Question

1

Doug Simpson

Edinburgh

Thank you to Doug Simpson who wrote:

Enamel Signs

"I'm an Edinburgh based photographer working on a project involving these small (150 mm x 200 mm) enamelled signs.

Here are four of them.  They are attached to the walls and railings of of buildings around central Edinburgh and Leith."

Bernard Street

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New Street

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Parliament Street

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Meuse Lane

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What is known about these signs?

"Other than the fact that the large red "G" suggests that they may have had something to do with identifying gas mains, I have absolutely no idea what they originally were.

Any information that you could come up with which might help shed light on the history or the original function of these signs would be greatly appreciated."

Doug Simpson, Edinburgh: August 5, 2014

Water Hydrant Signs

I don't know the answer to Doug's question above, but the signs that Doug has photographed remind me of the small yellow enamel signs (or for some more recent ones, plastic signs) with a large black 'H' and two small black numbers within the letter 'H'.

These are water hydrant signs, giving information required by the Fire Brigade. 

On the older signs:

-  the upper number gives the diameter of the water main in inches.

-  the lower number gives the distance from the sign to the hydrant in feet

On more recent signs

-  the upper number gives the diameter of the water main in mm

-  the lower number gives the distance from sign to hydrant in meters.

Looking around Edinburgh today, I see that most of the water hydrant signs are now attached to metal posts, rather than to fences and walls.

Question

Do you know anything about the signs with the red 'G' that Doug has photographed above?   If so, please email me to tell me, then I'll pass on Doug Simpson's email address so that you can contact him.

Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  August 5, 2014

Question

1

Reply

1.

Rodney Marshall

Luton, Bedfordshire, England

Thank you to Rodney Marshall for replying to Question 1 above.

Rodney wrote:

Gas and Other Service Plates

"I would guess that these are pre-nationalisation (1948?) marker plates, just giving the distance in feet to the pipe.

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No doubt, every gas company would originally have had their own design, just as there would have been many different water company plates.  You still see these around the country today, including those for fire hydrants.

Locally, I have found small oval cast iron plates, simply stating 'GAS', mounted on wooden posts.

-  You tend not to see service plates for electricity.

-  Early gas service plates are certainly very unusual.

-  Water service plates are still prolific.

Trunk Route Cable Markers

"The GPO trunk route cable markers were all defaced by ripping out the number tablets in 1940, as part of the anti-invasion precaution, but many of the posts with royal cyphers still remain.

I have one of these cable markers and a set of tablets for it, given to me by a retired GPO engineer."

Trunk Route Cable Markers

"I'm sorry that I have no definitive answer.  It would be a nice idea if you could motivate folk in your area to photograph all old service plates.  There is a huge variety.

Rodney Marshall, Luton, Bedfordshire, England:  August 7, 2014

Any Photos?

If you are motivated by Rodney Marshall's final paragraph above to take a few photos of service plates in Edinburgh, and send them to me, that would be good.  I would try to find the time to add some photos to the EdinPhoto web site.

It might be interesting to also look further afield than Edinburgh, but so far as the EdinPhoto web site is concerned, I would need to restrict any photos displayed to those taken in Edinburgh.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  August 7, 2014

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