The Magnetic Signal Company was an American company based in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

focused on

railway signalling Railway signalling (), also called railroad signaling (), is a system used to control the movement of railway traffic. Trains move on fixed rails, making them uniquely susceptible to collision. This susceptibility is exacerbated by the enormou ...

. The company was the manufacturer of the ubiquitous "Magnetic Flagman" wigwag railroad crossing (or

level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, Trail, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an Overpass#Railway, overpass ...

) signal seen all over California and the western states.

History

The company was established sometime after 1910, and received its first patent, on May 19, 1914. Its general offices and factory were located at 3355 East

Slauson Avenue Slauson Avenue is a major east–west thoroughfare traversing the central part of Los Angeles County, California. It was named for the land developer and Los Angeles Board of Education member J. S. Slauson. It passes through Culver City, Lad ...

in Vernon, an industrial area just south of downtown Los Angeles. This was an ideal location for a company that would eventually supply over 7,000 wig-wag signals to the country and the world, as it had great rail access for not only shipping its products out, but for bringing in the

raw materials A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials that are feedstock for future finished products. As feedst ...

needed to manufacture its products. The

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

's old Los Angeles and Salt Lake line to the harbor ran just east of that location, and the main lines of the

Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

and Santa Fe ran by just north of there as well. This probably had a great deal to do with those three railroads being some of Magnetic Signal's biggest customers. In its heyday, Magnetic Signal not only manufactured wigwag signals, but also the alternating-flasher type railroad signals, reflectorized "Railroad Crossing" signs, button reflectors for highway signs, traffic island beacons, curb beacons, flasher relays, automobile and bicycle reflectors, and even a "Portafount" portable drinking fountain. The company had sales offices located in New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Although it is known that the Signal Department of the

Pacific Electric Railway The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electric railway system ...

developed the first wigwags in 1909, under the direction of Albert Hunt, it is not known at exactly what point the Magnetic Signal Company became a separate entity. What is known is that it soon became a subsidiary of the American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company of Los Angeles, which also owned National Bearing Metals CorporationNational Bearings Company: History
/ref> and the Canadian Ramapo Iron Works. It remained a subsidiary of American Brake Shoe until it was purchased by the

Griswold Signal Company The Griswold Signal Company was an American company focused on railway signalling, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded by Minnesota native Franklin Wolcott Griswold,Griswold Signal Company The Griswold Signal Company was an American company focused on railway signalling, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded by Minnesota native Franklin Wolcott Griswold,Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

shortly after

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Production of new signals continued until 1949, and replacement parts until 1960.

Bibliography

* ''The Life and Times of the Pacific Electric: The World's Greatest Interurban'', by Jim Walker, published by the

Orange Empire Railway Museum The Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM, reporting mark OERX), formerly known as the Orange Empire Railway Museum, is a railroad museum in Perris, California, United States. It was founded in 1956 at Griffith Park in Los Angeles before moving ...

of Perris, California (1983)

References

External links

1922 Magnetic Signal Co. Catalog

on Trainweb.org {{Railway signalling Railway signalling manufacturers Defunct manufacturing companies based in Greater Los Angeles