Philips SGS252/3 Lantern Installations
The Philips SGS252/253 are part of the Philips Iridium family of lanterns. They could use 70W-150W SON lamps, and were incredibly popular across the UK and mainland Europe. In addition to SON lamps, metal halide and LED lamps were available. The canopy is of GRP (fibreglass) construction, with flat-glass, curved tempered glass, deep-glass and deep-polycarbonate bowls available. The SGS252 is the slightly smaller version of the SGS253.
Derby
Countless Iridiums are situated along London Road, which, while unremarkable, there exists one very interesting installation here.
On the left-hand side of the bracket is the smaller SGS252, with a larger SGS253 on the right (from the camera's perspective). With this arrangement, the column looks quite off-balance.
Some more even-looking twin-armed columns exist along Osmaston Road.
Shaftesbury Street supports a damaged Mallatite column, likely due to an impact from a large vehicle. Hilariously, due to there being a scrap facility nearby, a smashed up car was located on a tow truck right next to the column.
Despite this, the column seems to have absorbed all of the energy from the impact(s), and the lantern remains intact.
The two sizes of the Iridium can also be sighted along Bradshaw Way, where columns with post-top SGS253s, and smaller, side-entry SGS252s exist.
Many of the smaller SGS252s have been swapped for OrangeTEK AriaLEDs, as seen of the following example:
A bowl-less SGS253 was spotted on the subsequent roundabout.
Another damaged lantern is situated on Meadow Road, attached to a wall under a bridge. While the bow isn't as badly damaged on this example as the previous one, but the hole has caused some water or dirt to collect inside.
Perhaps a spot-replacement Iridium would help - like this next example! It replaced a failed Philips Milewide² LED lantern.
The Iridium looks weathered, so it may have been installed second-hand from somewhere else.
Lichfield
This installation of an SGS253 was spotted on Falkland Road, where the abandoned railway line's bridge gave quite a good opportunity for a photograph.
Mile Oak
Another spot-replacement was spotted on column E12 of the B5404 in early 2025. The lantern replaced a Philips MA50-GO for 135W SOX or 91W SOX-E.
Rugby
This installation of an SGS252 is located on column 14 of Coton Road.
The examples here employ radio-nodes to control the lantern's burning hours.
Inside is what appears to be a 50W SON-T lamp.
Stoke-on-Trent
Some Iridiums exist orbiting the roundabout connecting Parkhouse Road West and Parkhouse Road East. These examples feature low-profile glass bowls.
These are the larger SGS253s; this one is from column 3.
Tamworth
The Philips SGS252/253 (Iridium) is a common lantern here in Tamworth. It is widely used on main roads, however other applications of this lantern such as residential lighting can be found. This Philips Iridium (SGS252) is on Coton Lane. It exists as a replacement to a failed Urbis Sapphire 2.
The Iridium can be seen on the third column from the right. The surrounding lanterns are all Urbis Sapphire 2s.
Chartwell, Tamworth supports a relatively-new Philips SGS252 (running 100W SON-T) on an 8m column. It replaced an Eleco GR100 back in 2020.
This is unlike B5000, where Philips Iridiums line the road, running 150W SON.
The following examples were pictured on the roundabout joining Silver Link Road to the B5000. Column T4 was pictured first.
Followed by column T3 (closest to the camera):
On the 25/07/2024 I spotted a brand-new bracket on the column.
I continued to follow the roundabout, picturing column T2.
A view of the Iridiums lining the B5000.
Another post-top example, seen installed at 6m on Lindores Road. This installation is notable in that it exists next to another post-top Iridium at 8m.
Located on Sandy Way, this Iridium appears to have loosened in the previous storm.
These SGS252 lanterns are located just off Sandy Way, Tamworth. They have been retrofitted to accommodate LED lamps.
New housing estates seem to love using the Philips SGS252 as a CDO lantern among the LEDs. Yet another housing estate supports several SGS252s.
An example of a Philips SGS252, this one running a metal halide lamp. It is mounted at 6m and located in a new housing estate in Borough Park, Tamworth.
Toton
Manor Farm Open Space has a spot-replacement Iridium, used to light a footpath after a Philips SGS101 had failed. The lantern's similar appearance to the SGS101 could be the reason as to why it was picked as a replacement, if not by coincidence.
The lantern has made a nice home for some crawly critters, evident by the blanket of cobwebs underneath.
