Manky Signs

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

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Nathan_A_RF
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

MotorwayGuy wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 15:20 This is a relic for sure:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.2009833 ... 384!8i8192
I'm guessing these are from before the Tonbridge Bypass, when this was the A21?
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Big L
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Big L »

Kevin Roads wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 20:06
jnty wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 15:24 https://goo.gl/maps/ajFxw2bzJYZFeD8k7

Dated both in design and also in that I don't think new housing estates are generally given weight limits now? I wonder what the history of this one is.
That's the old style of sign and my thought on first looking at the StreetView shot is that there used to be a bridge ahead, hence the weight limit. The stepped, brick wall on the right looks like a railway bridge parapet, with just the base of the left wall remaining. I noticed that there is The Railway Inn a short distance down Lanark Road so that adds to the theory.

Nice find, though. Thanks for posting it.
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Current Open Street Map view.
OS 7th Series (1960s) view.
NLS OS 6" (1920s(?) view.

None of which appear to show a railway or canal or anything else in that location.
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jnty
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by jnty »

Big L wrote: Fri Apr 22, 2022 08:15
Kevin Roads wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 20:06
jnty wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 15:24 https://goo.gl/maps/ajFxw2bzJYZFeD8k7

Dated both in design and also in that I don't think new housing estates are generally given weight limits now? I wonder what the history of this one is.
That's the old style of sign and my thought on first looking at the StreetView shot is that there used to be a bridge ahead, hence the weight limit. The stepped, brick wall on the right looks like a railway bridge parapet, with just the base of the left wall remaining. I noticed that there is The Railway Inn a short distance down Lanark Road so that adds to the theory.

Nice find, though. Thanks for posting it.
SABRE Maps could be your friend here.

Current Open Street Map view.
OS 7th Series (1960s) view.
NLS OS 6" (1920s(?) view.

None of which appear to show a railway or canal or anything else in that location.
Indeed, it's a good theory and I do agree that hump feels "bridgey", but the railway referred to by the Inn was on the other side of the Lanark Road down the valley. The restriction applies to the full length of Muir Wood Road as well which would seem unnecessary for a single bridge at one end. The Gazette indicates the restriction came into force in 1975 which is think is roughly the same time the estate was built - so probably just an attempt to stop heavy traffic short-cutting onto Riccarton Mains Road, especially if more construction was anticipated to the west.

edit: seems the estate was around in 1967 so maybe just a response to complaints from residents? The nearby Heriot Watt University campus was opened in 1971, apparently, and may have continued to expand which could have caused (or been perceived to cause) an in increase in heavy traffic from the city.
James1978
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by James1978 »

Passed this absolute stonker yesterday!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.61761 ... authuser=0

(And this one on the return journey!)

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.60022 ... authuser=0
Chris56000
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Chris56000 »

Passed this absolute stonker yesterday!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.61761 ... authuser=0

(And this one on the return journey!)


https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.60022 ... authuser=0

. . .Both modern of similar age, (but before Guildford Rules) but simply allowed to deteriorate into such an appalling condition, one with unrepaired accident damage and covered on obscure splodges of orange goodness–knows–what, and the second one never cleaned or had the undergrowth cut back since they were first erected!

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Re: Manky Signs

Post by crazyknightsfan »

Worcestershire Wolf wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 21:30 At Stourton in South Staffs at the A449/A458 junction, these two jumbo signs really need replacing:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.45864 ... 384!8i8192

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.46450 ... 384!8i8192
That first one is a gorgeous early Worboys classic.
Layout is a bit borked tho, is Stourbridge to the right or via a U-turn?
Octaviadriver
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Octaviadriver »

There's no shortage of manky signs on the A4063 between Bridgend and Maesteg when I passed along it yesterday, such as this one:
https://goo.gl/maps/mFz21E1PyB5me8bXA
Or this one:
https://goo.gl/maps/zP2MMdUWDs9MssH26
Or this one:
https://goo.gl/maps/ka21t5EuXA7YP4cD6
tom66
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by tom66 »

Has anyone pointed these out on the M3/M25 jct?
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.40082 ... 384!8i8192

The ones facing westbound are in far better nick, even though they look of a similar vintage. Perhaps something to do with sun exposure.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.40017 ... 312!8i6656

The VMS/speed display units below them are also pretty damn ancient. They look a bit like they might be using halogen bulbs for each pixel - pre the more modern LED ones. Anyone know anything about them?

Back in more familiar territory, the left hand NSL sign is all-but-gone now:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.23099 ... 384!8i8192

But, interestingly enough, it looks OK back in 2015 or so, only just about showing 'sign rot'.
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by traffic-light-man »

tom66 wrote: Fri Apr 29, 2022 23:40The VMS/speed display units below them are also pretty damn ancient. They look a bit like they might be using halogen bulbs for each pixel - pre the more modern LED ones. Anyone know anything about them?
They're the Controlled Motorway Indicator (CMI), which were the first VSL signs and the precourser to the current style Advanced Motorway Indicator (AMI). They're fibre optic, so as I understand it there's a halogen lamp for each of the aspects and the red circle, and then the red/amber lanterns are the same halogen lamp-in-a-reflector type as the regular matrix signs of the day.

I think IIRC that Colas manufactured those used for the original M25 scheme.
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by tom66 »

So to display various speed limits, would they move a filter in front of the light source to project onto the optical array? Or is there some other method used to select which numerals to display?

I assume they would only need to show "3" through "6" as well as a "0" digit, and then some way to illuminate a red cross and a white arrow, oh, and that pseudo-NSL symbol that they use sometimes (which isn't used on the newer LED signs.) Any others I'm missing? Are '20' limits ever seen on motorway VSLs? Would they ever need to show "FOG" or "END"?

Incidentally, the new LED signs - at least the ones on the M62 when I was in the Leeds area - had a terrible failure rate. Any given gantry would have about a 1-in-10 chance of having a sign not illuminated or with garbage graphics in place of the actual limit. Usually, the red rings would fail too, with some proportion of the ring not lighting up. In one case, a sign on its own was lit up just with a red ring but no limit posted. I also saw a "0" mph speed limit sign, though no red ring... Not sure what causes these failures but my guess was water ingress.
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Gareth Thomas »

This one on the A2 at Whitfield.
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Rambo »

A nice selection of elderly illuminated no entry signs in Knutsford.
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jnty
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by jnty »

https://goo.gl/maps/LouTLoSDYh4orJSx9

A sign that has seen better days in Edinburgh. Now-incorrect green colour I think signifies that this sign was erected before the completion of the bypass.
AndrewGPaul
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by AndrewGPaul »

This one on the A749 between Stewartfield Way and the East Kilbride Expressway is in need of some TLC.

https://goo.gl/maps/9T7GbuELFthRi642A

The missing bit is in the undergrowth somewhere.
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Rambo »

Posted this on the FB group..

A49 / A556 Oakmere cross roads. Everytime i see it i'm heading south away from the junction and there is nowhere to pull in. So today i stopped at the Shell garage and walked over to it only to find it dropped down it's pole and spun facing away from the traffic. After a bit of pruning of the bush, i managed to spin it round the correct way. If i'd have had a wet rag i'd have give it a wipe but sadly not.
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Kevin Roads
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Kevin Roads »

I'm sure that these have been seen by many Sabristi - I know that Rambo has mentioned them - but don't think that they've been posted yet:
20220510_123620.jpg
Last edited by Kevin Roads on Tue May 10, 2022 20:05, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Kevin Roads »

The one on the other side of the junction:
20220510_124111.jpg
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Kevin Roads »

The light-blue border of the trio:
20220510_124912.jpg
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Nathan_A_RF
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Nathan_A_RF »

There's this further down the A5 too
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.98980 ... 384!8i8192
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Re: Manky Signs

Post by Rambo »

Kevin Roads wrote: Tue May 10, 2022 12:54 I'm sure that these have been seen by many Sabristi - I know that Rambo has mentioned them - but dont think that they've been posted yet:

20220510_123620.jpg
Classics. Glad to see these are still there.
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