Wait/cross signal

[AndyB]

It may be unused footage from the first film a year earlier, given the quick turnaround between films, so possibly dating back to 1970/71.

[Chris5156]

This article shows similar heads, also in Leeds:

a0e553b22b929476586dff8d1f5ad588.jpg

That’s fascinating - I’ve never seen the claim before that Leeds had the first traffic lights. I’m certain it was Wolverhampton who went first - but perhaps that wasn’t known to whichever local historian wrote the article.

[Chris584]

I'm with you Chris, that I believe Wolverhampton had the first traffic lights in 1927. That junction has been recognised by having the traffic light poles painted black & white.
The fixed head lights shown in the Leeds article are the ones I mentioned to Simon. A set exists somewhere at a museum which I think may be in the Leeds area but can't be sure. I recall seeing a picture of them in the open rather than indoors.

[Gareth]

Pretty sure Wolverhampton had the first automatic traffic lights. There were light signals controlled by a policeman slightly before.

The Wolverhampton installation was a single standard on a traffic island in the middle of the intersection with a single head in each direction. Lettered STOP and GO on the red and green lenses respectively plus what we'd now call a 'box sign' under the green saying MOVE ONLY ON GREEN. It had a good innings of almost 40 years service, only being replaced in 1968 by tin lanterns. There's pictures of it on the internet being taken down and being cut up with a grinder. Tragic really.

[traffic-light-man]

Indeed, I'm not sure quite where the Leeds article came from. I could believe those signals perhaps being the first in Leeds or Yorkshire, though.

London had the first electric traffic signals, in 1925, which were basically SGE's railway signals operated by a bobby with a small lever frame.

And indeed, as you have all mentioned, Wolverhampton being the first Automatic set in 1927. I believe it was initially only a one day trial, using a suspended lantern fitted by SGE.

Subsequently, a set of Revo signals, exactly as Gareth describes were installed. Here's that picture of it being chopped up.

[Chris584]

That's an interesting picture. I've not seen those lights before. It looks like they're mounted on possibly a trolleybus traction pole being dismantled. I like the instruction sign at the base of each light.
It's a shame that none of these lights seem to have survived.

[traffic-light-man]

Ha! I've found some cracking shots of Manchester's 'short' two-aspect Tin peds. From Manchester Archives, the photographs show the peds in both all-black and full stripes.

[Gareth]

It's hard to tell but in the second photo, are the pedestrian signals running parallel to the vehicle movements, continental-style? The pedestrians seem very confident crossing in the face of turning traffic. The poles don't seem to have push buttons either. So if it's an exclusive pedestrian stage, it runs every cycle.

I've often wondered if the UK ever did have proper"walk with traffic" pedestrian stages in the early days.

[traffic-light-man]

I very much doubt it (I have no proof of that, mind you ), but I have noticed on my searching that Manchester seemed very likely to put far-side full RAGs where there was no vehicular benefit (i.e. 'backwards' on one way streets, etc), I only assume as a pedestrian aid. It appeared to be that way well in to the 60s in a lot of cases.

Crossings have existed without buttons in the past (there might still be some kicking around), so its not too difficult to think that it just ran a constant cycle, perhaps as part of a larger city centre plan, especially given the prominence of shops in that area.

Another interesting detail is that the black bands on the striped paint scheme in Manchester seem to be slightly taller than elsewhere. By this, I mean that many photographs appear to show the end caps of the tin lanterns are painted in black, whereas these were usually white.

[traffic-light-man]

This image shows two sets of peds on 'WAIT' and this image shows a green vehicular signal and a 'WAIT' on the parallel crossing. It's possible that they're in some kind of clearance, but I think it's more likely that it runs an exclusive ped.

[traffic-light-man]

Back on page one, we were discussing crossing signals with blank red aspects. I've located this image which shows a fantastic image of one of these signals, while also being one of the earlier styles of Tin heads (the hood profile is different and the port-hole door is much more slender than the later ones). There's also some bonus metal road markings.


Strand, London 1950s by trainsandstuff, on Flickr

Here's the same installation at a later date, where the signal have been replaced and the pedestrian signals now show the 'WAIT' lenses.


The Strand, London 1973 by trainsandstuff, on Flickr

[Chris5156]

Back on page one, we were discussing crossing signals with blank red aspects. I've located this image which shows a fantastic image of one of these signals, while also being one of the earlier styles of Tin heads (the hood profile is different and the port-hole door is much more slender than the later ones). There's also some bonus metal road markings.

Strand, London 1950s by trainsandstuff, on Flickr

There's also - partly obscured by a traffic signal - one of the special "no entry" signs that were specially authorised for use in Central London until the 1950s, in areas where a standard no entry roundel was considered to be a bad fit for the noble architecture. They were gloriously overdesigned things, with fluted columns painted various colours, and a red rectangular sign face that said "NO ENTRY one way street" in hand-designed lettering. The MOT eventually decided that they were a ridiculous indulgence and refused to pay for them, which put a stop to it.

[Chris584]

These pictures are great. I wonder if the cross light was in fact just a green light.
Regarding the earlier picture from the 50s, I've considered trying to replicate the earlier visors. Whenever I saw these as a kid they seemed, mostly, to have green lenses with GO embossed on them, but usually not painted.
On a slightly different note, I have in a book about London trolleybuses a 1037 picture of Lea Bridge Road in Leyton with tin heads painted in reverse colours, ie, the top and bottom parts of the head are white with the middle black. I've also seen a picture taken in Bournemouth at least in 1964/5 (C reg' car in pic), showing the same arrangement. If I can, I'll upload the pictures.

[Bryn666]

Back on page one, we were discussing crossing signals with blank red aspects. I've located this image which shows a fantastic image of one of these signals, while also being one of the earlier styles of Tin heads (the hood profile is different and the port-hole door is much more slender than the later ones). There's also some bonus metal road markings.

Strand, London 1950s by trainsandstuff, on Flickr

There's also - partly obscured by a traffic signal - one of the special "no entry" signs that were specially authorised for use in Central London until the 1950s, in areas where a standard no entry roundel was considered to be a bad fit for the noble architecture. They were gloriously overdesigned things, with fluted columns painted various colours, and a red rectangular sign face that said "NO ENTRY one way street" in hand-designed lettering. The MOT eventually decided that they were a ridiculous indulgence and refused to pay for them, which put a stop to it.

Also visible is the entrance to the tube which has had the roundel evolve from LONDON TRANSPORT to UNDERGROUND.

Glen Fairweather has some of the best stuff on Flickr right now. The hero infrastructure geeks like myself need.

[Chris584]

I didn't notice the LT Bullseye. This is the entrance to Trafalgar Square Station, now named Charing Cross and linked to the Northern line station which was call Strand, but now called Charing Cross as well.

[traffic-light-man]

There's also - partly obscured by a traffic signal - one of the special "no entry" signs that were specially authorised for use in Central London until the 1950s, in areas where a standard no entry roundel was considered to be a bad fit for the noble architecture. They were gloriously overdesigned things, with fluted columns painted various colours, and a red rectangular sign face that said "NO ENTRY one way street" in hand-designed lettering. The MOT eventually decided that they were a ridiculous indulgence and refused to pay for them, which put a stop to it.

Good eye, I hadn't spotted that! Thanks for the information, too. I think I'd thought they were just an old design that managed to survive longer in London (or something like that), but I certainly didn't know they were a specific design for Central London.

These pictures are great. I wonder if the cross light was in fact just a green light.

I doubt it, I think it'd likely be a 'CROSS NOW' lens. I assume these blank red aspects made their appearance during that time between the Ministry deciding pedestrians couldn't be told 'DON'T CROSS' and the 'WAIT' quietly appearing, albeit in a different tone!

Regarding the earlier picture from the 50s, I've considered trying to replicate the earlier visors. Whenever I saw these as a kid they seemed, mostly, to have green lenses with GO embossed on them, but usually not painted.

That would make sense. That hood profile, along with the slimmer less-featured 'port-hole' doors and a curvier door hinge seem to date from the earliest incarnation of the Tin design, I would imagine in the early 1930s. I'm not sure when the requirement for 'GO' was removed, but the installation of new 'GO' lenses was banned by the 1957 TSRGD, however it did mention that those installed prior to that would be considered compliant and gave no savings time for removal as far as I can see.

I assume what you've witnessed is the local authorities actively removing the 'GO' paint on these older installations, leaving behind the embossed glass.

I'd absolutely love to own a 'GO' lens (and a period-correct signal head to go with it), but I think I've only ever seen one in person, which was in the Revo signal at the (old?) Glasgow Transport Museum. As such, I'm not holding out any hope on that front!

[roadtester]

Not sure if this is the right thread but I came across this on Twitter.

The town where Elvis was stationed during his military service in Germany has commissioned special green and red men to celebrate the association.

https://twitter.com/rider_jon/status/13 ... 6252502016

[Chris584]

It's a bit of fun which is no bad thing. There are & have been lots of different characters replacing the standard figures. My favourite, somewhere in mainland Europe, has a red sitting cat, and a green walking cat.
I might try and replicate that if I can get a cheap modern plastic crossing light.