"Christmas Village" Light Sets  

Over the Holiday season, a bevy of winter village sets and accessories were on the market. A few varieties of these were obtained. The are all listed below. 
     Videos should be available soon, currently MOV's are being converted to animated GIF's but size is an issue.

Traffic Light, Set of Two (Multiface)
MFR:  Lemax
Model:  Village Collection 24781A

Description: 
2002-era light set.  Apart from the unrealistic base, the signals bear a reasonable resemblance to Crouse-Hinds porthole signals.  Each Signal is two-sided, with the other sides featureless.  They operate off 2 AA batteries or a DC adapter.  Operation is somewhat realistic, they cycle Green1/Red2-> Yellow1/Yellow2-> Red1/Green2-> then back to Green1/Red2.  It would have been nicer to include the second Yellow/Yellow phase.  Each phase is on for approx. 1 second, with a similar blanking interval before the next color comes on.

Photographic Records: 
 

Traffic Light Set
MFR:  Department 56
Model:  Snow Village Series 55000 

Description: 
An interesting interpretation of post mounted four-way signals, these are the nicest, signals of the group.  The base is a fine reproduction of a typical street lamppost, cast in metal and giving the signals some weight.  The four way head resembles a known, but unidentified early 1900's signal.  The round yellow cap, however, does not distinctly resemble any known signal. 

The detailed light action of these units is quite disappointing. The lights are LED bulbs, which is nice, however there is only a red and green, despite the obvious appearance of these signals having all three color positions. They are also only lit on One side, despite having four faces.  The other 10 positions are filled with colored paper.  The unit runs off of two C sized batteries, and wig-wags the opposing signals between red/green and green/red.

Photographic Records: 
 

Miniature "Traffic Signal" Battery Operated
MFR:  M. S. R. Imports, Inc. of Taiwan
Model:  4083 

Description: 
Resembling a traffic island 4-way signal of the early 1900's, here is the anonymous Asian interpretation of a Darley traffic signal.  For the price, the features are about as deep as you expect, but not comparable to other holiday light sets. A bulb (not LED) for each section of color randomly flashes on and off, independent of any other color that may be on. The lenses are glued in place, with fogging/glueprints on several lenses.   It runs on two AA batteries, and is somewhat out-of scale.  The base has molded holes and features that make us believe there are other models of this light also available.  

Photographic Records: 
 

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This page was last modified on 11 February 2007.