Ickenham Underground Station, Glebe Avenue, Glebe Estate, Ickenham, London Borough of Hillingdon Although not street lighting, the under-canopy platform lighting at this station served by the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines is especially notable, as it still comprises the bespoke fluorescent fittings designed for London Transport in the immediate Post-War period of the late 1940s (though now converted to take LED retro-fit lamps instead). Many of the stations on the Central line's extension stations of that era were lit with these fittings, with older stations, such as Ickenham, then gaining them quickly afterwards, before the "continuous" fluorescent lighting made by Churchouse appeared later. Sadly, very few of these classic fittings survive on the modern Underground system - a very quirky double-lamp design employed at some stations having become extinct many years earlier, and the Piccadilly line platforms at Earl's Court still using these same single-lamp fittings until the mid-2010s. The examples at Ickenham are lucky to have remained, as much of the station underwent rebuilding in the 1970s, but amazingly, these fittings were retained.

These examples are on the staircase leading down to the London-bound platform.

Increasing the camera's brightness settings allows the fittings' unusual design to be appreciated.

The fittings are of aluminium construction, with the lamp spaced a short distance away from the base section.

The famous London Transport 'roundel' is riveted to the base sections. These would house the lamp control gear - how I would love to see inside, and see if there is still a 1940s' ballast installed within, even if it is no longer in operation!

The fittings were designed to accommodate T12-sized fluorescent lamps (the only type that was available initially), so the smaller T8 diameter LED lamps look a bit too thin when employed here.

Two separate labels warning that the fitting has been modified to take LED lamps exist on the bodywork.

A general view of the platform area, with several of these vintage fittings visible.

These examples are seen on the other platform, which is used by trains heading towards Uxbridge.

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