Unique Traffic Signals

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OliverH
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by OliverH »

ReissOmari wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 23:47
Chris Bertram wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 16:26
the cheesecake man wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 13:35 I don't think I've seen this before: traffic lights on a dual a carriageway with heads for for both directions sprouting elegantly from the same pillar on the central reservation.
Bradford seems to go its own way. Such as this span-wire arrangement. Is there anything similar in any other city?
That whole set up is so strange, what's with the Irish style pedestrian heads? With duplicate nearside ped signals too? (Sorry if I got that terminology wrong 😂)
actually the pedestrian heads aren't Irish style as they have a green man, red man and green bike instead of an amber man.
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ReissOmari
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by ReissOmari »

OliverH wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 13:31
ReissOmari wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 23:47
Chris Bertram wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 16:26 Bradford seems to go its own way. Such as this span-wire arrangement. Is there anything similar in any other city?
That whole set up is so strange, what's with the Irish style pedestrian heads? With duplicate nearside ped signals too? (Sorry if I got that terminology wrong 😂)
actually the pedestrian heads aren't Irish style as they have a green man, red man and green bike instead of an amber man.
Sorry I should have specified, I meant the layout as opposed to have the green man and green bike side by side.
ReissOmari..
OliverH
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by OliverH »

ReissOmari wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 14:16
OliverH wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 13:31
ReissOmari wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 23:47

That whole set up is so strange, what's with the Irish style pedestrian heads? With duplicate nearside ped signals too? (Sorry if I got that terminology wrong 😂)
actually the pedestrian heads aren't Irish style as they have a green man, red man and green bike instead of an amber man.
Sorry, I should have specified, I meant the layout as opposed to have the green man and green bike side by side.
ok
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traffic-light-man
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by traffic-light-man »

the cheesecake man wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 13:35 I don't think I've seen this before: traffic lights on a dual a carriageway with heads for for both directions sprouting elegantly from the same pillar on the central reservation.
One that came to mind straight away was this double-armed setup in Plymouth. Though it would appear from the latest GSV that it's now been replaced with conventional 6m poles. Not as elegant as the West Yorkshire example, mind you, where they have both a fondness of overhead signals and paying some attention to making the structures a bit less utilitarian.
Chris Bertram wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 16:26
the cheesecake man wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 13:35 I don't think I've seen this before: traffic lights on a dual a carriageway with heads for for both directions sprouting elegantly from the same pillar on the central reservation.
Bradford seems to go its own way. Such as this span-wire arrangement. Is there anything similar in any other city?
Halifax has got a few now, too, though they're loaded with Dynniq Peek Elites rather than the Visilogue Slimlites like the ones in Bradford. Still yet to see any span-wires outside of West Yorkshire, though! Next time I'm looking for a trip out, I shall have to remember the Halifax ones and get some pictures as I don't think they're on GSV yet.
Nathan_A_RF wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 13:02 Not sure where to post this but here seems fitting. There are a couple things to point out at Selby Swing Bridge. One is a unique signal in that is is attached to this house as opposed to its own pole. Secondly here, there are these push button units that I can't think of what they're for. There's one on either side of the bridge on the nearside wig-wag.
I've mentioned this site on here previously, but I think it was the 'botched' thread with respect to wondering how these operate...

My only suggestion on the key-switch 'buttons' are perhaps to activate the wig-wags and call the special junction stage, though you'd expect that to happen via the control room as part of the bridge's interlocking.

The building-mounted signal head is certainly quite unusual. I remember somewhere having an ornate bracket with the top section of an SGE attached that was hanging from a building, but sporting Mellors by that time. I can't quite remember where that was and I think it's probably likely to have gone by now.
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L.J.D
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by L.J.D »

Those ones at Selby swing bridge the arrows go on and off so there is no conflicts. There's a video on YouTube showing drone footage of the bridge in action and you can see the cars stopping and waiting for the arrow to come on. Both sides never get a green turn arrow at the same time. Someone should go and press the buttons to see what happens :lol:.

This is the video showing how it works. Bottom right you can see.
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

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https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.01871 ... authuser=0 = a mellor crossing that has now gone but it was a puffin crossing which I have not seen may of.
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

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WIGWAGS for a Race Course: https://www.google.com/maps/@50.8343941 ... 312!8i6656

also, it seems that when they replaced the streetlight they forgot to move the signs attached to it.
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

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Jonathan24 wrote: Fri Jun 11, 2021 18:59 This junction has just had its lights upgraded but not completely like for like.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.56183 ... 384!8i8192

The signal on the right has broadly been replaced with a similar one, with the exception being that the right turn filter arrow is now to the right of the green ball, rather than below. However, there is now an additional signal, with a right turn filter arrow on the left hand side of the road (just around where the signal is by the silver car)! It seems very odd (to me) to have a right turn filter arrow on the left hand side of a (3 lane) road, when you can't turn right from any of the 2 lanes on the left - maybe that's just me? Having said that, people tried to turn right from the middle lane with the old signals and an only imagine that the "upgrade" has made it worse.
I did a double check when I went through today - four times in all - the new pole now just carries a normal three aspect head as well as the secondary call request for the crossing. I never saw the extra filter arrow - perhaps it got picked up in a site audit.
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traffic-light-man
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

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L.J.D wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 06:14 Those ones at Selby swing bridge the arrows go on and off so there is no conflicts. There's a video on YouTube showing drone footage of the bridge in action and you can see the cars stopping and waiting for the arrow to come on. Both sides never get a green turn arrow at the same time. Someone should go and press the buttons to see what happens :lol:.

This is the video showing how it works. Bottom right you can see.
I'm not sure I can get my head around that... Do you mean they just extinguish with no warning? :shock:
OliverH wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 11:09 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.01871 ... authuser=0 = a mellor crossing that has now gone but it was a puffin crossing which I have not seen may of.
Are you referring to the Mellors on the Puffin being rare, rather than the Puffin itself?

I can think of a few off the top of my head. These two (one and two) were Pelicans, retrofitted to Puffins with Thermotor kit which is itself getting on a bit now. This is another retrofit job, again from a Pelican to a Puffin. There's a pair here, too, though these weren't retrofits, they're just younger Monitron Mellors which is an arrangement that isn't too rare over on the Wirral peninsular for now. I've also just remembered these two (one and two), which I don't think were retrofitted, being another case of younger Mellors.

A bit more of a rarity are this one, this one, this one and this one on the grounds that they have/had tungsten halogen nearside indicators as well as Mellors. They're all either now replaced or due for replacement now apart from the first example.
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by Jonathan24 »

AndyB wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 21:02
Jonathan24 wrote: Fri Jun 11, 2021 18:59 This junction has just had its lights upgraded but not completely like for like.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.56183 ... 384!8i8192

The signal on the right has broadly been replaced with a similar one, with the exception being that the right turn filter arrow is now to the right of the green ball, rather than below. However, there is now an additional signal, with a right turn filter arrow on the left hand side of the road (just around where the signal is by the silver car)! It seems very odd (to me) to have a right turn filter arrow on the left hand side of a (3 lane) road, when you can't turn right from any of the 2 lanes on the left - maybe that's just me? Having said that, people tried to turn right from the middle lane with the old signals and an only imagine that the "upgrade" has made it worse.
I did a double check when I went through today - four times in all - the new pole now just carries a normal three aspect head as well as the secondary call request for the crossing. I never saw the extra filter arrow - perhaps it got picked up in a site audit.
I passed it again this evening and the signal with the right filter is still there so I suspect we may be talking about a different location (or it's not actually unusual and I just thought it was).

I've attached a very rough mock-up of what I mean (sorry, couldn't take an actual picture, as I was driving), with there now being 3 traffic signals with right turn filters, 2 of which are on the right hand side of the road and the third which is on the left (I don't think there are green balls either, but straight ahead arrows and the closest of the signals on the right might be on this side of the road that crosses at right angles).

It's the signal on the left hand side of the road that I thought was unusual, given that you can't turn right from either of the two lanes on the left and the right turn lane is effectively a slip road that is for right turn only. It's a brand new signal that was never there in that position before and there was never a right turn filter on the left hand side of the road before either. Maybe it's just because it is different that makes me think it is unusual!
Traffic lights.png
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by AndyB »

I went through earlier - definitely no signal facing the Saintfield Road on that island, just one each way for the main road (which does have a protected right turn)
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by OliverH »

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.83608 ... authuser=0: I've been modified twice but in my second modification, I received pushbuttons with backs that are black.
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by OliverH »

found this here where you can only go straight on. At most junctions like this that I have seen, I have usually found that they usually have an ahead only arrow; what I think that unique about this junction is the use of two no turn signs attached to a signal.
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

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OliverH wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 23:38 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.83608 ... authuser=0: I've been modified twice but in my second modification, I received pushbuttons with backs that are black.
How curious. I know that the yellow mounting box is only conventional rather than prescribed by law (the General Directions say it may be yellow), but...
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Gareth
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by Gareth »

I've seen white ones before. It's not always clear whether they're intentionally white or have been weathered over the years. The later definitely happens with lower quality equipment (*cough* Microsense *cough*) but some are very pristine white and look intentional.
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

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I don't think I've ever seen white ones this side of the old pre-Mellor ones. As Andy mentioned, I believe the yellow is an option as an alternative to black.

The Microsense paint issue is also found on plenty of Siemens examples these days, too. To be honest, I'm surprised these things haven't been produced in polypropelene (or similar) by now, though I suspect there's some sort of vandalism durability issue.
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by L.J.D »

Microsense kit here in Castleford tend to be fine also here and here.

Old Peek kit on the other hand isn't yellow anymore. :|
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by Gareth »

Ah yes, it was Peek I was thinking off, with regards to the yellow bleaching out. With Microsense, the paint peels off entirely!
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traffic-light-man
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by traffic-light-man »

There's some relatively recent AGD units that are starting to bleach now, too, much like the one on those Peek sites mentioned by L.J.D. I think they're all the victim of sun-bleaching though, rather than being white from new.

There's definitely a material quality difference, too. I've attached some pictures showing some PBUs that are probably getting on for their 40th, if not 50th birthdays, which look worn but the metalwork appears sound. On the other hand, there's a much younger Microsense unit (not a great photo, but the only one I have to hand), where the actual metalwork is showing signs of corrosion along with the loss of coating, which is something I think is more typical of the Microsense ones as Gareth mentioned.
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Re: Unique Traffic Signals

Post by AndyB »

Jonathan24 wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 22:49
AndyB wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 21:02
Jonathan24 wrote: Fri Jun 11, 2021 18:59 This junction has just had its lights upgraded but not completely like for like.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.56183 ... 384!8i8192

The signal on the right has broadly been replaced with a similar one, with the exception being that the right turn filter arrow is now to the right of the green ball, rather than below. However, there is now an additional signal, with a right turn filter arrow on the left hand side of the road (just around where the signal is by the silver car)! It seems very odd (to me) to have a right turn filter arrow on the left hand side of a (3 lane) road, when you can't turn right from any of the 2 lanes on the left - maybe that's just me? Having said that, people tried to turn right from the middle lane with the old signals and an only imagine that the "upgrade" has made it worse.
I did a double check when I went through today - four times in all - the new pole now just carries a normal three aspect head as well as the secondary call request for the crossing. I never saw the extra filter arrow - perhaps it got picked up in a site audit.
I passed it again this evening and the signal with the right filter is still there so I suspect we may be talking about a different location (or it's not actually unusual and I just thought it was).

I've attached a very rough mock-up of what I mean (sorry, couldn't take an actual picture, as I was driving), with there now being 3 traffic signals with right turn filters, 2 of which are on the right hand side of the road and the third which is on the left (I don't think there are green balls either, but straight ahead arrows and the closest of the signals on the right might be on this side of the road that crosses at right angles).

It's the signal on the left hand side of the road that I thought was unusual, given that you can't turn right from either of the two lanes on the left and the right turn lane is effectively a slip road that is for right turn only. It's a brand new signal that was never there in that position before and there was never a right turn filter on the left hand side of the road before either. Maybe it's just because it is different that makes me think it is unusual!

Traffic lights.png
I apologise, I had the wrong side of the junction. I do however know why the left hand side has a filter arrow - I drove up that right hand lane yesterday evening, and you can't see either of the other two green arrows until you're nearly on top of them. It's purely for sighting purposes.
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