Old Traffic Signals

[Ian]

It appears to be a GE (General Electric), and a nice one at that.

Thanks, I'm not that that good at identifying traffic signal makes.

If you need help with other signal ID's, turn to me, I can help.

[rickmastfan67]

It appears to be a GE (General Electric), and a nice one at that.

Thanks, I'm not that that good at identifying traffic signal makes.

Actually, the wires are for Toronto's streetcar system.

Yeah the wires suspended over the roadway are for the streetcar system. The other ones are for the power distribution and phone systems.  Toronto still has a lot of overhead wiring in some parts of the city, even the power poles still have a old look to them with their wooden crossarms (not in the above pic)

I still can remember myself the Electric Bus lines.  I traveled on the Mt. Pleasant line several times in my life before it was decomissioned.

[Hellfighter]

Well, what do we have here?

[US71]

Well, what do we have here?

Nice

[brownpelican]

There are a few old ones in the town where I work. I should get it tomorrow. All the other ones have been replaced.

[Hellfighter]

Classic Indeed!

[Ian]

How about some abandoned signals?

[Alex]

How about some abandoned signals?

Those are great shots Ian! There was a set along U.S. 13 in Marcus Hook that I guess I never photographed in the early 2000s.

[Ian]

How about some abandoned signals?

Those are great shots Ian! There was a set along U.S. 13 in Marcus Hook that I guess I never photographed in the early 2000s.

Thanks! Is that set up in Marcus Hook still there?

[Catfan]

Where in Albany are these signals located?  I was curious, and have not seen these before.  And I have done my share of traveling around that city, too!

Used to be some really old post mounted 4 Ways in downtown Chicago, but I don't know if they are still there.

If I am not mistaken, the last one was taken down around 2000.

[Alex]

Where in Albany are these signals located?  I was curious, and have not seen these before.  And I have done my share of traveling around that city, too!

Both are in the Rensselaer area.

First photo is on Washington Avenue east at Quay Street east of I-90 Exit 7.
The second photo was taken along Washington Avenue east at Lindbergh Av/Iowa Av

I am also happy to report that this set of old signals (Mobile Infirmary Boulevard south at Old Shell Road) in Mobile, Alabama is still functioning:

[PAHighways]

How about some abandoned signals?

PA 148/Walnut Street at 12th Street in McKeesport

[Ian]

The Philadelphia Naval Base has some ancient 1940s-50s traffic signals...










Although I took this photo for the old signs, there are 2 old Eagle flatbacks (one's a pedestrian signal) underneath the state named I-93 shield. All of the signals and poles at this intersection were repainted recently, but luckily the old signs remain!

[agentsteel53]

The Philadelphia Naval Base has some ancient 1940s-50s traffic signals...

... and what appear to be some reused interstate shield blanks?

[Ian]

... and what appear to be some reused interstate shield blanks?

Those specific ones in the background are cast iron. However all the buildings throughout the base have interstate shield blanks with numbers on them that identify the number of the building it's attached to.

[thenetwork]

Here's an oldie but goodie in the shadows of Kent State University in Kent, OH.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=kent,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.450489,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Kent,+Portage,+Ohio&ll=41.150052,-81.351268&spn=0.001,0.002411&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.150016,-81.351163&panoid=y5PhDZ7xj-mJFRkpkcMYzQ&cbp=12,281.98,,0,-7.61

That 4th segment is an old overhead WALK signal that I don't think has been in use since the 80's.

[Ian]

Here's an oldie but goodie in the shadows of Kent State University in Kent, OH.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=kent,+oh&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.450489,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Kent,+Portage,+Ohio&ll=41.150052,-81.351268&spn=0.001,0.002411&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.150016,-81.351163&panoid=y5PhDZ7xj-mJFRkpkcMYzQ&cbp=12,281.98,,0,-7.61

That 4th segment is an old overhead WALK signal that I don't think has been in use since the 80's.

THAT is a neat one!

Here is a set of old 3M PV signals set to be replaced within the next week. A shame because I used to pass by this so many times, and its being replaced by boring McCain signals. Bryn Mawr Road at County Line Road in Bryn Mawr, PA:

[rickmastfan67]

PennDOT is on a traffic light replacement binge.  They've just replaced every light on McKnight Road here (US-19 Truck) which included a few old ones.
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=40.530808,-80.01007&spn=0.001492,0.003484&z=19&layer=c&cbll=40.530725,-80.010021&panoid=Pvzya5R3GvdIudhzCf-S9Q&cbp=12,215.5,,0,-10.42

The funky thing is that they retro-fitted the old lights with LED's.  But the new ones DON'T have LED's.........  Well, except for the red green turn lights for the left turn's.....

[US71]

Not a traffic signal per se, but nifty anyways

[hm insulators]

Not a traffic signal per se, but nifty anyways

Now that's a beauty! My brother's a train fanatic; he would love this!

This picture got me thinking: Are there any railroad crossings out there that still have one of those old "wig-wags" (I think they were called) that used to be popular? These were on a taller pole and when the train approached the crossing, the "wig-wag" would swing back and forth. I think they pretty much disappeared by the 1960s or so.   

[jjakucyk]

There's still and handful of wig-wag RR signals out there.  They were a staple of the Southern Pacific and the Pacific Electric.  There's some still hanging on in California, as well as a few random places in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Colorado and a few other places.  I sure do miss the real bells on the crossings, the new "speaker bells" just sound like crap. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erDZK8MbtRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjipKB4ST5g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKm9JyxUaqM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYevqSVV92c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UyMAV0BzHo

[hm insulators]

There's still and handful of wig-wag RR signals out there.  They were a staple of the Southern Pacific and the Pacific Electric.  There's some still hanging on in California, as well as a few random places in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Colorado and a few other places.  I sure do miss the real bells on the crossings, the new "speaker bells" just sound like crap. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erDZK8MbtRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjipKB4ST5g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKm9JyxUaqM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYevqSVV92c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UyMAV0BzHo

Thank you for those! I'm glad to see they haven't entirely vanished from the scene.

[US71]

This picture got me thinking: Are there any railroad crossings out there that still have one of those old "wig-wags" (I think they were called) that used to be popular? These were on a taller pole and when the train approached the crossing, the "wig-wag" would swing back and forth. I think they pretty much disappeared by the 1960s or so.   

There's one in Joplin, MO

[agentsteel53]

there are three or four in the same area of Fresno, but I do not have any photos offhand.

[Andrew T.]

There are still a number of wigwags clustered here and there in Wisconsin.  All of the following still stand:

Plymouth (Elizabeth St.)
Plymouth (Milwaukee St.)
Sheboygan (Martin Ave.)
Sheboygan (Saemann Ave.)

Sadly, this is a fraction of the number of signals that existed in northeast Wisconsin just a decade ago.