Art Deco Type DT  

MFR:  Crouse-Hinds
Make:  Type DT 
Years Made:  1940-1952
Estimated Year:  1949 

Lense Size:  8"
Orig City:  Cincinnatti, OH
Orig Color:  Green Body, Yellow Door/Visors
Orig Configuration:  8-8-8 Horizontally Hung 
Last Known Visors:  Red Tunnel, Cutaway Yellow/Green
Last Lenses: GE, Marbelite
Orig Lenses: Small-Bead Smiley's
Orig Reflectors: Glass

Current Color:  Hunter Green (Rust Oleum) Body, Meijer's Yellow Doors/Visors
Current Configuration:  8-8-8 Vertical
Current Visors:  Red/Green Cutaway, Yellow Tunnel, all J-Slot
Current Lenses: Small-Bead Smiley's
Current Reflectors: Same

Notes, Commentary, Restoration: 
Last hung as part of cluster it still had the angle pipe and bottom X-member attached (though sharp as a scythe and nearly impaling me a couple times in the process). Initial looks provided quite the heartbreak. Formerly a horizontal mount light only one older twist-on visor was installed while two of the newer CH cutaways were quite forcibly fitted into place. Those mounting tabs are normally flat to the surface of the modern lights. Within it's half green, half yellow body hung a variety of lenses. A post-smiley era Crouse blue lens took the bottom slot with no lense gasket and barely a door seal left. A red Marbelite lens was found in the top section still in the orientation for the light to be rehung horizontal and the door gasket fully installed. Most unique, though, was finding a GE lens mounted in the amber slot though the door was quite weather-beaten, and a junior electrician tried to re-gasket the lens with a nearby spool of electrical tape. One can only wonder the lens pattern this masking job gave off. Rather fitting, it came with all three GE bulbs intact and ready to light, which given 50 year old wiring I dare not do in the shop. Old meets new. Cloth-harnessed internals mated to the latest weather-spec power wiring. 

As I did purchase this light to restore as my one-big-signal, having desired it since I began collecting I started what I fear would be a long rusty job of broken screws and damaged parts. Much to my surprise this would not be. Stripping first the reflectors I shook the dust out and removed the frames. Getting into the signal, the much more delicate and expensive Glass reflectors were found installed and not the cheap dogbowl quality aluminum reflectors. Note also the extra-thickness used in the cork around the lamp-ring on glass reflectors, compared to aluminum in which the ring would be nary an eighth of an inch. Next out came the latch plates, with nary a resistance from the screwdriver. These screws certainly didn't feel like the set-in stubbornness of fasteners that have been through fifty odd winters. Visors, Doors Latches all came out easily, with only two screws breaking on one Visor. Even the cloth wiring looks good enough to go though disintegrated to the touch leaving behind the plastic jacket over the wires. 

This signal went through a 14 month restoration. All parts were stripped down to the black basecoat, and recoated with primer then no less than three coats of color. The interior was redone in Gloss Black to match the original condition. Cloth harness was rebuilt using modern lacquered cloth wire, not the cheaper push-back style of wire. J-Slot visors were obtained to replace the two cutaway modern visors that had been made-to-fit with questionable results. Yellow and Green Smiley lenses from stock were installed and while a red Smiley lens was being searched out, at an affordable price, a 30° Railroad "spreadlite" lens was put in the red aspect, giving a similar appearance to the rare bar lenses also used in these signals. Photos are included of the signal restored both ways.

Photographic Records: 
Before
     
     
     
 

After
     
   

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This page was last modified on 08 September 2006.