M6T (3) High Mast floodlight - triple pack - N GAUGE -
Parts to make three floodlights , they require painting. One can be modeled in the head lowered for maintenance position.
Background History
Industrial yard lighting has always been an important factor particularly where material handling is necessary, loading trailers and railway wagons through the dark hours in order to meet shipping deadlines. There has been continual development in this field to make lighting more efficient in terms of illumination-area, reduced power consumption, economic manufacturing and installation costs, servicing ease and safety.
It was in the early 1970’s when we started to see tall floodlighting being introduced, especially in container yards where lighting above the height of container stacks was necessary with minimal shadow effects. Early lighting structures were similar to that used at sports stadiums using complicated welded steel structures towering to around 60ft (18m). These had ladder and platform access but servicing was not for the faint hearted and constant pressure was being applied due to health & safety issues. Pivoting tubular structures followed similar to flag poles and sailing masts, but again lowering these for servicing was far from ideal and limited the type of flood lighting that could be used.
It wasn’t until the 1980’s that manufacturing processes were sufficiently developed to produce long tapering hollow tubes in excess of 20 meters long. The general term used for these is ‘High Mast Floodlighting’ with heights of 20m, 25m and 30m being the norm and heights up to 50m possible to suit special needs. These masts are made of sectional welded steel galvanised finish in order to avoid the need for paint protection and with a large gusseted flange-ring welded on the bottom for bolting down with ten or more high-tensile steel bolts onto a concrete pile (foundation) set into the ground.
A variety of floodlighting was made possible by the introduction of a unique self-centring light-ring system. The light-rings, called the ‘Lantern-Carrier’, vary in size usually carrying 4, 6 or 12 flood-lights. Various reflector lamp box shapes and sizes are used. There is also a fixed cap on the top of the mast that houses the lantern-carrier interlocks and pulleys which allows steel cables to run from a low-level winch allowing the lantern-carrier to be lowered to ground-working level for servicing, suspended on three or more steel cables. Access to controls is via a removable panel at the base of the mast.
Today through good design and economics High Mast Floodlighting has grown so popular they can be seen almost everywhere; retail-parks, public highways, farm-yards and many others including the associated railway depots and would complement any modern-outline model railway layout.
Our model stands over 20 metres scale height incorporating 6 large non-working floodlights, ideal for container yards with 5-high stacks and other facilities. It includes wire so that the head can be modeled in a lowered position as it is when maintenance is carried out. It is possible to add wires/leds etc to make this work and instructions include some guidance in this area but these extras ARE NOT included with the model.