that the transformer's failure was LIKELY caused by animal interference such as squirrels and therefore was not something that the company should be liable for. However, the transformer is their property and I personally think they should be at fault. They suggested that homeowners practice electronics safety, i.e. unplugging any electronic devices from the wall when they're not in use and using surge protectors on devices that are not practical to unplug such as TVs and computers. Basically they blamed the homeowners for having their appliances plugged in when the transformer blew. Confused Fortunately the transformer in front of my house is fairly recent. Older than my house (12 years old) but unsure how much older. The poles were replaced a few months after we moved in but I was only 5 or 6 years old and don't remember if the transformer was transferred from the old pole or if it was installed new when the new poles went in.

Here's a really old transformer, probably from the 1940s or possibly earlier than that.
merc   [Aug 22, 2015 at 04:39 PM]
I like the vintage transformer. 75 years in use is quite impressive. Cool

AFAIK we don't have any transformers attached to lighting poles here. Our transformers are usually for a group of houses in an area, they're bigger and have their dedicated places. Possibly some solitary houses (near woods etc.) could have transformers like this.

The difference could be in the voltage system. With 230V here the losses are lower hence power lines from the transformer can be longer.
streetlight98   [Aug 22, 2015 at 08:11 PM]
Here, each transformer serves a few houses. There's usually a transformer every few utility poles. The street lights are on the utility poles, they don't have their own special poles except in certain circumstances.

These lines are 240V, with two 120V lines and a neutral. The older street lights like above are actually wired for 240V, but newer ones are 120V. Houses here actually get 240V supplied to them, but it's split at the panel to two 120V circuits, except for clothes dryers and kitchen stoves, which are 240V since they have higher current draw.
joe_347V   [Aug 23, 2015 at 04:33 AM]
Hmm I wonder if you have any square transformers left in your area. Our oldest transformers I think are from the 30s and are mounted on little wooden platforms to the side of the pole. Toronto still has a good number of them in use.

streetlight98   [Aug 23, 2015 at 12:51 PM]
Never seen any here, though I do remember that pic. Cool
HPSM250R2   [Sep 25, 2015 at 12:35 AM]
Looks like the square boxy version of the M250A2. My favorite Very Happy
streetlight98   [Sep 25, 2015 at 01:42 AM]
Yes, it's a pre-1987 model like the one I have.

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