WRTL 2400 "Pathfinder" Lantern Installations

As the name suggests, the WRTL / Industria Pathfinder was designed for use on pathways and cycleways. They were post-top only, with an off-centre optic system to distribute the light from the lamp accordingly. They could run compact-fluorescent, high-pressure sodium or metal halide lamps.


Burton-upon-Trent

A surviving Pathfinder is located on a cycleway at the end of Callister Way.

For reasons that may be branch-related, the hinged column could not be lowered, and it was left to be done at a later date.


Loughborough

A damaged Pathfinder was discovered along Clay Pipe Jitty. It appears to be looking into a career as a bowl.

The rest of the columns were LED, but why this one was left isn't clear. It may be due to the pathway being too narrow for a bucket van, but this shouldn't be an issue considering it is base-hinged. There are windows next to it, as well as some kind of unit attached to the wall, so perhaps they prevent it lowering, or someone had their windows wide-open when the others were done.


Tamworth

This was the first Pathfinder I'd seen in person. However, this isn't any old Pathfinder, because it is cycling. I only spotted it by chance, tucked away in an alleyway, cycling away! I just so happened to walk past the entrance to the alleyway as it turned off, and it caught my eye. As I approached I thought it was a Thorn Civic 1 or a WRTL 2600. Boy, was I happy to find one of these! Unfortunately I wasn't out photographing streetlights and thus didn't have my camera on me, so not much was yet known about this lantern and the pictures weren't the best quality. If I'd guess, it runs 50W SON and has a Zodion Photocell.

- An update on this lantern, I visited it at night and the lamp had now reached EOL. It no-longer cycled or worked at all.

I also visited the Pathfinder again on 16th December 2023 during a rather-warm winter afternoon.

The Pathfinder was replaced recently, and I was sadly not around to save it. A Holophane S-Line took it's place.


Uttoxeter

These examples are located off Hockley Road.

Zodion NEMA photocells are employed upon the canopies to operate each lantern.

A break in the trees allowed the second one to be seen without obstruction: