Crouse Hinds Art Deco Type D

One of my all-time favorites (so far) is a Crouse Hinds Type D Art Deco Signal. This dates from more than likely the early 1950’s (which is older than me lol) although I’m not sure of a specific year. From what I can find, these were around $900 or so brand new.

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This was the signal installed at the house where I got it
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It fit in my car. This is when I wish I still had a truck.
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Once I got it out of the car & home. I forgot to take a picture of the wife’s face when she saw it.

I had seen this on Ebay and the price was outrageous. I contacted the seller, made a few offers and drove to Binghamton, NY to pick it up in September 2017.

This signal had been in this back yard for approximately 40 years. The current home owner gave me this history. The previous home owner worked for NY State as an electrician. Somehow he ended up with this in his yard. Put it up by his pool and used to control it from in the house. Green meant everything was ok and yellow, told the kids, dinner was almost ready. It has been swinging on the pole in this yard for so long the hanger was almost completely work out.

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One worn out hanger

I saved it from crashing to the ground I bet. Anyway, the signal was all original. Original wiring in it, reflectors, smiley lenses everything. I really couldn’t believe it when I saw it.

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Inside was in pristine condition. Original cloth wiring.

Original cloth wiring inside

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Reflectors were dirty and a bit worn

Original reflectors. A bit pitted and dirty, but just like when they left the factory.

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This is a rather rare Green smiley lens
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Yellow smiley lens.
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Red smiley lens

All “smiley”glass lenses on each side. Pretty hard to find, let alone all on one signal. Looks like at some point, someone touched up the paint on it. There was some paint on some of the lenses.

It took a bobcat to get it down and 2 of us to get it in my car which it fit nicely. Some day, I think this will get a nice restoration job on it. Signals like this don’t come around very often so I had to have it. There are 4 that I know of still hanging in Utica also. Hopefully they dont end up scrapped if they ever come down.

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