These doors are not as deep as the M-400 R/A3. If you notice.

I also noticed that the AEL Powerpads have a bigger space between the doors. More space for bugs and dirt to get in.

i Wonder how many utilities actually use Powerpad type fixtures like they're designed. or if they're treated like Throwaways like other fixtures.

All the places I know that use/used Powr/Doors treat them as throwaway fixtures. The big advantage IMO (at least with the 400W size Powr/Doors) is that it's much easier to install the fixtures since the majority of the weight is on the door, which is removed during installation. Some of those 400W fixtures are really heavy and awkwardly large to handle so installation is so much easier with the Powr/Doors. At least I find it easy when I mount my lights outside.

My power company hasn't used power door street lights since the early 80's.

Pretty much the same here. Narragansett Electric used M-250As in small numbers around 1966-1967 and possibly a couple here and there afterward and then they used M-250A2 FCOs extensively through the 80s. They used a few 100W MV 313 Powerpad FCOs but they were super rare. After that all single door lights. They never used 400W-size Powr/Doors though. Neighboring electric company Blackstone Valley Electric started using Powr/Doors in the 90s, using M-400A2s for 250W HPS and then M-400As for 250W HPS after the M-400A2 was discontinued. But they used single door small cobraheads. Once NGrid took over Narragansett Electric and Blackstone Valley Electric, NGrid abandoned all of BVE's practices and stuck only with NECo's way of doing things, including their fixture choice, which as of the time NGrid took over, consisted of drop lens 50, 100, and 250W HPS M-250R2s and 400W HPS M-400s.

Looks like a nice streetlight
I've never made it as far as Buena Vista, farthest is a bit past Fairplay...