Anyone Collect (Or Want To Collect) Traffic Signals?

[Ian]

Hey everyone!

Is there anyone in here besides me who has a big enough love for traffic signals that they collect them? I started this topic because there are many sign collectors, and since traffic signals go together with signs like spaghetti and meatball ( ), I decided to start this.

I have a small collection but I am always willing to expand. I have a few minor signals in my collection which include an 8" Econolite, an 8" Eagle Alusig, a 16" I.C.C. (Indicator Controls Corp) ped signal, a signle section 12" Safetran signal (may be willing to sell later on), and a single section 12" T.C.T. (Traffic Control Technologies) signal with a fiber-optic 2-color arrow unit in it. Here are photos of my 2 8" signals:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/8InchAlusig#
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/My8InchEconoliteAndONEWAYSign#

Is there anyone in here who wants to possibly start a collection in the future? You can try the risky eBay, but they usually price them way to high than they are meant to be. There is a guy I know, who has a website that sells signals from any brands, styles, colors, etc. His website is here: http://www.trafficlights.com/twingrn.htm
Each section is $25 each for both 12" and 8", so a full 3 section one would run about $75. I know him personally and he is very nice and usually ships fast. I have only bought a fiber-optic arrow unit from him, but I know he is very reliable.

So, anyone collect them? Just wondering...
Ian

[ctsignguy]

not here....

years ago when i was a kid (back in teh 1960s when limits were not thought of), i would ask Santa each Christmas for a traffic light (Poor Santa prolly thought even then 'here is a weird one!')....wasnt until 1991 that i finally got a traffic light....a badly matched four-banger (none of the boxes matched) that i traded to a fellow i knew who refurbished older traffic lights (cleaned them out, rewired them, then put in blinker circuits and an on-off switch)...i had THAT light for about a year, then sold it to a fellow who wanted a light for his party room...and never really had the desire for one since.....

...although if one certain model of light suddenly showed up and jumped in my arms and said "Take me home, Daddy', i might reconsider!

[BigMattFromTexas]

If so i could just go to the same scrap yard i get my signs from and they have alot of em'
BigMatt

[US71]

I had a toy traffic light as a kid. It was a little battery operated push button job with a 4-way signal on a post.  There were 4 settings: Red (or green depending on which side you were looking at), Yellow (all 4 sides), Green (or red), Off.  I don't think it lasted too long: it quit working or got broken, I think. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I'd taken better care of it

[Scott5114]

I'd really like to have one for my apartment, but I have no idea where I would get one.

[Ian]

I'd really like to have one for my apartment, but I have no idea where I would get one.

As I said, the webmaster of this site has loads of signals he sells. Most are from the New York/Connecticut area, but I am sure he can help you out on the style. If you need help on signal brands (for one you may like), you can ask me.
http://www.trafficlights.com/twingrn.htm

You can also try eBay, but as we all know, it can be risky.

-I

[US71]

I'd really like to have one for my apartment, but I have no idea where I would get one.

Shreveport is about to change out some signals at I-20 & Monkhouse Rd 12 inch Red, 8 inch y/g 12 inch left arrow.

[Alex]

The city of Mobile sells retired traffic lights at their electrical department. I purchased one in 2003 and another in 2005 for $50 a piece. They showed signs of age but were in overall decent shape. I had my brother in law and Casey Cooper rip out the old wiring and replace them with new ones. I have a signal switch I bought on Ebay that links them, but it does not cycle the way I want it to.

[BigMattFromTexas]

The city of Mobile sells retired traffic lights at their electrical department. I purchased one in 2003 and another in 2005 for $50 a piece. They showed signs of age but were in overall decent shape. I had my brother in law and Casey Cooper rip out the old wiring and replace them with new ones. I have a signal switch I bought on Ebay that links them, but it does not cycle the way I want it to.

I'm gonna see how much signals cost at the scrap yard that I go to...
BigMatt

[ctsignguy]

I had a toy traffic light as a kid. It was a little battery operated push button job with a 4-way signal on a post.  There were 4 settings: Red (or green depending on which side you were looking at), Yellow (all 4 sides), Green (or red), Off.  I don't think it lasted too long: it quit working or got broken, I think. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I'd taken better care of it

Was it made by BuddyL?  Also had an attached Pedestrian light under the stoplight?  I had a couple of them when i was a kid as well...,but my recollection was it wasnt very durable.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250522227524

[US71]

I had a toy traffic light as a kid. It was a little battery operated push button job with a 4-way signal on a post.  There were 4 settings: Red (or green depending on which side you were looking at), Yellow (all 4 sides), Green (or red), Off.  I don't think it lasted too long: it quit working or got broken, I think. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I'd taken better care of it

Was it made by BuddyL?  Also had an attached Pedestrian light under the stoplight?  I had a couple of them when i was a kid as well...,but my recollection was it wasnt very durable.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250522227524

Holy Smokes! Yes, I think that's it!      

[Nexis4Jersey]

If any wants these i can get them for you , my towns get rid of them when they upgrade the intersection some time next year



~Corey

[Removed unnecessary coloring. -S.]

[Ian]

If any wants these i can get them for you , my towns get rid of them when they upgrade the intersection some time next year



~Corey

[Removed unnecessary coloring. -S.]

Nice! Those are old! How much would one cost?

[Alps]

If any wants these i can get them for you , my towns get rid of them when they upgrade the intersection some time next year



~Corey

[Removed unnecessary coloring. -S.]

Given that you are apparently in Bergen County, I would likely be interested to stop by and pick them up.  By the way, what county routes do you live near?  (I have to get up there and finish driving the remaining few.)

[Nexis4Jersey]

Town Name : Washington Township.  The Garden State Parkway (exit 168) separates my town , Medium Wealth on the east side with Rich & Super Rich on the western side.
Its falling apart , so the replacement is coming soon, we b the yellow signal form another town 

its the Intersection of Washington Ave & Pascack Road
County Roads 502 & 63

I think there form the 70s , thats what my mom says.....

~Corey

[Alps]

Well I'm staking my claim... if you can get your hands on it I would be happy to pay, buy lunch, whatever.

[traderterry]

If anyone out there that is a collector of Traffic Signals I have a very old one from the 40's Its a W S Darley D-130 series beacon with a Reynolds Flash controller , Stamped Chicago , its a 4 way light and it works, it is two feet by two feet square and I am asking $750.00 can send pictures if interested , I have only seen one other one and it was on e-bay for $1400.00 e-mail if interested . lonepine1@centurytel.net

[nyratk1]

Ah, previous poster bumped an oldie. I wonder who ended up getting the GE Streamline signals quoted below

If any wants these i can get them for you , my towns get rid of them when they upgrade the intersection some time next year



~Corey

[Removed unnecessary coloring. -S.]

[DaBigE]

I have an old one I bought around ten years ago, from the city I grew up in.  After making a trip for my parents to the municipal garage to drop of some yard waste, I caught a glimpse of the signal "bone yard".  The next day I sent an email to the DPW director inquiring about them.  Turned out that they usually sold the knock-downs at the city rummage sale.  Ended up getting one (was able to Frankenstein one good one from parts of others) for about $15, and a controller board from www.trafficlights.com.  Cleaned it up, and with a little help from my dad, have it wired with a standard plug and a couple of external switches (sequence/flash mode & red/yellow - for flash mode).

I also picked up a new red lens and a couple arrow masks from a local traffic control supply store, which ended up costing more than the whole signal did!   Except for a supplier change and the fact it's not LED, it's representative of a current standard Wisconsin traffic light.  The photo is about ten years old, when it was mounted to a scrap piece of PVC in my parents' basement.  The two switches and power cord are mounted in the bottom bracket.  Presently, it's "mounted" in its horizontal orientation, above the kitchen cabinets in my apartment. It definitely is a talking piece.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

^ You can go to www.trafficlightwizard.com and get used LED inserts for $25 each.  They can usually do a matched set.

Here's my partially-repainted '60s TSI w/ old Dialight LED inserts, a matching set purchased from the aforementioned website:



I am going to restore the lenses.  Nice that they're plastic, I can sand and polish them like you would with degraded modern headlamps.

The paint color I'm using is Krylon "Bahaus Gold" - it's the closest color to Transport Yellow I can find easily available.

[nyratk1]

There's also http://www.twingreenonline.com run by a nice guy by the name of Phil Glick in upstate NY.

Reasonable prices and good selection.

[DaBigE]

^ You can go to www.trafficlightwizard.com and get used LED inserts for $25 each.  They can usually do a matched set.

I've already looked into an LED conversion, but the sequencer freaks out with that low of a power draw (and I'm not that electrically-inclined to modify it).  Plus LED's are a bit too bright for my liking indoors.

[Ian]

There's also http://www.twingreenonline.com run by a nice guy by the name of Phil Glick in upstate NY.

Reasonable prices and good selection.

I mentioned this in my original post, but it seems that the URL I posted is now dead. 

[bugo]

Can you set a signal up to go green-yellow-red and back to green?  Or do they just flash on and off?

[DaBigE]

Can you set a signal up to go green-yellow-red and back to green?  Or do they just flash on and off?

The controller board allows mine to cycle green>yellow>red>green or flash (either red or yellow).  The cycle length is also adjustable via a control knob.  It mainly controls the green and red time, but as those are lengthened or shortened, the yellow is changed proportionally.  You can get these controllers via the website I mentioned previously or they also have pre-configured signals as well--different features depending on how much you want to spend (some even with remote controls).