Old-fashioned traffic signal
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:51 pm
For those of you that are old enough to remember, there was once a time that two-section traffic signals were used. Red and green signal indications were in use, and they safely controlled vehicular and pedestrian traffic. These were scattered throughout the United States in the early 20th century; however, they are well know for their useful service in the city of New York. From the mid 1920s until the late 2000s, countless two-section traffic signals were located at many corners throughout the city. Because red and green signal indications were in use, an old and popular form of an amber signal indication was in use, and both the red and green signal indications appeared lit for a handful of seconds prior to when the green signal indication terminated. A lot of New Yorkers, such as myself, remember that well. As traffic control evolved in the 20th century in New York City, the 1950s saw the revitalization of the amber signal indication, in which it was abandoned in favor of red and green signal indications many years earlier. As a result, countless three-section traffic signals were installed and replaced two-section traffic signals that were originally in use. The process took a little over 50 years to complete, and, by the late 2000s, the last survivors were finally removed from useful service.
What I have shown below is an old two-section, fixed four-way traffic signal. It was manufactured by the Ruleta company, in which provided mainly New York City with two-section traffic signals in the early 20th century. It most likely dates back to the 1930s, and this traffic signal saw service somewhere in the city. The exact location is unknown. Note that the picture is made up of three individual pictures, in which show the sequence from red to green and red and green both lit at the same time. It is a great piece of New York City history, and it is my favorite and most valuable signal in my collection.
And here's a video of it in its cycle...
What I have shown below is an old two-section, fixed four-way traffic signal. It was manufactured by the Ruleta company, in which provided mainly New York City with two-section traffic signals in the early 20th century. It most likely dates back to the 1930s, and this traffic signal saw service somewhere in the city. The exact location is unknown. Note that the picture is made up of three individual pictures, in which show the sequence from red to green and red and green both lit at the same time. It is a great piece of New York City history, and it is my favorite and most valuable signal in my collection.
And here's a video of it in its cycle...