In the Traffic Signal priming school, the first and easiest lesson in Baltimore's vintage traffic signals is the ability to readily distinguish the GE signals from any others. This is no difficult task, as the GE Streamlined signal heads carry a unique and readily distinguishable look to them which makes them easy to spot from blocks away. Still there are numerous varieities that can be found throughout the region, as represented within this page.First and foremost is the look of the GE Signal head. Instead of carrying an assemblage of signal lights in a boxed form, GE's consist of light housings that are circular, and not much larger than the signal lenses themselves, thus presenting a streamlined, radically different appearance from all others. What follows are some examples of surviving setups of GE signal types.
While GE signals are believed to have debuted during World War II in Chicago among other places, they did not debut here until about 1955. They were among an order (presumably new) placed under the leadership of Henry Barnes, and have always been painted the yellow color that he adopted while here. By 1956, new span wired installations of GE round body single signals were a common sight in Baltimore. Interestingly, all of these such installations have vanished, and the remaining survivors are a mix of mostly 3 and 4 way clusters, along with some pole based signals hung from span wire, and some pole mounted single signals that were installed in the early 1960's.
During the late 1970's and early 1980's, GE signals were largely removed from the streets of Baltimore, many of which were shuffled off to the City's surplus mart, where lucky buyers could pick one up for just $10 (compare this to ebay where one of these lights today would average about $100, when they can be found!). Though often reported to be particularly delicate, the fact that these lights have served Baltimore intersections for close to 50 years through all kinds of weather is a testament to some degree of durability. It will be interesting to see just how long it will be until the last one comes down - no time soon we hope!
LOCATIONS OF KNOWN SURVIVING GE Round Streamlined Units LOCATION: Configuation: Quantity: Running Tab: Gay, Oliver and Washington Streets -2-2-2-2-4 Clusters 20 20 Bentaou Street and Baker Street 4-4 Clusters 8 28 Bentalou Street and Lafayette Avenue 4-4 Clusters 8 36 Eutaw Street and Redwood Street 4-4 Clusters 8 44 Carey Street and Edmondson Avenue 2-4-2 Clusters 8 52 Liberty Heights Avenue and Eldorado Avenue 1-3-3-1 Clusters and Singles 8 60 Old Frederick Avenue and Athol Avenue 2-4-2 Clusters 8 68 Light Street and West Street 4-4 Clusters 8 76 Druid Hill Avenue and Presstman Street 4-4 Clusters 8 84 Whitelock Street and Eutaw Place 4-4 Clusters 8 92 Pennsylvania Avenue and Lafayette Avenue 4-4 Clusters 8 100 29th Street and Sisson Street 4-4 Clusters 8 108 Patterson Park Avenue and Fairmount Avenue 4-4 Clusters 8 116 Fayette Street and Ellwood Avenue -4-4 Clusters 8 124 Patterson Park Avenue and Biddle Street 4-4 Clusters 8 132 Patterson Park Avenue and Preston Street 4-4 Clusters 8 140 Biddle Street and Central Avenue 4-4 Clusters 8 148 Orleans Street and Chester Street 4-4 Clusters 8 156 Pratt Street and Washington Street 4-4 Clusters 8 164 McElderry Street and Lakewood Avenue 4-4 Clusters 8 172 Monument Street and Milton Avenue 4-4 Clusters 8 180 Saint Paul Street and 31st Street 3-4 Clusters 7 187 Cold Spring Lane and Garrison Boulevard 2-4-1 Clusters and Single 7 194 University Parkway and Keswick Road 3-3-1 Clusters and Pole light 7 201 Gilmor Street and Lafayette Avenue -4-2 Clusters 6 207 Washington Street and Biddle Street 5 guy wired lights hung from short poles beneath PRR Underpass 5 212 Maryland Avenue and 27th Street - 4 way cluster 4 216 Saint Paul Street and 27th Street - 4 way cluster 4 220 Coldspring Lane and Dolfield Avenue - 4 way cluster 4 224 Wolfe Street and Aliceanna Street - 4 way cluster 4 228 Patterson Park Avenue and Orleans Street - 4 way cluster 4 232 29th Street and Huntingdon Avenue - 4 way cluster 4 236 Hilton Street and Windsor Avenue - 4 way cluster 4 240 Calvert Street and Chase Street - 3 way cluster 3 243 Hanover Street and Frankfurst Avenue - 2 way cluster 2 245 Washington Street and Preston Street - 2 pole mounted lights 2 247 Preston Street and Caroline Street - 2 pole mounted lights 2 249 Fleet Street and Kenwood Avenue - 2 pole mounted lights 2 251 McCulloh Street and McMechen Street - 2 pole mounted lights 2 253 Albemarle Street and Pratt Street - 2 span mounted lights hooked directly to wire 2 255 Druid Hill Avenue and Dolphin Street - 2 pole mounted lights 2 257 Lafayette Avenue and Argyle Avenue - 2 span mounted lights hooked directly to wire 2 259 University Parkway and 40th Street - 1 pole mounted light 1 260 Hopkins Place and Baltimore Street - 1 pole mounted light 1 261 29th Street and Remington Avenue - 1 pole mounted light 1 262 North Avenue at Walbrook Fire House 2 wired warning and stop signals 2 264 Druid Hill Park exit at Gwynns Falls Parkway 2 pole mounted warning flashers 2 266 Roland Avenue and Wyndhurst Avenue 1 pole mounted warning flasher 1 267 McMechen Street at Fire House 2 pole mounted Proceed signals 2 269 ![]()
A look at the past installations of GE Signals can be seen here in this 1958 view of Saratoga and Saint Paul Streets. Note the signals being hung directly from the wire. No such signals still exist in this mounting fashion......
WRONG!!!It seems there's no greater impetus for me to find something as to go on record on this site to say that such a thing no longer exists.
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Throughly disproving my above assertation that no more GE's exist that are directly hung from span wire (without the use of an extension pole) are two signals at Argyle and Lafayette Avenues in West Baltimore.![]()
The other wire mounted signal at Argyle and Lafayette interestingly is in among the best condition of all the GE signals still in service. It even appears to have gotten a recent repaint.