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Allen Road and 401
Here's a partial view of the massive Allen and 401 interchange that was built in the mid 60s. The original lights installed were [url=http://www.gettorontomoving.ca/images/spadina_65.gif]Powerlite fluorescent streetlights[/url] on aluminium and concrete davit poles for the Allen portion and 400w? mercury [url=http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/206/f0217s0249fl0118it0001.jpg]Powerlite B2215s[/url] on concrete MTO style truss poles for the 401 portion. Prior to the construction of this interchange, I believe the 401 used 400w mercury clamshells [url=http://www.blogto.com/upload/2011/09/2011913-401-27-1961.jpg](similar to these)[/url] on concrete double guy poles. 

Over time the Powerlite fluorescent streetlights were replaced with [url=http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/vintage/Tor_1989_misc/Allen_1.jpg]Philips LPS lumes[/url] which itself was replaced with [url=http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-2847]GE M-400A2 FCOs[/url] in the early 90s (some of which have been replaced with GE M-400A3 FCO or AEL 125 FCO). As for the 401 I believe the B2215s were replaced with HPS Cooper OV 25s in the 90s. The MTO truss poles were replaced during reconstruction with steel tapered e poles instead of using high mast. The lumes used are a mix of GE M-400A3, AEL 125 and Cooper OV 25, I believe all in 250-400w HPS.

None of the 60s era lumes remains aside from some fluorescent underpass lights left up (long since disconnected though)...those use Powrgroove lamps. An aside, note the mid-late 70s [url=http://transit.toronto.on.ca/subway/5504.shtml]Hawker Siddeley "H5"[/url] subway train still in use...those would probably be retired by next year and sold off to another transit system. Around half of the cars have already been retired. Update: The last train ran in mid June of 2013. 
Keywords: American_Streetlights

Allen Road and 401

Here's a partial view of the massive Allen and 401 interchange that was built in the mid 60s. The original lights installed were Powerlite fluorescent streetlights on aluminium and concrete davit poles for the Allen portion and 400w? mercury Powerlite B2215s on concrete MTO style truss poles for the 401 portion. Prior to the construction of this interchange, I believe the 401 used 400w mercury clamshells (similar to these) on concrete double guy poles.

Over time the Powerlite fluorescent streetlights were replaced with Philips LPS lumes which itself was replaced with GE M-400A2 FCOs in the early 90s (some of which have been replaced with GE M-400A3 FCO or AEL 125 FCO). As for the 401 I believe the B2215s were replaced with HPS Cooper OV 25s in the 90s. The MTO truss poles were replaced during reconstruction with steel tapered e poles instead of using high mast. The lumes used are a mix of GE M-400A3, AEL 125 and Cooper OV 25, I believe all in 250-400w HPS.

None of the 60s era lumes remains aside from some fluorescent underpass lights left up (long since disconnected though)...those use Powrgroove lamps. An aside, note the mid-late 70s Hawker Siddeley "H5" subway train still in use...those would probably be retired by next year and sold off to another transit system. Around half of the cars have already been retired. Update: The last train ran in mid June of 2013.

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File information
Filename:IMG_0436_pwrgrv.JPG
Album name:joe_347V / Toronto Area Streetlights
Keywords:American_Streetlights
Filesize:209 KiB
Date added:Apr 24, 2012
Dimensions:1600 x 1200 pixels
Displayed:304 times
Color Space:sRGB
DateTime Original:2012:04:13 13:54:07
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Exposure Time:1/673 sec
FNumber:f/2.4
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Focal length:4.28 mm
ISO:64
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Model:iPhone 4S
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=11504
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Comment 1 to 9 of 9
Page: 1

streetlight98   [Apr 24, 2012 at 11:41 PM]
Interesting how many times the lights were changed out. I think most of the old RIDOT poles left here origionally had 400 MV remote ballast clamshells (mostly Form 109 and OV-20) and teardrops, then around the 60's 400W MV cobraheads (M-400 and OV-25), and now 250W HPS M-250R2. Now the old poles are being replaced by tall davits with 400W HPS M-400 FCO on the freeway and shorter davits (same height as the old poles) with 250W HPS M-400 FCO.
Also interesting that the bottom of the bridge is concrete as well. Here you can see the metal "framework" underneath usually painted green and sometimes light blue.
joe_347V   [Apr 25, 2012 at 06:02 AM]
Yeah, I forgot to mention that the 401 originally used 400w MV clamshells in the 1950s above too...the mercury trusses only came when the express-collector system was put in during the 60s.

As for the bridge, yeah most of ours are concrete bottomed but I've noticed some older ones have grey or green painted steel I beams and girders underneath. Something interesting about bridges here is that our bridge decks are always surfaced with asphalt, even if the freeway is concrete.
SeanB~1   [Apr 25, 2012 at 06:09 PM]
Different construction methods. Steel girder construction is quick and fast to erect, but has a limited life and needs regular maintenance. They are repainted every 5 years and will need replacing and major overhaul at around the 50 year mark. Cast concrete will last easily 2 centuries with minimal maintenance, but is more expensive initially, and needs either a casting yard at one end for cantilever launched units or the ability to have the underside scaffolded for months for cast in situ units. Mostly the steel bridges were either over railways or had rail on them, while concrete is the norm for motor traffic only bridges.
streetlight98   [Apr 26, 2012 at 12:24 AM]
Here the freeways are asphalt but the new bridge decks are cement though older bridges have an asphalt deck.
joe_347V   [Dec 02, 2012 at 03:20 AM]
I found a MTO document recently about the 401's lighting system and it turns out the truss poles originally had Powerlite B2215s with 400w clear mercs over the express lanes and B2213s with 700w clear mercs over the collector lanes. The ramps were 400w B2215s though.
streetlight98   [Dec 02, 2012 at 05:23 PM]
Interesting. Here i believe 400W MV cobraheads were used on both the actual freeway as well as on the ramps. When the HPS take-over happened, 250W HPS M-250R2s were used on both the freeways and ramps. With new upgrades, it seems 250 watts isn't enough for RIDOT lol. It's now 400W on the freeway and 250W on the ramps. I guess now the NGrid is back to Cooper, the new FCO M-400s on davit poles will not be installed anymore. It'll be Cooper OVFs on the tall davit poles like it was back when RIDOT first began upgrading its lights.

The funny thing is, where OVFs were used, nearly half of them were replaced by M-400 FCOs over the past 7-ish years. I'll never understand why NGrid "second-in-line" is Cooper from GE. Ironically NGrid turns to Cooper when GE goes through quality issues. Laughing AEL would make a much better second bet but i here's how i see it:

GE has the most expensive fixtures becuase they gives outrageous deals to bigger utilitis like Forida Power and National Grid.
Cooper has the second highest priced cobrhaead becuase they too give large discounts to companies (which is probably why NGrid turns to them in a "GE crisis".)
AEL has the lowest cost cobrahead because they (as far as i know) don't offer discounts to larger utility companies. That's probably why smaller people like contracters and such use AEL a lot which would explain why GE is used sometimes under MTO (large group) while AEL is generally used on streets by contractors (small group).

Just a guess i suppose but it seems to be the way most things these days work from big company to big company. The little guy gets screwed with a higher price. That's why i really like AEL. Good customer service, not all those corrupt deals with big utilities, and not high prices either.
mercuryvaporrocks   [Dec 02, 2012 at 06:54 PM]
There used to be 400 watt mercury vapor street lights on the Pennsylvania Turnpike until the 1980's when they were all replaced with 200 watt high pressure sodium streetlights and high mast lighting.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Dec 02, 2012 at 09:25 PM]
I see both concrete bottom and steel truss bridges...I like them both. Steel trusses look awesome with those huge "I" beams and I like the concrere too..I've always liked concrete and steel and preferred it over wood...
traffic light1   [Sep 06, 2019 at 09:34 AM]
Nice pic !

Comment 1 to 9 of 9
Page: 1