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1960s working led traffic lights


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You might have a problem with that.

 

In the 1960s, the two principal designs of traffic signal head were the ATE/Plessey "tin lantern"

 

post-6879-0-67110800-1523394979.jpeg

 

and the cast iron SGE with its distinctive light bowls on stalks

 

post-6879-0-64786200-1523395123.jpeg

 

Neither design is available in working form in 4mm scale. There are dummy SGEs available from Hornby, and an approximation of a "tin lantern" from Langley Models.

 

The SGE would be particularly difficult to do because each aspect is effectively free-standing.

Edited by Horsetan
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The SGE might be possible (and I do stress "might") using very fine fibre optics feeding aspects carved from perspex. Not exactly a rtp solution though, even if it worked.

Edited by PatB
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The SGE might be possible (and I do stress "might") using very fine fibre optics feeding aspects carved from perspex....

 

I can see where you're going with that, though there might be some concerns over whether sufficient light actually appears at the lens bowl end.

 

Here's a shot of SGEs in Singapore, where they were especially long-lived:

 

hqdefault.jpg

 

The spindly nature of the lens bowls on stalks feeding into the post "head" would need skilled manufacture in 4mm scale.

 

For something that looks so delicate, the SGE heads were actually very heavy, being cast-iron. I used to own a couple of decommissioned examples, and lifting them single-handed was just asking for trouble!

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I can see where you're going with that, though there might be some concerns over whether sufficient light actually appears at the lens bowl end.

 

Here's a shot of SGEs in Singapore, where they were especially long-lived:

 

hqdefault.jpg

 

The spindly nature of the lens bowls on stalks feeding into the post "head" would need skilled manufacture in 4mm scale.

 

For something that looks so delicate, the SGE heads were actually very heavy, being cast-iron. I used to own a couple of decommissioned examples, and lifting them single-handed was just asking for trouble!

 

Indeed, getting enough photons through a small enough fibre optic would be my concern too. I suspect that anything actually buildable would, at least, end up somewhat overscale.

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I remember SGEs when did they disappear in the UK?

They were gone from London by 1984. Ireland still had some in operation until 2004. Singapore's last ones were in operation in 2008, but gone by 2011.

 

Zimbabwe still has SGEs in various states of disrepair in and around Bulawayo.

Edited by Horsetan
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It's a long story!  Had them for years. One has electronics in so that it cycles through the correct light sequence, done by a friend that understands these things!

You can buy ready-made circuits that will do all the hard work. There's an excellent US eBay supplier - Legacy, I think they're called - who provided me with a UK-sequence board; works on 220/240v a treat, and the timings are fully adjustable. The same board also does a number of other sequences.

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You can buy ready-made circuits that will do all the hard work. There's an excellent US eBay supplier - Legacy, I think they're called - who provided me with a UK-sequence board; works on 220/240v a treat, and the timings are fully adjustable. The same board also does a number of other sequences.

 

This was done 25 years ago!  Both sets had them but one is kaput, the other still works!  I'll investigate Legacy thanks Ivan, so Stevie can get the other set working.  They're going in his new garage to keep his Corrado VR6 'weekend car' company.

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.... I'll investigate Legacy...

 

Correction: the trader is called "liberty3guo" (run by a Chinese fella, I'd surmise), and always has a number of different traffic light control boards for sale, usually about £25 to £30 plus international postage. Best of all, they send you the correct input voltage version for the customer's country, so you don't have to specify it. All you need to do is ask them for the board that reproduces the UK sequence.

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