Canadian General Electric 8" Head  

MFR:  GE of Canada (CGE)
Make:  8-8-8 R-Y-G 
Years Made:  1950's-Now
Estimated Year:  1990's 

Lense Size:  8"
Orig City:  Unknown, Canada
Orig Color:  Dark Green
Orig Configuration:  8-8-8 R-Y-G 
Orig Visors:  Cutaway
Orig Lenses: Poly
Orig Reflectors: Stamped Aluminum

Current Color:  Same
Current Configuration:  Same
Current Visors:  Same
Current Lenses: Poly w/Quebec Masks
Current Reflectors: Same

Notes, Commentary, Restoration: 
After General Electric's 1957 sale of their USA Traffic Signaling division to the Econolite Corp. their Canadian branch continued to manufacture signals based off the same body molds, except the logo was changed to display both the famous GE script with the Canadian GE initials (CGE) embossed below, and the use of the Only-in-Canada Robertson Screw. In shape USA-GE's, CGE's, and Grooveback Econolite's are the same. In fact, the interior of this modern GE is virtually unchanged from the pre-1949 USA example I have, save for replacing the fanciful reflector and lamp holder assembly with a cheaply mass produced aluminum stamped, phelonic based, lamp/reflector assembly. 

This signal arrived from the frigid north in pretty good condition. The body paint was solid, if lusterless, and the Lexan lenses were intact if not a bit dull. The visors were well shaped, though featured the sun-erosion of paint the visors tend to quickly obtain. After a gentle washdown the body was given an oil-rub to restore the shine. The visors were given a coat of a close-matching camo paint and some topcoat to bring out the shine. The color mismatch isn't obvious except in the harshest of lights, Econolite-GE dark green is a near impossible color to obtain commercially.

You'll notice an odd look to the lenses. Looking to exhibit some of the artifacts in their not-so-common configurations these lenses have been masked in the Quebec style. That is, the red aspect of signaling devices is a large square, the yellow aspect is lozenge (square-diamond) shaped, while the green aspect is the traditional ball. In horizontal mount configurations it isn't uncommon to have a red square at each end of the signal. These methods are thought to increase visibility and far-sight recognition, much as the transition from 8" to 12" signal heads was preceded by switching the red lights to a larger size first. Whether this is a success or not remains to be determined, for they have not been widely used in the Ontario province outside Quebec, and are virtually unknown elsewhere in Canada and the USA.


Photographic Records: 

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This page was last modified on 04 September 2006.