Two Queries Re 60s Traffic

[lindylou53 18]

I am a child of the 50s and have vague recollections of 2 things that I am convinced were around in the 60s but can't find anyone who agrees! Firstly, I am convinced that when traffic lights changed from green/red to amber, they did so simultaneously - unlike now where there is a short gap to let 'amber gamblers' rush through?! Secondly, I seem to recall there was a time when petrol pumps could only sell fuel at whole pennies, not including decimal points like nowadays?

Can anyone help?!

[fools 447]

Are you a viewer of talkingpicturestv, they do lots of nostalgia stuff.

[*_ash_* 88]

6 hours ago, lindylou53 said:

I am a child of the 50s and have vague recollections of 2 things that I am convinced were around in the 60s but can't find anyone who agrees! Firstly, I am convinced that when traffic lights changed from green/red to amber, they did so simultaneously - unlike now where there is a short gap to let 'amber gamblers' rush through?! Secondly, I seem to recall there was a time when petrol pumps could only sell fuel at whole pennies, not including decimal points like nowadays?

Can anyone help?!

Although not entirely related, I remember driving in USA, and in the opposite cycle (red to green) the was no amber. That caught me off guard a few times. Usually amber is get into gear and ready to move.  

I like though in a lot of places they have countdowns on lights.

[Tipstaff 159]

The sequence of traffic lights was / is as follows:

 

Red,  red and amber,  green.  Green,  amber,  red.  Hope this helps. 

 

I was 11 years old when decimalisation came in and too young to be buying fuel, so I can't assist you further, sorry!

6 hours ago, fools said:

Are you a viewer of talkingpicturestv, they do lots of nostalgia stuff.

I love this! 

[Tipstaff 159]

Incidentally, does anyone remember school crossing patrols and police wearing white coats and gloves to stop / regulate traffic? 

[BigPP 91]

IIRC when I went with my dad to fill up in the early 60's petrol was around 4/6(22.5p) a gallon or 5/0(25p) for the 'Super'

 

That equates to around 5p per litre!

 

 I remember an episode of Heartbeat where the garage owner was talking about the price of petrol and said it would never be more than 5/0 a gallon! 😀

[sovrappeso 4]

My Grandad used to wear one of those white coats when he was a lollipop man in the 1950s. I remember a policeman wearing a white coat & gloves at the junction where the Hole in the Road was eventually built.

In the 1950s petrol was dispensed by an attendant in gallons rather than  in £sd terms.

[RJRB 688]

Policemen on point duty near the Town Hall,and hand signals rather than indicators.

The “slowing down” one would still have its uses,but it was a bit of a kerfuffle as you changed gears😁

[beezerboy 12]

On 25/03/2022 at 13:42, lindylou53 said:

I am a child of the 50s and have vague recollections of 2 things that I am convinced were around in the 60s but can't find anyone who agrees! Firstly, I am convinced that when traffic lights changed from green/red to amber, they did so simultaneously - unlike now where there is a short gap to let 'amber gamblers' rush through?! Secondly, I seem to recall there was a time when petrol pumps could only sell fuel at whole pennies, not including decimal points like nowadays?

Can anyone help?!

Sequence was red, red & amber, green, amber, red. Here in Canada it's red, you're out of here.

[Lemmy117 15]

Yes you are right, the sequences changed at the same time so there was no "all red" period. At first they were controlled by a motor driving the contacts at a fixed time, then later on some form of traffic detection was used to influence the timing. Remember the "rollers" in the road just before the signals? Then came detector loops, squares cut into the tarmac with an induction loop. Now I think it is all done with microwave detectors.

In the 70's computer control began to be employed, Ferranti and GEC spring to mind and it has progressed so that each junction can be tailored. At first each junction was a separate entity, but eventually the important ones became linked, and now the whole network.

Still doesn't explain why you get stopped at every bl***y set! Although I remember a traffic engineer saying the only way you could control traffic was when it was stood still! 

 

Nigel L

 

[sadbrewer 20]

We kept the Shell  Installation Filling Station in Ecclesfield in the mid 1960's, it was at the side of Eric Stead's car dealership, it's all one site now but it was separate in those days. The pumps didn't havè money digits on them, just a clock face design with only gallons and incrementals ( although I can't remember how it was sub divided )...no self service of course and the pump attendant worked out the price for the amount you drew. We often had a crib sheet with the amounts on in a pocket. We moved to a station in Barnsley which had the same pumps, they were swapped out in the early 70's for mechanical reels rather like the old one armed bandit reels..but still only fuel quantity shown. We packed up in the late 70's and I don't remember our pumps ever showing the monetary value. The half penny price would be displayed on the pricing cabinets attached to the station main sign. It was quite ridiculous but if you were a ha'penny a gallon cheaper people would come from all over, if you were ha'penny dearer you'd only get your staunch regulars.

Edited March 27, 2022 by sadbrewer

[DavidFrance 19]

On 26/03/2022 at 03:17, Tipstaff said:

Incidentally, does anyone remember school crossing patrols and police wearing white coats and gloves to stop / regulate traffic? 

Does anyone remember? Gosh, it wasn't that long ago ! I did a fair bit myself in the early 60s, doing point duty under the Wicker Arches; Blonk St;Exchange St/Broad St/Waingate; High St/Angel St; High St/Fargate/ Moorhead crossings . Great exercise but when you sneezed black snot came out!!! LoL