One of the most popular signals, both with yesterday's transportation departments and today's signal collectors, is the Crouse-Hinds Type D (or DT), otherwise known as the Art Deco signal. They are easily recognizable by their unique lever-latch access doors, finned end plates, and stylish back.
These beautiful pieces of road art were made in the 1940's and 50's, and widely used across the country. New Jersey was no exception, and many of these old beauties are still scattered around the older towns. This page offers a few snapshots of some remaining Crouse-Hinds beauties.
  |
|
| This back-to-back pair of Art Deco signals is located at the corner of Forest and Lafayette in Englewood. The dual-mast pole setup was once very common in New Jersey. And some towns thought nothing of putting horizontal and vertical signals on the same pole. | |
  |
|
| The city of Plainfield still has many of it's old Crouse-Hinds signals in service, and still painted in their original green finish. This side-mounted light is at the corner of Front & Richmond. | |
  |
|
| These horizontal "lazy lights" at Front and Madison in Plainfield have double-red indications for added insurance that the stop indication will be visible to drivers. Ed Tapanes has always thought that the double reds are there to double the fine and points on the license of the driver who runs them. I'm not tempted to test that theory out... | |
 |
This slightly damaged cluster still controls traffic at Glenwood Avenue adjacent to Watsessing Park in Bloomfield. Bloomfield has kept a decent number of their old Crouse-Hinds signals in service.
photo by Chris McNally, 24 May 2003 |
 |
This lovely double set of 4-way art deco clusters hangs at the corner next to the Glenwood Diner. Span wire set-ups like this one are uncommon in New Jersey.
photo by Chris McNally, 24 May 2003 |
 |
A pedestrian crosswalk on Belleville Avenue still uses Crouse-Hinds signals. The original pedestrian heads were probably Crouse-Hinds heads with WALK and WAIT indications. They were replaced at some point with the more modern "man/hand" signals. |
  |
|
| Side views of the same crosswalk on Belleville Ave, Bloomfield. | |
 
In the town of Nutley, I noticed this school crosswalk flasher using CH heads. Very cool! |
|
 |
Clifton, NJ, where I grew up, once had many Crouse-Hinds Art Deco signals, especially along Van Houten Avenue. Today, there remains only this lone survivor in the entire city, at the entrance to the Clifton Memorial Library at the corner of 3rd and Piaget. |