Greetings!
I just got the July issue of Colorado Central and did a quick scan. The photo in your “From the Editor” article caught my eye. Crouse-Hinds (now Cooper Crouse-Hinds) is from Syracuse, NY. For a history of Crouse-Hinds, with lots of old photos, see: www.crouse-hindstrafficsignals.com/history.html
Syracuse currently has the Crouse-Hinds Theater (the largest stage in upstate NY), Crouse-Hinds Hall of Syracuse University, Crouse Hospital, Crouse Avenue, and more. Crouse-Hinds made the first 4-way traffic signal, developed a unique design for the lenses of traffic signals, and introduced many other innovations.
My best guess is that your box is an electromechanical controller, a box that controls a traffic signal. With the development of solid state technology, such devices have not been manufactured since the 1960’s.
Cheers!
Peter A. Ensminger
Syracuse, NY
Editor’s note: According to a representative of Cooper Crouse-Hinds, the boxes were master controllers used at intersections to keep traffic lights in sync. Their use was discontinued sometime in the 1960s.
According to the Salida Public Works department, the boxes are now being used by Qwest Communications who – big surprise – could not be reached for comment.
