Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Discussion about street lighting, road signs, traffic signals - and all other street furniture - goes here.

Moderator: Site Management Team

Post Reply
User avatar
traffic-light-man
Member
Posts: 4723
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 18:45
Location: Liverpool, UK

Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Post by traffic-light-man »

I've been pondering the purpose of these cabinets for some time now, and I thought I'd give it a shot and ask here.

These particular cabinets are probably around 5ft tall, 'toblerone' shaped, and usually with what look like two indicator lamps and a rectangular glass panel on the side facing upstream, and two indicator lamps on their own facing downstream. From what I've seen, they're always mounted with a flat side running parallel with the motorway boundary and a corner of the triangle pointing towards the carriageway, leaving the faces with the (presumed) indicator lamps and glass panel at around 45 degrees to the carriageway edge. They're also sometimes painted orange, and sometimes grey.

I'm not sure how widespread these are, but I've noticed them particularly on the western end of the M62, the eastern end of the M58 and at various points along the M6 through Lancashire. I'd put money on them being obsolete now judging by their apparent age, but I'd like to know what they would've been used for, just to satisfy my curiosity. Their design and features stop them fading in to the background as 'just another cabinet', for me anyway!

Here's one on the M62, one on the M6 and one on the M58, just to pick a few.

Anyone have any ideas?
Simon
User avatar
RichardA35
Committee Member
Posts: 5691
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2002 18:58
Location: Dorset

Re: Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Post by RichardA35 »

We seem to have debated these before - I think they were a police override on street lighting.
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=35484
User avatar
traffic-light-man
Member
Posts: 4723
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 18:45
Location: Liverpool, UK

Re: Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Post by traffic-light-man »

RichardA35 wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 18:47 We seem to have debated these before - I think they were a police override on street lighting.
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=35484
Ah, so we did - I clearly didn't do my homework well enough! Thanks for the link.
Simon
User avatar
Big L
Deputy Site Manager
Posts: 7500
Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2010 20:36
Location: B5012

Re: Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Post by Big L »

traffic-light-man wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 18:24one on the M6
Looks like it's had a nasty surprise!
Make poetry history.

Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Help with maps using the new online calibrator.
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki.
Fenlander
Member
Posts: 7795
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 21:54
Location: south Lincolnshire

Re: Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Post by Fenlander »

Big L wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 19:28
traffic-light-man wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 18:24one on the M6
Looks like it's had a nasty surprise!
Its seen some things!!
Rambo
Member
Posts: 1055
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 19:56
Contact:

Re: Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Post by Rambo »

Since this thread i managed to notice one of these the other day by jct 22 M6 Winwick link road https://www.google.com/maps/@53.439466, ... 312!8i6656
User avatar
traffic-light-man
Member
Posts: 4723
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 18:45
Location: Liverpool, UK

Re: Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Post by traffic-light-man »

Rambo wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 19:36 Since this thread i managed to notice one of these the other day by jct 22 M6 Winwick link road
link
That's an interesting one on the basis that it's not on the mainline of the motorway. I'm not sure I've seen any at junctions off the mainline other than this one, though presumably there are more.

I think the street lighting theory has quite a bit of weight, all the ones I can think of are where there is street lighting or has been in the past. I'm not quite sure what purpose the various indicator lamps would serve, though I can see a use for an 'override active' lamp.
Simon
User avatar
Britain
Member
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2019 19:32

Re: Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Post by Britain »

I took some pictures (viewable here) of the one at Winwick so we can get a closer look. The side with the glass/ceramic rectangle window/plate was facing the slip road. What do you think?
I'm nobody special, just somebody who enjoys looking at and talking about infrastructure. Eager to learn as much as I can about the roads of the UK 🇬🇧 - please help me with this.
User avatar
traffic-light-man
Member
Posts: 4723
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 18:45
Location: Liverpool, UK

Re: Motorway 'toblerone' cabinets

Post by traffic-light-man »

Britain wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:26 I took some pictures (viewable here) of the one at Winwick so we can get a closer look. The side with the glass/ceramic rectangle window/plate was facing the slip road. What do you think?
Brilliant stuff, thanks very much for sharing those!

Looking through that window in the side, I'm wondering if it's some sort of radar receiver, similar to what the Motorwarn signals had fitted to allow the police the ability to switch them on using their speed guns. That would also tally up with the idea that they were a street lighting override system.
Simon
Post Reply