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by **SirMarbelot** on Sat Aug 06, 2011 11:39 pm

Nice! Does this design pre-date the solid body Novalux with 3 doors?

by **LarryC39** on Sun Aug 07, 2011 12:12 am

Based on the reflectors, I'd say it came after the "multiple-door single-high-hinge GE" solidbody and before/with the multiple door, normal hinge GE.

by **Mike80** on Sun Aug 07, 2011 10:27 am

While not a solid door type, here is the page from my General Electric Catalog GEA-600 from 1928. The older GE catalogs from 1923 and 1925 do not show any signals. The newer GE catalogs (after 1928) that I have, only show the three-door type Novalux signals. As far as I know, there wasn't another GE catalog for 1926 or 1927, unless small supplemental catalogs were issued. So I'm not sure exactly when the solid door was made.

by **2070** on Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:08 am

The angled doors look cool!!!

Spoiler:

by **somuchtoseeanddo** on Sun Aug 07, 2011 12:46 pm

Very nice light. It almost looks NOS.

Does anyone have any dates on the older Kopp 27 and GE Halophane/spider web lenses? Those 27s definitely look original to the signal. Interestingly, if they were all equipped with Kopp 27 lenses, then the only items that seem to identify them as GE are the reflectors and the thumb screws.

Is there any possibility that this is another brand of signal? It seems like GE liked to visibily label their products with their logo. Another example of something like this is how it appears that the same manufacturer made the in-the-door reflectors for both Eagle and A-1.

by **Fred** on Sun Aug 07, 2011 1:33 pm

You read my mind Steve.
Is it a GE, cross bread, or other?
GE had a solid body light that closely resembled the ornamental eagle. But solid bodies are usually found in the mid/late 20's to early 30's.
Did Eagle ever make a solid door light?

There were some 60 traffic signal patents prior to Mr. Morgans (who is accredited with the first traffic signal :roll:

) so the possibility has to be out there that other "non" mainstream companies existed.

The only markings on the light outside of the reflectors you and Larry point out, is a tag on the inside which says, E. S. 305 If the light was gutted (no reflectors) and I stumbled on it (not knowing what it was) I would make the assumption E = Eagle, S = Signal, 3 = 3 section, 0 & 5 = (lens type/hardware/visor configuration :scratch:

The light is original and I see no sign of it ever being restored. The lenses definitely look original. The lens tabs haven't even started rusting, nor have the reflector retainers, the screws look perfect (tarnished) but look like they haven't been touched since the factory.

The early GE's were all cast visors, this one has sheet aluminum. The reflector hinges are aluminum and the material and method of making them reminds me of what I see in the DT reflectors, meaning they probably were stamped. The door pins I originally thought were brass but turns out they are also aluminum. I can lift them out with my thumb.

I'm not up on my cereal bowl reflectors, but the glass is wavy almost like what you would see if they were hand made / individually made, not smooth like we see in the mass production glass.

We know the 27's date back to the 20's, but when do we see the cereal bowl reflectors being introduced?

I don't know if it's question or just speculation on my part, either way I have more now than when I first posted this thread. So please people, chime in or post your lights if you have them. This is a PAL research thread.

by **Fred** on Mon Aug 08, 2011 2:40 pm

This is the GE solid body, 3 door Novalux.

In reference to the 3 door, there are no markings in the casting which say GE other than the brass tag on the back. Considering GE first got into the traffic light business when they purchased Garrett Morgan's patent, presumably in late 1924/25. http://www.wired.com/science/discoverie ... ntech_1120 We see little or no sign of GE's marketing until around 1928. The picture of the 4-way in the above link I believe is one like the light Dave Hahn has with the 6" lenses. Dave's has the down-spout visors without the light, and I did see an ad recently which indicated it's a 1923.

Looking at the other manufacturers of the day, the 3 door light started showing up in catalogs around the same time that sectional lights were being introduced (Late 20's). It only makes sense to me that the solid door came first, wasn't aggressively advertised (like the above mentioned 4-way) and was one of their start up fixtures. Obviously with the 3 door the GE logo wasn't thought of when the molds were made, so they slapped a tag on it, but didn't do so to the solid door...which is odd. The 3 door has period correct lenses with the halophanes, and the solid door would also have period correct lenses with the 27's. We clearly see the 27 pattern with the Ruleta's in the 1920's.

The wrench in the works is with the reflectors.The 3 doors reflector assembly open and shut like the cereal bowls, but they are not the same. And cereal bowl reflectors showed up after the 3 door solid body design (1929-30). :scratch:

Using only the reflector design, one would assume the solid door came after the 3 door. Or was the solid door a preemption (test) of what was to come with reflector design? :scratch:

by **somuchtoseeanddo** on Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:28 pm

Any idea when the molded GE logo was added to the 3 door solid body along with the tag?

by **nyratk1** on Mon Aug 08, 2011 10:44 pm

I love this design. So far ahead of it's time.

by **shevy_57** on Mon Aug 08, 2011 10:56 pm

amazing score :cool:

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