Singapore: the SGE signal head survives!

[siukei]

Hi Brothers,
There are still some GEC traffic light new model which can be found in Singapore and Brunei, which were introduced by GEC (Singapore) Ltd in 1990s. (As shown below)

I would like to know if there are such GEC models in the UK or Ireland. Tks.

[traffic-light-man]

Hey Buddy, Nah - the only GEC related signal head we have here are the 3 generations on Mellor head:

GEC Elliott
GEC Traffic Automation Mk1
GEC Traffic Automation Mk2

They are all identical apart from the badge and some internal differences. The ones in my Avatar are GEC, but I'll upload some GEC head pics if you want me to?

TBH, the Phillips heads bieng replaced in HK and Ire is simalar to us throwing out the old Mellor kit, as they are around the same age in reallity.

In all honesty though, I didn't realise that Elliott made SGE heads too, I though the GEC Elliott branding was introduced with the Mellor head, BUT this is still very possible, as I have very riliable info that Plessey were making Tins and Mellor heads at the same time for a few years, so this is possible with the SGE branding too.

The Malay Mellor heads, I bet, have standard white borders under the yellow strips. It's the same with most UK mellor heads that were re-border-striped in 80s (obviously, different time).

What make are the one-piece units and one-piece ped units that were used as casual replacements when SGEs were all the rage. Suiki, you say these are Plessey - is that stamped on them somewhere?

Also, that Autoflex in the picture on your picture page is fantastic, although I'm not convinced you'd fit a controller in there! It actually looks simalar to the old posts we have here about the same height with a box ontop reading 'Plessey' which are termination and duct points for the detetctor loops, compared to current duct boxes (grids/manholes).

The Aberdeen example (Aberdeen in HK I assume?) looks like a GEC 125's earlier (or late, but I think they went to full boxes after that) cousin, or it could just be a 125 in extreemely good nick. They are built like feckin' tanks! We had one in Knowsley but we removed it a few months back. Cramped inside though!

Cheers, and keep them pics comming!!!
I've not been around as much as usaual latley to some minor issues at home, but I should be back to normal operation soon!

[DorsetWay]

Simon - hope you like the new avatar of your fave signals!

Have looked at the videos uploaded by horsetan and siukei - those SGEs at Serangoon bus terminal look fantastic! No wonder the signals appear to be in a good condition as the location seems to be undercover protecting the signals! Hopefully these lights will get forgotten about and the last to be removed.

siukei - one more pic of signals from Dublin mirroring those in HK here

[traffic-light-man]

Simon - hope you like the new avatar of your fave signals!

Have looked at the videos uploaded by horsetan and siukei - those SGEs at Serangoon bus terminal look fantastic! No wonder the signals appear to be in a good condition as the location seems to be undercover protecting the signals! Hopefully these lights will get forgotten about and the last to be removed.

siukei - one more pic of signals from Dublin mirroring those in HK here

Yeah, It's a great Avatar buddy!

And yeah, my thanks to Ivan and Siukei too!

The ones in that picture, DW, I'm sure they were the rounded corner typed Phillips Serco heads when I was there, or, atleast, the parralell Pelican/Irish Ped was anyway!





And a Futurit/Philips rounded corners comparison (both badged Phillips BTW!):

[siukei]

Many thanks for all your info.

In my memory, the majority of GEC traffic lights in HK from 60s to 70s was from GEC-Elliott, as it was the sole supplier of traffic lights & controller at that time. There was a subsidiary company in HK before 1999, the GEC (HK) Ltd.

Now, the traffic lights in HK are very boring and messy. Singapore spent only two years to upgrade the traffic lights to LED, but in HK, over 95% are still bulb-based. Just like bus, before the handover, the British buses were beautiful but now, they are also boring and monotonous.

Regarding the "Autoflex" controller in HK, it has been disused since mid-1980s. The reason that it is still on the road is quite simple, the HK Govt forgot to remove it and luckily, there is no complaint.

In Singapore, based on my observation and research, the SGE heads were still very common before 1999, until GEC changed its name to Marconi and suspended its traffic business in Singapore in 1999. In 2001, Singapore Gov't announced that they would start to replace the GEC heads with the new models.

GEC & Siemens acquired Plessey in 1989. That's why Plessey heads can be fixed on GEC poles with no necesssary to remove the GEC heads in Singapore. Below is another example I found in 2005 (later removed in 2006).

[horsetan]

I also spotted this, and couldn't help myself....




...*kof*

[siukei]

Another photo for you all which I just found from my database -

second-hand British bus along with SGE traffic light in HK, taken in around 1982, very "london-style".

[DorsetWay]

Warsaw's (capital of Poland) traffic lights look bit like SGEs in a way:

Warsaw traffic lights
Warsaw traffic lights
Warsaw traffic lights

[horsetan]

Warsaw's (capital of Poland) traffic lights look bit like SGEs in a way:

Warsaw traffic lights
Warsaw traffic lights
Warsaw traffic lights

Those look like the products of Signalbau Huber. I have a couple of those in my collection.....

[traffic-light-man]

Those look like the products of Signalbau Huber. I have a couple of those in my collection.....

What they look like are Huber lanterns if an a*se from the DfT had made them split the aspects to a minimum distance

[RoadKill]

From what I remember in HK here were a pair of two aspect black and white SGEs and a mellor on a british blue pole here.

[horsetan]

More photos to be uploaded into the International album , many of them located in this area

[siukei]

From what I remember in HK here were a pair of two aspect black and white SGEs and a mellor on a british blue pole here.

It should be around 1980s, right??

More photos to be uploaded into the International album , many of them located in this area

Yeah, another photo showing old SGE poles at the same location, for comparison...

[DorsetWay]

More SGE sightings:

http://img510.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... ofsgg7.jpg

http://img510.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 19oxm6.jpg

http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... aphmv2.jpg

http://img231.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... daotx6.jpg

http://img406.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... fphdg8.jpg

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/124125 ... 8945ZheucJ

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24774816@N04/2500755889/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikajenzho ... 484765398/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenny-ious/171943824/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikajenzho ... 132862758/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8137492@N0 ... 5/sizes/l/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64662408@N ... 0/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimmertje/2584411442/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15117809@N ... 4/sizes/l/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimmertje/2584418412/

http://static.flickr.com/49/146921008_8e10287917_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/58/159396154_5ed94429d1_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/29/67534751_c09bf5c8f3_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/40/74801954_daef0cf4de_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/29/67432354_8952c49844_o.jpg

[DorsetWay]

Having had another look at this PDF from siukei. I couldn't help but laugh seeing a old halogen Philips type signal displayed as "Before" which a SGE signal in its glory fitted with LED lamps displayed as "After"!

The SGEs in that PDF looked great and could go on for another 20 years given that these had LED lamps meaning these were not useless and the 50+ year old SGE design has proven to be robust after all those years even with Singapore's meticulous servicing unlike those in Dublin which were falling into pieces cos of typical Irish negligence!

If we still had SGE signals operating in the UK today, would these still be in a good condition like their Asian counterparts?

It makes me mad when people don't know how to leave things be when things don't need replacing unless necessary just like the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"! Why go all that effort to fit LED lamps in all SGE signals then eventually pluck these out?! Ah well, at least these SGEs did last for an extra 10 years after the LED upgrade.

Singapore in a few years time will look dull with the same traffic lights everywhere...

[horsetan]

Ah, the glory of cast iron....

[RoadKill]

It should be around 1980s, right??

I'm not quite sure what you mean. (Excuse long wait)

[horsetan]

It should be around 1980s, right??

I'm not quite sure what you mean. (Excuse long wait)

That's probably when they were last seen.....

[RoadKill]

Ah now I understand. Thanks.

The SGEs lasted quite a while and I remember seeing them lastly in 2006 but bagged. Also saw the mellor on the same trip.

[horsetan]

I've now begun to put up more pics of the surviving SGEs at Yishun. As I took rather a lot of traffic signal pics in Singapore, it will take quite a bit of time to get these uploaded.

I can then move on to the Malaysian traffic signals.....

UPDATE: have now uploaded the Yishun SGE shots. More Orchard Road equipment and SGEs from Serangoon Central bus terminal to follow....