Early Temporary Traffic Signals and Jumping Jacks.

[Pinzgauer]

I recall as a youngster (long ago) that some temp. traffic signals - or road works traffic lights as we called them, had 3 aspects. Red - Wait for Green Light - Green. ie. No amber.

The central aspect was black glass with "Wait for Green Light" in clear glass (or maybe just "Wait for Green"?)

Am I alone in recalling these ? I have seen photos of similar era temp. lights with "Police " in the central aspect, but no pics of the "Wait for Green" ones. Any help appreciated. ALSO..... who remembers those mechanical rammers or Jumping Jacks that were used moons ago for compacting infill etc. Benjo was one make I recall. I think they would have done a better job at compacting than today's vibrating compacters !

Comments welcome.

[WHBM]

We called the latter tools Rammers, or Thumpers, they were air driven by hose from an adjacent compressor. Longer term users then developed a serious disease in the hands, Reynaud's Disease, or Whitefinger, and after multiple claims they were banned by contractors' insurance companies.

Colleague doing sponsored civil engineering at university was on one during one summer hols, only, and said his body felt wrecked after some eight weeks of it.

Until about 1970 TTLs only had two aspects, red and green.

[wallmeerkat]

Was there a sensor for flashing lights, where motorists could flash to mimic emergency services, or was this an urban myth?

[Conekicker]

Two light temporary signals were last prescribed in the 1964 TSRGD. In TSRGD 1975, only the use of three lights was prescribed, as today. Three lights were also prescribed for temporary signals in both the 1957 and 1964 TSRGD. I'm not sure when the use of two lights was revoked, presumably 1975.

In the 1957 and 1964 TSRGD the following wording was included regarding temporary signals, "the word 'STOP' in black lettering shall be placed upon the lens of the lamp showing a red light and where the signals are in the control of the police appropriate words indicating that the signals are police signals may be used". This wording was not, as far as I can see, included in the 1950 TSRGD.

[Conekicker]

Was there a sensor for flashing lights, where motorists could flash to mimic emergency services, or was this an urban myth?

Urban myth.

[freebrickproductions]

Was there a sensor for flashing lights, where motorists could flash to mimic emergency services, or was this an urban myth?

Urban myth.

I wouldn't be too surprised if it originated out of the US, TBH, as some places do/did have sensors specifically for emergency responders in their vehicles.

[Nicola_Jayne]

Was there a sensor for flashing lights, where motorists could flash to mimic emergency services, or was this an urban myth?

Urban myth.

I wouldn't be too surprised if it originated out of the US, TBH, as some places do/did have sensors specifically for emergency responders in their vehicles.

3M Opticom which uses encoded IR emitters , often located in the lightbar of an Emergency vehicle

[traffic-light-man]

3M Opticom which uses encoded IR emitters , often located in the lightbar of an Emergency vehicle

Not always encoded or IR. There were options that simply use a visible strobe to trigger a 'detect' providing the frequency is within the specified range. I believe an option allowed for a slower frequency to act as a secondary trigger, too, for example for bus priority. I think it's this sort of thing that generated the 'flashing your headlights' myth, not that I imagine you'd ever be able to flash them at the required rate, especially with the headlight tech back then.

It's now a Miovision product having been subject to various sell offs/acquisitions. I'm not sure the non-encoded variants are still available these days, mind you, I suspect most municipalities want the added control of the encoding.

I don't think this sort of thing ever landed on UK shores. All of the emergency vehicle priority I'm aware of is either triggered by good old push buttons or control rooms.

[Conekicker]

3M Opticom which uses encoded IR emitters , often located in the lightbar of an Emergency vehicle

Not always encoded or IR. There were options that simply use a visible strobe to trigger a 'detect' providing the frequency is within the specified range. I believe an option allowed for a slower frequency to act as a secondary trigger, too, for example for bus priority. I think it's this sort of thing that generated the 'flashing your headlights' myth, not that I imagine you'd ever be able to flash them at the required rate, especially with the headlight tech back then.

It's now a Miovision product having been subject to various sell offs/acquisitions. I'm not sure the non-encoded variants are still available these days, mind you, I suspect most municipalities want the added control of the encoding.

I don't think this sort of thing ever landed on UK shores. All of the emergency vehicle priority I'm aware of is either triggered by good old push buttons or control rooms.

...or they just carefully make their way through a red.

[Nicola_Jayne]

3M Opticom which uses encoded IR emitters , often located in the lightbar of an Emergency vehicle

Not always encoded or IR. There were options that simply use a visible strobe to trigger a 'detect' providing the frequency is within the specified range. I believe an option allowed for a slower frequency to act as a secondary trigger, too, for example for bus priority. I think it's this sort of thing that generated the 'flashing your headlights' myth, not that I imagine you'd ever be able to flash them at the required rate, especially with the headlight tech back then.

It's now a Miovision product having been subject to various sell offs/acquisitions. I'm not sure the non-encoded variants are still available these days, mind you, I suspect most municipalities want the added control of the encoding.

I don't think this sort of thing ever landed on UK shores. All of the emergency vehicle priority I'm aware of is either triggered by good old push buttons or control rooms.

...or they just carefully make their way through a red.

one of the proeblems with a control room triggered system is sometimes you can 'beat the clock'

[SC2]

Was there a sensor for flashing lights, where motorists could flash to mimic emergency services, or was this an urban myth?

I came across a set of temporary lights recently accompanied by a sign that said words to the effect of 'Flashing headlights won't do anything, don't do it'

[traffic-light-man]

one of the proeblems with a control room triggered system is sometimes you can 'beat the clock'

One of the problems with locally triggered systems is that a lot of the time, as much as the higher ups insist on it, the personnel for whom it is intended simply don't use it... Ultimately, I think Conekicker is right in a lot of cases.

[wallmeerkat]

It would be useful if there was a local override that the crew could use.

One time they had them up as they were working on this bend/bridge - https://www.google.com/maps/@54.4633819 ... ?entry=ttu

Our light went green and I was behind a Land Rover towing a climbing wall (the kind of thing they set up for events), quite a long trailer, it took it a while to get round the bend between the walls and diggers etc.

By the time we got round the oncoming traffic had a green light and were upset that we were on the road oncoming, beeping their horns, but there wasn't much I could do!

[Nicola_Jayne]

one of the proeblems with a control room triggered system is sometimes you can 'beat the clock'

One of the problems with locally triggered systems is that a lot of the time, as much as the higher ups insist on it, the personnel for whom it is intended simply don't use it... Ultimately, I think Conekicker is right in a lot of cases.

if you kn ow you are going to beat the clock on the green wave ( Lincoln's system is still functional , but was put in when the 'old' (mid C20th) Lincoln fire station had 4 pumps and 2 specials (Rescue and Aerial) ( current Lincoln south has a WT rescue pump , an RDS pump and the Lincoln aerial ) so anything which sent both pumps had convoy running and it's apparently easily beaten - it also only gives 3 or 4 options from Lincoln South

Conekicker is right the current doctrine favours 'wrong lane ' or offsiding into junctions against a red in many cases rather than bullying through stopped traffic