Im thinking it was installed upside down. The top has a standard hole for mounting. This one mustve been on a post. The top of this one (bottom) houses the internal mechanical controller. If it has one...
Make sense to me too, the top is pretty worn for something that was supposed to be the facing down. I wonder if they made a post top version with a pointed controller housing.
on the top of this signal there's that square with a screw on two of the sides. Looks like some sort of cap and screw on like those screw-on couploa covers that coach style post tops have that go over the photocells.
Remember this top is actually the bottom if the signal was properly assembled. The two screws are there to open the case housing the internal control mechanism
Ahh i was thinking a pointed cover could have been held by the screws so water wouldn't sit in that indented square if it were to be installed upside down to use used as a post top signal
These werent designed to be used upside down. Im assuming this was a city mod. They have a flat plain top and either a standard controller case in the bottom or an optional flat bottom similar to the TSI and Singer four ways
I went back there today, and I am still the highest bidder, but that could change tomorrow if someone else bids just $1 more than me. I took some more pix and will post wether I get this or not. I tried to open, the plate, but the screw slots are smashed and was too tight, plus they dont want people disassmbling stuff there. There is like a chamber that could hold a timer/controller under the plate, has a hole but no wires inside. It is turned over and the 1.5" hole has been fitted to a top mount hub. There is also what I assume is a 8-8-8 Crouse-Hindes, it is old and has cloth covered wires, no lenses, but all 3 sockets and reflectors are there. Pix to come of that one, highest bid of the CH is $15 as of now.
I wonder if the old Crouse Hinds is a old Type M or Type D/DT. The M sorta looks like a breadbox and the D/DT has fins on the top and bottom. Lenses show up a lot on eBay.
I guess a electronic controller should fit in place of the old mechanical controller in the base.
Well I didnt get it , my top bid was $251.51. It sold for $308. It was a silent auction, you put your bid on a little paper with ID# and as time goes on they post the highest bid on a video screen. At 15min before closing, the bidding is not shown until the final results after closing. Oh well maybe next one will be a better and cheaper light. Perhaps with such a high bid means it may go to a serious collector, rather than something sitting in a garden getting rusty/corroded. I left my name inside to offer lenses, and see if he has any goodies for swap.
This one went for about what I thought it would. Hard to get any old four way for under $300. Deals are out there and I'm sure more will come up in the future. These in person auctions are usually better at getting the deals, less people looking at what's being sold. Looks like all it needed was a clean up and maybe a coat or two of paint, some visors and proper lenses
Too bad you didn't get it. I usually find signals to be cheaper buying them in person instead of through eBay. I did score one signal on eBay though for cheap but it was listed on eBay Canada only so only people who searched the .ca site saw it.
I guess a electronic controller should fit in place of the old mechanical controller in the base.