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by **EPAC-EPIC-MARC** on Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:09 pm

I've been meaning to post this one for a while. Right up the road from me is a this intersection..it is a fairly new install...early 2000's or so but running an EF20 (?) mechanical controller.

http://goo.gl/maps/B1FEQ

http://goo.gl/maps/ESOh0

I haven't been able to "hear" if its truly mechanical but I don't see why it wouldn't be. It is way too busy of an intersection to pull out my keys and take a peek.

The series of intersections for the M-53 freeway exit ramps are on their own controller...in an Eagle "P" NEMA cabinet. But the series of intersections are coordinated together.

The flashing red ball left turn at the above intersection stays solid red until the ramp signals turn green. Its a goofy setup I'm sure with relays and circuits to stop and start the dials to make it all work.

The cabinet is still there, but the intersection is getting partial upgrades...getting signals removed and replaced on the existing span. An Econolite poly FYA signal was installed and is currently wrapped up and not in use yet. A right turn Econolite Doghouse was added with the arrow sections bagged up. An Intelight 340 ITS cabinet was installed next to the mechanical cabinet and it is dwarfed by it. The mechanical is still operating because the conduit splicing the wires to the ITS cabinet hasn't been added yet.

Thought I'd share this one. Not everyday that you see a mechanical cabinet installed at a newer intersection that didn't have signals prior to the early 2000's

by **notMUTCDcompliant** on Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:24 pm

looks like it's still using bulbs too!

if it's a slave in an interconnect, there may not have been any reason to upgrade, no advantage (other then detectors)

Would love to see how that is all run thru an ef-20, that's a LOT of contacts!

by **EPAC-EPIC-MARC** on Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:31 pm

notMUTCDcompliant wrote:looks like it's still using bulbs too!

if it's a slave in an interconnect, there may not have been any reason to upgrade, no advantage (other then detectors)

Would love to see how that is all run thru an ef-20, that's a LOT of contacts!

The amount of circuits made me wonder if a standard EF20 could handle the sequence! Its mostly bulbs but the new add ons are LED. A few of the signals have glass lenses but most are Eagle poly.

I shouldve mentioned that yes this is pretimed at the time of the google shot but the upgrade is including microwave detection, crosswalk buttons, wireless interconnect, gps, and a video survelliance camera. The whole county is slowly upgrading to the new controller system

by **steven1981** on Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:34 pm

Interesting. I'm sure there's an interesting set-up in the cabinet.

When I used to live on Staten Island, New York, new signalized intersections that were installed in the late 1990s to very early 2000s had brand new electro-mechanical signal controllers from G.T.E. present. I recall one set-up that was not far from my old home (perhaps four to five blocks away), and signals first appeared there in late 1999 or so. The signal controller was brand new at the time, and I used to walk by it countless times, since it was located on my route to my elementary school.

I suppose this is true for the other boroughs outside of Manhattan as well.

by **EPAC-EPIC-MARC** on Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:42 pm

Eagle hasnt produced a mechanical since the gulf and western era of the 70s and mid 80s. Most of the time old mechanical cabinets get repurposed for flasher boxes, service boxes, or interconnect splices for hardwire interconnection between intersections. This one was repurposed to run an intersection. Wonder why this intersection didnt get the standard Eagle G cabinet with EPIC like everything else did in the early 2000s.... :scratch:

by **JVC8230** on Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:45 pm

Ill reply to this one tomorrow. Goin to bed

by **2070** on Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:49 am

Looks like a splice box, But I could be wrong......

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=23+mile+a ... 15.19&z=16

The real controller....

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=23+mile+a ... -4.76&z=16

by **notMUTCDcompliant** on Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:55 am

good catch phil!

by **EPAC-EPIC-MARC** on Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:09 am

2070 wrote:Looks like a splice box, But I could be wrong......

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=23+mile+a ... 15.19&z=16

The real controller....

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=23+mile+a ... -4.76&z=16

Wow! Good eye Phil...did not pay attention to that! You are probably right, it does run off the Eagle P cabinet with a bunch of crazy overlaps :thumbsup:

I do think that there's still mechanical guts in the cabinet and was used at one time, maybe the splice in was done at a later date maybe when parts starting failing or better coordination was needed. Seems kind of weird to use it as a splice box, going all the way down the pole, then all the way back up it to the span :blink:

If it does run off the other cabinet it won't be soon with the ITS cabinet mounted next to the mechanical cabinet. That went in many moons after the streetview shots were taken. I'm sure its not active, because all the upgrades haven't been turned on yet.

by **TacomaJoe** on Thu Apr 25, 2013 7:45 am

I do think that there's still mechanical guts in the cabinet and was used at one time, maybe the splice in was done at a later date maybe when parts starting failing or better coordination was needed. Seems kind of weird to use it as a splice box, going all the way down the pole, then all the way back up it to the span

We have a couple intersections similar to this where the old EF cabinet guts have been removed/replaced with a terminal panel to tie interconnect together.

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