After World War II, aluminum again became abundantly available for civilian use, and therefore it became the main metal used for traffic control equipment across the country.  This page documents the signals that were suspended by aluminum guy-wired mast arms, which sprang up in huge numbers in New Jersey in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Steve Conboy captured the final days of this 1950s GE “Streamline” cluster on a guy-wired mast in North Bergen in 2017. Old, fully-functional aluminum 8″ signal being replaced by 12″ plastic signals is, sadly, inevitable. This website is all about the old stuff.

photos by Brandon King, Jr. and 3 Feet from the Street

Moving south from Union City, the Township of Weehawken still has this wonderful late 1940s 3-way fixed face GE signal at the corner of Park Ave and 46th Street. Just another reason why Hudson County is still possibly the favorite of vintage signal fans. I saw this light once many years ago, and I am glad to know it’s still alive…and still commanding this intersection by itself.

On the left, a shiny new Marbelite 4-way cluster draws a crowd at the corner of West 7th Street and Clinton Avenue in Plainfield in 1948. I assume the officer was switching the signal on – or switching from flash mode to full operation – for the first time. This early aluminum post with the small flange at the base predates the box-based posts.

On the right, fast-forward 70 years to an image from Google. The pole with the “milk jug” base is pretty old; probably dating from the 1960s. The signals are much newer, but still only 8″, which is becoming a rarity these days.

Newark

Newark’s mix of horizontal and vertical signals was typical of the larger cities of NJ. On the left are GE “Groove Backs” on early ’50s guy-wired masts. The photo on the right shows how Newark looked in the 1980s when I worked and went to school there. Guy-wired masts in the foreground and background support aging GE and/or Marbelite heads. Many assemblies like these were still around Newark into the 21st Century.

GE 1950s streamlined signal heads, the favorite of jugglers everywhere…  These are always cool to find, and this Bergen County installation on guy wire masts lived a long life before being retired and ending up in several collectors’ (including my own) collections.  Above we see photos by signal and rail fan David Prince on a trip to Jersey from his home in the Heart of Dixie, and Kevin Mueller, visiting from Maryland.

Below is one of David’s Youtube videos of this intersection. He has posted many good signal videos, including more of these GEs, so be sure to check his channel:

Another stop on David Prince’s NJ trip was this beautiful set of Marbelites in Rutherford, looking unscathed since the early ’50s.  This setup, with twin hanging 3-way clusters and with a bracketed head on the side of each pole, was once common.  I remember seeing several corners set up this way years ago, like this one in Toms River.  I think David found the last surviving example.

Below is one of David’s Youtube videos of this intersection. Be sure to check out his other videos as well:

Cinnaminson

This set of Cinnaminson Police photographs spanning the 1950s into the ’70s was mostly taken along US Route 130.  These signals remind me of what I typically saw in my childhood whenever we drove on the US or state highways. Since most of these photos show guy wire masts, I put the whole photo set on this page.  Besides the old lights, I miss the rural feel that has been largely lost in many towns like Cinnaminson.

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_{Banner photo: One of my snapshots of old signals in service: a horizontal guy-wire mast signal at one of the GSP overpasses in Bloomfield.}