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The term “Marbelite Flat-Top” refers to the Marbelite 8″ signal housing with cast ID number TD-19143 H.S., which has a flush top and bottom.  Later Marbelite 8″ casts (i.e., TD-19260 and TE-19408) had a sunken top/bottom and a notch in the back for improved drainage.

The difference can be seen in this photo of two housing casts placed side-by-side.  Click the photo for a larger image.

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The Horni – Marbelite – GTE Modular 8″ Signal Timeline*:

So, when were these signal housings made, you ask…  This timeline covers the line of modular 8″ signals originally made by Horni Signal in 1938, and later adopted by Marbelite in 1947 after the takeover of Horni’s traffic signal division.  Marbelite actually manufactured their own lineage of signal heads before 1947, which are not part of this timeline.  I have no information about these “Pre-Horni” Marbelite signals, but examples can be seen in this 1945 advertisement, and this photo detail from Philadelphia.

• 1938-1953 : Cast ID: TD-19143 H.S.

  • First Generation (made by Horni Signal Mfg. 1938-1947)
    

    

    Original Horni script in parallelogram logo.

    

    Inset doors with 1″ deep lens portals and without flange (similar to GE signals of that era)

    

    Reflectors mounted to the doors

    

    Early Flat-Top photo: 27 March 1939, Trenton 

    
    
  • Second Generation (made by The Marbelite Company, starting 1947):  Due to the brand name change, this generation is often referred to as the “Marbelite 1st Generation Flat-Top”.
    

    

     Logo changed to block-lettered MARBELITE 

    

    Doors still have 1-inch deep portals for the reflectors.

    

    At some point, a narrow flange was added around door edge, and “6560” was embossed in upper left corner inside door.

    

    Cast ID TD-19143 H. S. faintly embossed on inside floor of housing.  My speculation is that the id may have been “TD-19143” in the original Horni generation, and Marbelite added the “H. S.” to denote the part came from the Horni Signal line.

    
    

    

    Earlier signals have 3-spoke reflector frames with deep “Horni” style reflectors.

    

    Later signals have 4-spoke reflector frames with shallower “Marbelite” style reflectors.

    
    

   

  • Third Generation
    

    

    “PAT. PEND.” and “NEW YORK, U.S.A.” added to logo.

    

    Reflectors moved from the door into the housing (thus, the pending patent). Doors have much shallower lens portal to accommodate new reflector seating.

    
    
  • Fourth Generation
    • Slight housing changes (e.g., dimples removed from the back and around bottom entrance of housing)
    • Brass catch added in housing to retain reflector frame.
    • There are two door shapes in this generation.  The shape changes at some point to a deep, inset design with a flat face and no flange.

• 1953-1965 : Cast ID: TD-19260

  • aka the “Model 1058” in Marbelite catalogs
  • Introduction of “sink top” housing with rain notch in back
  • Cast ID TD-19260 embossed on back inside wall of housing
  • Same deep, non-flanged doors as used at the end of the previous cast.

• 1953-1965 : Cast ID: TE-19408

  • First Generation
    • A slightly thinner and lighter cast overall
    • Logo changed to Down-slope parallelogram
    • Cast ID TE-19408 embossed on back inside wall of housing
    • Rubber gaskets on door
  • Second Generation
    • Very subtle change: Slightly thicker outer lip of housing cast.
  • Third Generation
    • Logo changed to “Traffic Light”
    • Backplate mounting nibs added behind hinges.

• Post 1978
  

  General Traffic Equipment (GTE) of Poughkeepsie, NY acquired and resurrected the use of the Marbelite 8″ signal housing for a while starting sometime in the 1990s, long after Marbelite ceased their signal production. These housings looked almost exactly like the Marbelite TE-19408 housing, but with at least one difference; the change in logo to the GTE logo. I have no further details on these at the current writing.

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* Special thanks goes to Joe LiPari of The Marbelite Company, who looked up the years of manufacture of the cast IDs for me in a phone conversation many years ago.  Thanks also goes to fellow collectors like Phil Glick, Jay Jenkins, Larry Currie, Bailey Stumbaugh, and the late Jesse Vallely, for helping identify the minutae.