What is this box on these traffic signals.

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AlexBr967
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What is this box on these traffic signals.

Post by AlexBr967 »

Does anyone know what this box is on these traffic signals?. Upon further inspection, they seem to only be on the crossings that have more than one direction that traffic can come from.
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Nathan_A_RF
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Re: What is this box on these traffic signals.

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

Very strange, I would have suggested a filter arrow similar to junctions I've seen before here but they're quite specifically placed on the crossing points there.
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L.J.D
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Re: What is this box on these traffic signals.

Post by L.J.D »

I'm sure a signal engineer on here said before that they are to store electronics that won't fit in the PBU or pole top. I think it's an older thing too because now they have the low level signal poles with more storage in the hatch you don't see new ones anymore. There's some here too. I think it's was a Microsense/TSEU/Telent thing. I think the guy said it's to store equipment that was previously housed in the normal farside pedestrian signal heads. But seeing how those are nearside units space is limited.
OliverH
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Re: What is this box on these traffic signals.

Post by OliverH »

L.J.D wrote: Sun Dec 19, 2021 00:22 I'm sure a signal engineer on here said before that they are to store electronics that won't fit in the PBU or pole top. I think it's an older thing too because now they have the low level signal poles with more storage in the hatch you don't see new ones anymore. There's some here too. I think it's was a Microsense/TSEU/Telent thing. I think the guy said it's to store equipment that was previously housed in the normal farside pedestrian signal heads. But seeing how those are nearside units space is limited.
I'm sure I've seen a peek one too.
swissferry
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Re: What is this box on these traffic signals.

Post by swissferry »

Noticed them in Girvan too. Was going to ask what they were, but never took a photo and they weren't on street view when I checked previously. I don't recall seeing them before so I think they are less than 18 months old.
AlexBr967
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Re: What is this box on these traffic signals.

Post by AlexBr967 »

Just found some more here. Don't know the manufacturer but interesting that this set is brand new.
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L.J.D
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Re: What is this box on these traffic signals.

Post by L.J.D »

AlexBr967 wrote: Sun Dec 19, 2021 23:06 Just found some more here. Don't know the manufacturer but interesting that this set is brand new.
Yeh it's odd that they haven't used the low level access signal poles there so they've had to use them at those locations.
I'm not sure if it's any specific manufacturer. They are just single signal aspects with a black mask over where the lense is supposed to go.

But they are always at sites with nearside pedestrian units. Which backs what I said about them been to store equipment which would usually be housed in farside pedestrian heads.
matt_12345
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Re: What is this box on these traffic signals.

Post by matt_12345 »

Not always at nearside-only sites.
This one outside Waterloo station also has them...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.50321 ... 384!8i8192
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traffic-light-man
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Re: What is this box on these traffic signals.

Post by traffic-light-man »

L.J.D wrote: Sun Dec 19, 2021 00:22 I'm sure a signal engineer on here said before that they are to store electronics that won't fit in the PBU or pole top. I think it's an older thing too because now they have the low level signal poles with more storage in the hatch you don't see new ones anymore. There's some here too. I think it's was a Microsense/TSEU/Telent thing. I think the guy said it's to store equipment that was previously housed in the normal farside pedestrian signal heads. But seeing how those are nearside units space is limited.
That's correct, they're simply a single signal module typically with a blank face that are generally used for housing components associated with pedestrian equipment that would traditionally have been fitted inside the pedestrian signal head, like you say. They also handily allow the plug-and-socket type connectors for above ground detection somewhere to live. Some manufacturers also used IP rated boxes for similar purposes, such as these, and some sites can have the equipment in the controller cabinet instead. In my experience, Motus sites are by far the most common seen with these 'dummy' signal heads, and I don't think I've ever seen a Siemens site with them, come to think of it. Newer ELV sites (48v natively) generally don't require the same level of on-street components these days, which is likely why they're reducing in numbers.

Generally speaking, there's only termination strips in a pole cap, and the same with a low-level or mid-level access pole, perhaps with the exception of collision isolation equipment in the case of the latter. The fact the low-level and mid-level access poles use termination enclosures inside means there isn't too much space left over for anything else.
Simon
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