Introduced in 1932, this was the first traffic light system controlled by the traffic itself. This was one of only two surviving Electro-matic boxes I've come across in Glasgow, with the other one being of a different (and possibly later) design.

Boxes like this might not be as eye-catching as some of the other things I post, but they are none-the-less a part of the city's heritage.

#glasgow #streetfurniture #trafficcontrol #lucybox #laurieston

I was disappointed to see that the Electro-matic Traffic Control System box that used to stand on the corner of Oxford Street and South Portland Street in the Laurieston area of Glasgow has been removed (top left: photo 2024 from Google Maps; bottom left: today; right: details of the box from 2023).

Cont./

#glasgow #streetfurniture #trafficcontrol #lucybox #laurieston

A cast-iron post-box shaped Glasgow Corporation Electricity Department junction box on Kirklee Terrace Lane in the West End of Glasgow. Known as a Lucy Box (after the Oxford foundry where most of them were made), they are usually cuboid in shape, but every now and then you comes across one of these cylindrical ones.

#glasgow #lucybox #streetfurniture #junctionbox

The GCT on the cartouche at the bottom of this metal box at the top end of Byres Road indicates it's one of the few remaining parts of Glasgow's once extensive tram network. It would have provided an electrical connection to the overhead wires that powered them. The smaller box on top contained a telephone to allow the driver or the conductor to check in with the tram depot.

#glasgow #glasgowhistory #byresroad #streetfurniture #lucybox #trams

This Glasgow Corporation Electricity Department Lucy box on Dykebar Avenue in Knightswood is the only one I've come across with a street lamp base fitted to its top. The weird thing is that the lamp would most likely have been operated by the Corporation's Lighting Department, which usually had their own similarly branded Lucy boxes.

#glasgow #streetfurniture #glasgowcorporation #lucybox #knightswood

An Electro-matic traffic signal control box on Shakespeare Street in the Maryhill area of Glasgow. Introduced in the 1930s, this system used pressure pads set into the road to detect approaching traffic and automatically change the lights accordingly. It was produced by the Automatic Telephone and Electric (ATE) Company of Liverpool, which disappeared when it merged with Plessey in 1961.

#glasgow #electromatic #streetfurniture #lucybox #maryhill #automatictelephoneandelectriccompany