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A C Ford Ltd did not generally use odd numbers in the component and product numbering system; the first recorded part number being AC2. You will see that most part numbers are given even numbers. However, over time odd numbers and suffixes were occasionally used.

In some instances, part numbers have been used twice and the original entry has been crossed out with the new product entry written beneath it. On other pages part numbers have been recorded, but have nothing recorded against them. And there are sections where a whole series of part numbers have been completely missed out. However, all of these entries and the missing entries are recorded as they appear in the Product Book.

The company produced some other products too, such as hot plates and grill boilers for domestic cookers, watertight light fittings for domestic and commercial use, and unusually, a ceiling fan, for use in commercial premises such as factories and shops.

Unfortunately, there are no dates recorded against any of the part numbers, although the Product Book does contain references to Drawing Numbers. However, by November 1951, AC236 was the highest part number recorded in the November 1951 Street Lighting Catalogue. Interestingly, no lanterns are recorded in that catalogue, although a GEC Z5045N 'Wembley' open refractor lantern is shown mounted on an A C Ford swan neck bracket on the front cover. The first streetlighting lantern recorded in the Product book is the AC242 open lantern, which was presumably introduced into the range shortly afterwards.

The majority of the company's development work on producing lanterns took place in the 1950's. By 1955, the company offered a full range of lanterns for tungsten and mercury lamps, including the AC480 140-watt low-pressure sodium lantern. In the following year, the AC700 45w low-pressure sodium lantern was added to the range, and certainly by 1958 the AC710 and AC840 series of sodium lanterns had been added too. Development and production of the company’s range of post-top lanterns is likely to have occurred around 1959-60, in line with the development and manufacture of fibreglass columns.

Cradley Chain were cast iron founders, and Courts were founders of cast aluminium products. Hermit, Henley, and Wyatt were founders too.

All text in black is a direct copy of information from the A C Ford Product book.

All text in blue is additional information from other sources and helpful notes.

All text in green is a direct copy of information from the Product Book, but refers to none-streetlighting related products, such as cooker hot plates and grill boilers.

Then a gap from AC216 to AC140 nothing listed in product book.

AC230