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by **3liteguy** on Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:36 pm

Okay please don't run away screaming in horror, this isn't another what color should I paint my Durasig thread. I saw this http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00186235+Rh-1235in the library of congress. Many of us have seen it before. I assume that the signal in the photo is a gloss black and that made me think of Henry Ford saying about the color of his early cars "you can have any color you want, as long as it's black!" I was wondering if this applied to early signals as well. If that is the case, then when did the use of color paint on signals come into play and what eventually made it settle on yellow and dark green shades?

(and what color should I paint my Durasig)

3lg

by **EdT.** on Sun Nov 11, 2007 1:06 pm

Well, one of the very earliest traffic signal devices came in white porcelain:

And I have seen several other older, in service pictures of signals in what appear to be other colors (can't be 100% sure from b&w photos):

White or silver?

And black?

(hmm, someone seems to have Esscos on the brain - I wonder why)

As for standardization of color schemes, I haven't a clue as to when/who/why green was originally chosen, but I seem to recall Barnes being behind the switch to yellow, no?

Good topic.

BTW, you can paint your Durasig any color you like, but make sure you apply the paint with a 16oz hammer. :twisted:

by **MN-20** on Sun Nov 11, 2007 4:59 pm

Sheesh, someone asks a simple question, and gets blown away by some gem in Ed's collection... :mrgreen:

"BTW, you can paint your Durasig any color you like, but make sure you apply the paint with a 16oz hammer."

Seconded!

by **3liteguy** on Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:43 am

BTW, you can paint your Durasig any color you like, but make sure you apply the paint with a 16oz hammer.

LMAO I needed that laugh. Actually I do own a poly (as you know Ed), a NOS poly TCT lane control and that is the only way I will own a poly sig.

I had forgotten about Mr. Barnes. (I have to get that book.) I wonder then if that decision was left to whoever was in charge of the signal department. Does the MUTCD (another book I don't own) have a specification aout color?

me

by **EdT.** on Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:33 am

The current (2003) MUTCD can be found online here: 2003 MUTCD but aside from a mention of signal section color (but no actual specification of it) on page 4D-19, there's nothing currently in spec for signal housing color (that I could find at least).

The first 'MUTCD' (not the 1927 AASHO - there's no mention of it in there) from 1935 doesn't mention anything about color of the signal itself either, just about the lenses. The only thing remotely related is the section on proper maintenance and painting of in-service signals and that doesn't mention anything about color:

(thanks to Lary Brown for loaning me his early MUTCDs)

I'll look up the 1942 MUTCD tomorrow and see if there's anything there. Though I'm thinking it was most likely just an informal agreement on color as several manufacturers did not comply with this color scheme at all (Darley immediately comes to mind).

by **LarryC39** on Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:05 pm

wuddn't bronze a color I recall someone mentioning? I'd like to paint an old 4-way a deep metallic bronze/brown.

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