I'd be going nuts! I visited the RIDOT (Rhode Island Department of Transportation) warehouse and there was a huge pile of M-400R2s, OVM, and possibly M-250R2s and OVS. They guy asked if I wanted some, but that was unfourtunatly before I was into lights. I don't know if that pile is still there. The last time i went was 5 years ago when I was 8. Maybe I could try agian some time. I know for a fact it was all HPS though because that's all the state has used for a while. No utility owned lights here, all interstate lights. Still, it was a nice pile of good older lights.

You should snag some of these lights for us! Only... if you are allowed to do that. xD

if he works there he can't just take lights.

Plus he would have to pay for them anyway.

I highly doubt an employee of the company would have to pay for old lights that are going to be scrapped.

You pay the scrap value, based on the mass. Same as any scrapyard. Sometimes you pay, other times the amount is so small the guys might just give them rather than have the pain of all the paperwork they have to fill in.

I doubt a lineman that has been working all day at a hard job is really going to have to pay their own company, the company want's to keep their workers happy after all. Here I know several companies that will give lights to me without any charge.

I've always wondered if the contractors here would actually sell used streetlights, traffic lights, road signs, etc to people.

It depends on the person. If the contractor is cheap, he might not be willing to loose the $10 for scrap. If he's generous, $10 isn't a big deal to him.

What if you, say offered to pay like $10-20 for it.

I meant giving it for free. If i ask a lineman for a light i wouldn't give more than $15. If it was a modern light i wouldn't pay him

The lights I got were $16 plus tax regardless of their condition working or not.

that's a good price.

I wonder why there are so many 1kW floods here, they seem to make up half the pile.

That's because we do have a lot of 1000 watt floods used here for private area lighting......I have seen them light car dealership, parking lots, even a golf court! I saw the lineman fixing the 1000 watt floods that lit the golf court....2 had exploded lamp and one got a cap replaced.....

But I wonder why so many fail, It surprises me they wouldn't replace the ballasts in these, I'm sure they are expensive and difficult to replace.

One reason ballast replacement there...is when ballast craps out, it can ruin the wiring inside, and usually does....I have asked why sometimes powerdoor fixtures I've seen gets a new door and why sometimes others get replaced.....I was told if ballast burns out and really gets hot, it damages socket wiring, photocell wiring, even melts photocell socket, and gets really bad and can be a mess....its easier to put up a FRESH fixture.........

But I donno any 1000 watt fixture that even has powerdoors!

In where I live, I know only 250 watt and 400 watt HPS/MH cobraheads has powerdoors for easy replacement and the 400 watt (and maybe the 250 watt has ballast tray that is easily replaceable (the shoeboxes (forgot which brand) which has ballast, socket and cap assembly on a tray that is easily replaceable that replaces the ballast AND the socket!

Also certain posttops have the easy twistlock assembly....if the ballast is still good but bad cap....the assembly gets replaced and the one with bad cap goes to refurbish shop to get the cap replaced and be reused elsewhere.....

That's about it that I know...here in Baltimore areas

Hmm the only 1000w fixture that might have a powerdoor is a Powerlite B2228.

The GE spec sheet for these floods says a power tray is available, I would really have to disagree with them saying that a ballast failure can damage the wiring and fixture, most private fixtures are reballasted if the ballast dies, seems more like utility companies wasting money replacing things that don't need to be.

Well if you meet linemens you will understand a bit better.......time is a matter. It takes longer to reballast a fixture than to swap it.......I hve learned a lot from a private tour at electric company. Some fixtures do get removed but not scrapped, but fixed....but if the body of the fixture gets damaged, or the hinges gets broken, or the fixture insides are damamged (I have seen ballast failure actually damage insides, such as getting so hot they LITERALLY FUSE itself to the body, and some I have seen ballast failre make a serious mess inside fixtures.....I've seen it.....MH ballasts tends to be the worst!!!

Also GE has 10 year warrenty...if a fixture fails before 10 years, they just send a new fixture at no cost! So how can you disagree if you haven't seen or know facts?

I saw them.

Talk to actual linemen who works and fixes 30 streetlights a day and a night! I have also met those who works in refurbishing place....and believe it or not, they prefer MV, but they must follow the rules and the laws.....

You won't believe the damages I have seen