Oldest traffic signals you've seen

[traffic light guy]

I've seen some ancient Crouse-Hinds art Decos in Ocean City NJ which were possibly from the 1940s, some of them are still in service as of last month. In Michigan I saw some 4-way clusters most were Eaglelux from the mid-50s. In Pennsylvania not many are that old, the oldest there I've seen are simply mast-arm installations from the 1970s consisting of 12" Eagle Flatbacks and CH type Rs. Other states already replaced their stuff with modern equipment though.

[1995hoo]

I wouldn't know one brand from another, but the oldest I can recall seeing were the old ones with no yellow signal in Far Rockaway. My father's mother moved out there from Bay Ridge sometime in the early 1980s (had to be prior to 1984, as I remember watching the legendary Doug Flutie Pass at her apartment in Far Rockaway) and there were still a fair number of those signals around. The one I remember best was where Seagirt Boulevard passed under the elevated subway structure at its intersection with Beach Channel Drive.

[steviep24]

One of the oldest traffic signals I remember seeing was in Brockport, NY at the intersection of NY 19, Park Ave., Adams St. and Fair St. This signal featured an 8'' left turn green arrow (no yellow arrow) and also an 8'' programmable green aspect (3M perhaps?).   

Google Map of intersection

Sadly, these signals were replaced a few years ago when NY 19 was rebuilt in the village.

Also, the intersection of NY 19 and NY 104 had a pair of 8'' 4 way signals. These may be the oldest I remember seeing. Those were replaced back in the mid 90's.

[roadman65]

Union, NJ has plenty of old traffic signals.  The one on Chestnut Street just south of the Garden State Parkway uses an old style single housing 4 way signal head converted to a two way covering up the lenses on the other two sides.

I do not know if that one is still there, but it was there a few years ago when I visited NJ.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Union,+NJ/@40.686555,-74.269422,3a,66.8y,22.99h,90.26t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdh9ZRcfpfk7WQ799aKySmA!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c3ad9f6f9daa9b:0x570322a196f054c?hl=en

[SidS1045]

I wouldn't know one brand from another, but the oldest I can recall seeing were the old ones with no yellow signal in Far Rockaway. My father's mother moved out there from Bay Ridge sometime in the early 1980s (had to be prior to 1984, as I remember watching the legendary Doug Flutie Pass at her apartment in Far Rockaway) and there were still a fair number of those signals around. The one I remember best was where Seagirt Boulevard passed under the elevated subway structure at its intersection with Beach Channel Drive.

I was living at the YMHA in Manhattan (Lexington Av and E 92 St) for a few summers in the 1970's.  In 1972 that stretch of Lex still had the two-color signals.  During the summer of 1973 they were being replaced with three-color signals block by block.  Since I worked afternoons and evenings, I didn't get much sleep for a few weeks as the crews showed up promptly at 9AM to dig up the street to install the signal poles plus new conduits and wiring.

[roadman65]

Speaking of two color signals, does Rockaway Beach still have them, or did NYCDOT finally change them along the oceanfront where they were back in the mid 2000's still?

[M3019C LPS20]

Speaking of two color signals, does Rockaway Beach still have them, or did NYCDOT finally change them along the oceanfront where they were back in the mid 2000's still?

The last survivors in New York City, which were located in the Rockaways, Ozone Park, and Richmond Hill of the borough Queens, were removed by the DOT between the years 2005 and 2006.

[M3019C LPS20]

I wouldn't know one brand from another, but the oldest I can recall seeing were the old ones with no yellow signal in Far Rockaway. My father's mother moved out there from Bay Ridge sometime in the early 1980s (had to be prior to 1984, as I remember watching the legendary Doug Flutie Pass at her apartment in Far Rockaway) and there were still a fair number of those signals around. The one I remember best was where Seagirt Boulevard passed under the elevated subway structure at its intersection with Beach Channel Drive.

If the traffic signals had cutaway visors attached to them, then they were likely manufactured by the Ruleta company. The company was responsible for providing countless traffic signals of its own to the city of New York in the early 20th century.

In the 1980s, two-color signals still existed in some quiet neighborhoods in New York, and Ruleta traffic signals were few and far between at the time. Interestingly enough, the last four-way units remained in service shortly after the year 2000!

To my knowledge, only one Ruleta traffic signal remains in New York City today. It is a single-faced unit that serves as a pedestrian signal in Central Park. It dates back to the early 1930s.

Here's what it looks like...

[traffic light guy]

I wouldn't know one brand from another, but the oldest I can recall seeing were the old ones with no yellow signal in Far Rockaway. My father's mother moved out there from Bay Ridge sometime in the early 1980s (had to be prior to 1984, as I remember watching the legendary Doug Flutie Pass at her apartment in Far Rockaway) and there were still a fair number of those signals around. The one I remember best was where Seagirt Boulevard passed under the elevated subway structure at its intersection with Beach Channel Drive.

If the traffic signals had cutaway visors attached to them, then they were likely manufactured by the Ruleta company. The company was responsible for providing countless traffic signals of its own to the city of New York in the early 20th century.

In the 1980s, two-color signals still existed in some quiet neighborhoods in New York, and Ruleta traffic signals were few and far between at the time. Interestingly enough, the last four-way units remained in service shortly after the year 2000!

To my knowledge, only one Ruleta traffic signal remains in New York City today. It is a single-faced unit that serves as a pedestrian signal in Central Park. It dates back to the early 1930s.

Here's what it looks like...

That was probably replaced years ago

[M3019C LPS20]

Nope. The entire setup is still there as of present day. I took the pictures above when I visited Manhattan two years ago.

In addition to this one, there are several other old iron poles (Union Metal type) throughout Central Park along with original General Electric mechanical units still clunking away.

[roadman65]

In Orlando the one signal on Orange Avenue practically under the FL 408 (oh no, I am sounding like a Californian with "The") has the original yellow signal heads that FDOT abandoned back in circa 1982.  It is the only one yet in the city that was not upgraded and one of the few 8-8-8 signal heads in Florida as well.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Orlando,+FL/@28.536275,-81.378613,3a,66.8y,178.42h,99.22t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s2KCCIH_86BB2Dmk07DKyBQ!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x88e773d8fecdbc77:0xac3b2063ca5bf9e

However, in nearby unincorporated Orange County is the oldest poles left at the intersection of Oakridge Road and Texas Avenue.  The heads were switched out in circa 1990 for the black ones, as I remember when I first moved here in 1990 many along Oakridge Road were still yellow then, but this one diagonal span wire always caught my eye because of the way its constructed.  Most Florida span wires lean the strain poles back so that the weight of the signals themselves do not pull them forward into the intersection.  The one at Oakridge and Texas is actually leaning into the intersection and shows why present day poles are driven in at an angle. 

Also the the top cable which Florida uses two separate cables.  One on top is a thin wire while the lower one is the power supply cable.  Usually you will see about 10 feet between the two where they are attached on the poles, but only 5 feet exists between the mountings on this intersections poles and the newer poles in Florida are longer than the previous which at Texas on OR they are the old shorter ones with another control box on top of one of the poles.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Orlando,+FL/@28.472465,-81.409017,3a,66.8y,293.59h,90.59t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1scq7rXFmgT8Vbin4_qFRLfQ!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x88e773d8fecdbc77:0xac3b2063ca5bf9e
Oakridge Road's old poles as seen here. 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Orlando,+FL/@28.450514,-81.39786,3a,66.8y,178.42h,99.22t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sjOreaKTjuo8eoYujMnIwRA!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x88e773d8fecdbc77:0xac3b2063ca5bf9e
The newer and now the official pole installations in Florida with taller poles and much more distance of cable spacing as in the older ones.

[jjakucyk]

The Cincinnati area had lots of old Crouse-Hinds and Eagle signals from the 1940s and before up until the city started an aggressive LED replacement program around about 2010.  The oldest however was a Crouse-Hinds Type T 4-way in Norwood, dating from the late 1920s and certainly one of the oldest signals in the country.

http://jjakucyk.com/transit/lights/large-60.html

Sadly most of Norwood's old signals were replaced about two years ago with what look like ODOT hand-me-downs.  I tried to get a hold of their public works department both before and after they were removed, but never got through to anyone.  There's still some CH art deco beacons in a few places, plus some Eagleluxes in Cincinnati proper, but they're not long for this world.  There's also some old stuff in some of the other inner ring suburbs, like in Deer Park and Madeira where there's a handsome pair of CH art deco 4-ways still in use at Miami and Kugler Mill.  Here's a bunch of photos I took a few years ago of everything I could find. 

http://jjakucyk.com/transit/lights/index.html

[roadman]

The oldest traffic signals I remember seeing were along portions of Western Avenue in West Lynn (MA).  1950s and 1960s vintage General Electric signals with electromechanical pre-timed controllers in pole mounted boxes.

My favorite memory of these signals was the time one morning in the late 1980s when, going into Boston on a bus, traffic was at a near standstill.  As we got to one particular intersection, the reason became apparent.  The lights on all approaches were red, and I spied a Lynn DPW worker on a ladder against the open controller cabinet with a "super duper industrial sized" spray can of WD-40 in his hands.

As I reall, all the lights along that section of Western Avenue were eventually replaced in the mid to late 1990s with more modern installations.

[freebrickproductions]

The oldest signal I've seen is probably the Darley 4-way double beacon in Fort Payne, AL.

[roadman65]

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6339398,-74.2539442,3a,75y,259.17h,73.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sz9u-5S-hKa60f2bAkMDtsw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1
Old pedestal side mount in Linden, NJ that is still there as of this Summer.  It even has two heads here, but the newer signal (pan around) on the other corners is only one 12-12-12. 

This is a part time signal because of a nearby school as not that much traffic passes here to warrant a 24/7 set up hence the STOP signs.

[thenetwork]

In the late 90s, the city of Ravenna, OH found and refurbished some old Crouse-Hinds 3-segment four-ways on span wires to install at a few of their Main Street (SR-59) intersections in the downtown area.

Looking at GSV, they look to have sadly been replaced with pole mounded black signals with backplates.  Not sure why the old CH's had such a short lifespan on Main St.

[JMAN_WiS&S]

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.8121712,-91.5006142,3a,75y,155.77h,88.79t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sDToMr_fePAOhu1i4fd1bsw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DDToMr_fePAOhu1i4fd1bsw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D109.87405%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656
This used to be the oldest signal in Eau Claire, Wi as far as I know, but after Barstow St. was converted to two way, and is undergoing a rehabilitation project, they were removed and replaced with a 4-way stop. This is what had remained summer 2014: https://flic.kr/s/aHskpEHUhB This setup is now 100% Gone. Several Old setups, but certainly not as old as the one pictured above are plentiful around Eau Claire/Altoona.
I'd thought Id mention further down this road, this intersection has since been modified with some vertical mounted trombone arms for barstow street to accommodate two way traffic, and this intersection has been upgraded to LED for a while now, but I recently noticed one of the overhead mast arm signal heads were looked over and are still incandescent. I won't say anything to the city traffic engineer ;P https://www.google.com/maps/@44.8085939,-91.4972798,3a,77.9y,67.96h,111.75t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPDizLlizGsAOTGOXxKrbSQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DPDizLlizGsAOTGOXxKrbSQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D150.79541%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656

[lepidopteran]

One of the oldest has got to be a 4-way signal I saw in Marysville, OH, one night over 30 years ago.  The way this light would cycle was unique.  You had the signal red one way and green the other, as usual.  Then the yellow would come on, but with the green still lit.  After that, ALL the lights would go dark, in some uneven pattern, then after about one second it would light up red and green in the opposite directions.  This same pattern would repeat.

I would eventually learn that this light-changing sequence was a signature pattern of signals made by Southern Autoflow.  When one of the SignalTraffic forums was still around, someone posted a picture of the inside mechanism that made it behave this way.  It was all self-contained, I think in a flat box atop the signal head itself.

Note that yellow coming on with green still lit wasn't uncommon at one time, especially around Pittsburgh, but yellow typically still had some time alone before continuing.

[CJResotko]

These signals in Arcanum, Ohio, are probably the oldest ones that I've ever seen. They are Crouse Hinds DT Art Deco signals in permanent all-red flash mode: https://youtu.be/HXx2-YZsbDU

[bcroadguy]

I have no idea what manufacturer they are, but probably these ones in Seattle (the post-mounted ones only): https://www.google.com/maps/@47.6022997,-122.3325684,3a,20.8y,299.39h,94.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swS3s39MPuvniT0kWBh4cAg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think I saw a few more signals like these around downtown, but I'm not 100% sure.

[traffic light guy]

I have no idea what manufacturer they are, but probably these ones in Seattle (the post-mounted ones only): https://www.google.com/maps/@47.6022997,-122.3325684,3a,20.8y,299.39h,94.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swS3s39MPuvniT0kWBh4cAg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think I saw a few more signals like these around downtown, but I'm not 100% sure.

Those look like type D 4-ways

[RobbieL2415]

I saw some stupid old ones in New London today. Their masts were painted green. Probably dated late 60s.
Sadly all the signals in my area are late 80s and newer.

[steviep24]

I came across this signal mast arm on NY 104 at NY 78. This may be the oldest signal mast arm I have seen. All other signals at this intersection are much newer and on span wire.

EDIT: The 8 inch signal head on the mast arm is new as well so only the mast arm is old here.

[PHLBOS]

I believe the oldest ones I probably saw, as a kid during the early 1970s, were two or three General Electric assemblies along Humphrey St. (MA 129) where it hugs the coastline aka Kings Beach.  Two out of the three were usually in flash mode and the one that remained in standard RYG mode more often was replaced circa 1980.  The other two assemblies remained in flash mode through the 1980s although some of the signalheads were replaced over time.  The last remaining assembly w/updated signalheads was taken down sometime after 2008 (based on GSVs).

Part of me wants to say that such (the original signalheads) dated back to either the 1940s or early 1950s.

[RobbieL2415]

The oldest assemblies I know of are on the Cape. Specifically the intersection of MA 28, Depot Rd., Crowell Rd and Queen Anne Rd.  I'm guessing it dates back to the early 80s but it has LED elements.  There aren't many overhead installations out there because it gets windy.