Since I figure that T12 HO and VHO fluorescent tubes are known for their intense lumen output, I am beginning to wonder if there were any linear fluorescent high bay fixtures that used VHO and HO T12 fluorescent tubes for industrial and commercial lighting applications.

The paradigm for lighting those spaces back then with fluorescent lights seemed to be using fluorescent reflector lights, like turrets arranged in continuous rows across the entire facility. Usually with 2 lamps per cross section but for added light most turret luminaires can accommodate up to 4 lamps per cross section.

At 215w and 14000 lumens per 8ft tube, that's some serious output for a 4 lamp unit. Just a bit shy of a 1000w MV highbay.

Used to be VHO and PowerGroove 96” lamps were quite common here in buildings with high ceilings. The fixtures often had reflectors and were equipped with two lamps.

My middle school had single tube 8' VHO louvers in most of the hallways of the "new" section  . For energy savings , every other one had the tube removed and just laying in the fixture on top of the louvers . Most of the tubes were the orange capped SHO Westies .

When I worked for Sylvania lighting services in Edmonton Alberta Canada, the only place that we encountered using Vho tubes where in the 7-Eleven pylon signs, they had 10 ft high output vho tubes in them

I know currently two places where VHO 215W lamps are still in use. One is a carpenters workshop which I sourced them a dozen new tubes 3 years ago and one is a workshop of a utility company of a community which still has two PowerGroove lamps in use.