GEC Z5670 Lantern Installations

Due to the difficulty of telling them apart, this page covers the entire GEC Z5670 range of lanterns. This includes the: Z5670 for 60W-200W GLS, Z5671 for 80W-125W MB/U or MBF/U, Z5672 for ES 60W-200W GLS, 50W-120W SON-T or ES 80W-125W MBF/U, Z5678 for 35W SOX or 45W-60W SOI/H, and the Z5679 for 80W-125W MBF/U or MB/U. These lanterns were always remote-geared but similar post-tops by GEC could sometimes accommodate gears.

Burntwood

This example is located along Chase Road, Burntwood, sitting atop a Stanton 1405 column.

The backlight from the sky outlined a SOX lamp inside, making this example a GEC Z5678, much like my own.

This example was spotted day-burning it's SOX lamp in March 2025, but I was on a bus and couldn't get my camera out fast enough to snap it.

Burton-upon-Trent

Around the car park of The Range, Burton-upon-Trent are countless GEC Z5672s. They each run a 70W SON lamp, with there being some visual differences between these and the SOX/MBF versions. Most notably the base is slightly different, in that the grub-screws jut out slightly and the base appears to extend slightly further into the lantern, that or there's some-kind of reflector employed inside.

They are all incredibly grubby, having decades of service under their belts respectively.

This next example is mounted to the column using a post-top adaptor, and is marked with a battle-scar in the form of a chunk missing from the hat.

Later in the day, these were discovered to be day-burning. The lanterns are likely operated off a timer inside one of the buildings (or manually switched) and as the days were just starting to get longer, they'd switch on during day-light hours.

The closest example to the camera:

Chester

A GEC Z5670 lantern is installed atop a 5m column along Union Terrace.

The shorter spigot on this example confirms this is a later-type Z5670, I'm unsure of the lamp-type it runs (or ran if it isn't doing nightly service anymore).

A minicell is employed to switch this lantern. Unusually, it is positioned in the lantern's base rather than the GRP canopy.

The original paint of the column is now very tired-looking, owing to decades of weathering and fading. What may be a gear is present in this example - but these could never be sold with an integral gear to my knowledge, and the refractor bowl makes it difficult to discern whether that's actually what it is.

With thanks to the security guard for allowing me to photograph the following installations, as well as information on some of the fittings. Situated around Castle Square are a multitude of old lanterns, such as GEC Z5640s, CU Phosco P111s, a P108A, and some DW Windsor Yorks. Among these other fittings are also some GEC Z5670s for GLS lamps. The first example is fitted to a wall-bracket, and would have replaced a damaged Z5640. This one has a longer spigot, meaning it is older than the previous example. Notice the supply cable enters the lantern at the base (rather than through the spigot) and the bracket is fixed to the exterior of the spigot. A small metal plate is used to cover the spigot opening, and what may be a cable for an external photocell can be seen. I think this lantern now runs a domestic LED golf ball lamp.

Between the pillars of the same building, two more Z5670s can be seen. These look to have been green at one point, before the columns and lanterns were painted black.

The next column is similarly weathered. I think this weathered look goes great with the lanterns and columns.

The same column's silhouette, pictured from another angle:

Lichfield

This one's located in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Standing proud opposite 112 Purcell Avenue, this lantern is a true survivor! It appears to be a slightly newer version due to the longer mounting spigot, and runs a SOX lamp.

It is mounted at 5m on an unbranded column, with what might be a replacement door.

Another Lichfield example is tucked away at the end of Gilbert Road, in a garage area.

This example also looks to run a SOX lamp.