A C Ford AC850 80w/125w MBF lantern
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AC Ford AC850 80w MBF/U lantern. Still available from A C Ford in 2006, the AC850 lantern is a robust little lantern with a cast aluminium two-part canopy, and a UV stabilised polycarbonate bowl designed to give long service. The lantern is a gear-in-head type that was originally designed for use with 80w or 125w MBFU lamps, but these days it is also available for use with 70w SON lamps. The AC850 is a side entry lantern suitable for 3/4“ or 1” BSP (British Standard Pipe) spigot mounting; however, A C Ford do make a top entry version of the lantern (AC888), which is also suitable for 3/4“ and 1” BSP spigot fixing. One of the biggest buyers of this type of lamp was Birmingham City Council who still have hundreds of the type in service throughout the City. Birmingham City Council continues to buy small batches of the AC850, but these days they’re all 70w SON fitted variants due to mercury vapour streetlighting gradually being phased out.

The A C Ford AC850 lantern pictured below was purchased new from AC Ford, (Dudley) Ltd in 2004 and is fitted with a NEMA socket for photocell control. This AC850 lantern is identical to those once ordered by Birmingham City Council for use with 80w MBF/U lamps, and had to be specially made to order, as this variant of the AC850 with NEMA socket is no longer built as standard. This is because Birmingham Council later requested that A C Ford supply lanterns with flush-fitting Royce-Thompson photocells, as the larger NEMA type photocells make easy targets for air gun pellets and other missiles!

The A C Ford AC850 lantern for 80-watt MBF/U lamps. The Biro pen gives an idea of the lantern's size.

An A C Ford AC850 80-watt MBF lantern in Longbridge, Birmingham. Note that the bowl has 'yellowed' over time from the Ultra-Violate light rays given off by the mercury lamp.

 

AC850 70w SON lanterns during assembly at the A C Ford factory in December 2005. 

 

 

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Copyright(c) 2005 Claire Pendrous. All rights reserved.

Please note that all pictures are by Claire Pendrous, or are part of the Claire Pendrous photographic collection unless otherwise stated; none of these images can be copied without obtaining prior permission.