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GE M-250R Crimefighter Found this rare fixture recently. It's a 175w mercury version and came with a 1960s Sylvania girder framed 175w clear merc. It was listed as a 1970s Toronto streetlight but I'm not sure if these ever saw use in Toronto. The only place where I could have seen them used are in back alleys that are now lit with HPS Holophane buckets. Anyway, it's a bit dusty and probably could use a new paint job or at least a good cleaning but it did come with the original ballast. The cap seems to be either failing or shorted as the ballast seems to run very HOT and draw excess current. The internal fuse was also blown. The ballast became hot to touch even after only running for two minutes which seemed to suggest it was drawing excess current. Fortunately I unplugged the light before the ballast got damaged. I plan to get a new cap and fuse before trying the ballast again. I also have a Bonusline 175w clear merc from the same era I might swap in. There were not labels or nameplates inside but I was able to date the fixture to December 1967 from the info on the cap. This fixture also didn't come with a PC socket, I guess it was either hooked up to a remote PC or a group relay. Keywords: American_Streetlights

GE M-250R Crimefighter

Found this rare fixture recently. It's a 175w mercury version and came with a 1960s Sylvania girder framed 175w clear merc.

It was listed as a 1970s Toronto streetlight but I'm not sure if these ever saw use in Toronto. The only place where I could have seen them used are in back alleys that are now lit with HPS Holophane buckets.

Anyway, it's a bit dusty and probably could use a new paint job or at least a good cleaning but it did come with the original ballast. The cap seems to be either failing or shorted as the ballast seems to run very HOT and draw excess current. The internal fuse was also blown. The ballast became hot to touch even after only running for two minutes which seemed to suggest it was drawing excess current. Fortunately I unplugged the light before the ballast got damaged. I plan to get a new cap and fuse before trying the ballast again. I also have a Bonusline 175w clear merc from the same era I might swap in.

There were not labels or nameplates inside but I was able to date the fixture to December 1967 from the info on the cap. This fixture also didn't come with a PC socket, I guess it was either hooked up to a remote PC or a group relay.

COL_IMG_6291.JPG COL_IMG_4849M.JPG COL_IMG_20150919_201628M.jpg COL_IMG_3474.JPG COL_IMG_3433.JPG
File information
Filename:COL_IMG_20150919_201628M.jpg
Album name:joe_347V / My Streetlight Collection
Keywords:American_Streetlights
Company and Date Manufactured:General Electric, December 1967
Model Number:M-250R Crimefighter
Wattage:175w
Lamp Type:Mercury vapour
Filesize:462 KiB
Date added:Sep 20, 2015
Dimensions:1216 x 1800 pixels
Displayed:371 times
Color Space:sRGB
Contrast:0
DateTime Original:2015:09:19 20:16:32
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Program:Program
Exposure Time:31/4463 sec
FNumber:f/2.4
Flash:No Flash
Focal length:3.97 mm
ISO:100
Make:Lge
Max Aperture:f/2.4
Model:Nexus 5
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=19851
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 8 of 8
Page: 1

lite_lover   [Sep 20, 2015 at 08:52 AM]
Very nice find Joe!
streetlight98   [Sep 20, 2015 at 03:30 PM]
Nice! The housing must have been sitting around a couple years before the fixture was assembled since the housing is from 1965, being silver and having the extended tab on the PUSH TO OPEN LATCH. My M-250R is from 1965 too, November to be specific. Too bad about the capacitor. Hopefully that's all it is.
joe_347V   [Sep 21, 2015 at 03:16 AM]
Thanks Darren and Mike! Ahh interesting that the housing sat fully painted for so long before they assembled the rest of the fixture. Yeah too bad the cap was dead but I'd much rather replace a dead cap than say a ballast. I think the internal fyse blowing pretty much saved the ballast from further damage.
m@   [Sep 25, 2015 at 05:37 AM]
I've never seen a crimefighter fixture open before, I always assumed the lamp was oriented on its side like a typical cobra. My mind is blown just realizing that this is like a nema head/bucket fixture disguised in a cobrahead.

I never before wondered about why they use crimefighter fixtures... the optics seem to just illuminate a circular spot, and most light seems to glarebomb off the side with the bulb like this. Why does chicago love em!?
streetlight98   [Sep 25, 2015 at 11:45 AM]
The light is SUPPOSED to be a glarebomb with the thought that no area on the street would be left dark. The Crimefighter fixture was designed to combat Chicago's high crime rate with the idea that the criminals would have no where to hide on the streets. The made the Crimefighters in 175 and 250W MV in this fixture, 310W HPS in the M-400 housing, and 100 and 150W HPS in the M-250R1 housing. Now the Crimefighter is made from an M-250A2 housing but will be discontinued as of 1/1/16.
joe_347V   [Nov 09, 2015 at 06:33 PM]
Currently repainting this light, it was originally grey but I kept the new paint job silver since I think it looks quite good in silver. As for the ballast, the primary windings were overheated at one point due to a bad cap. Since I couldn't find a new cap for a reasonable price and the ballast itself was a bit damaged I'm most likely going to replace the ballast with a new one.
NiMo   [Nov 15, 2015 at 02:24 AM]
Joe, it may be the best option to replace the ballast. I suggest you get a new one so that you can run MH lamps in it as well.
joe_347V   [Nov 15, 2015 at 06:37 AM]
I agree, I ended up replacing the ballast, as I found trying to get the old one going again will be too much trouble. I got a brand new 175w MH ballast for it.

Comment 1 to 8 of 8
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