Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	Note 1 – Basis of Presentation As used in this report, “Trans-Lux,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Trans-Lux Corporation and its subsidiaries. Financial information included herein is unaudited, however, such information reflects all adjustments (of a normal and recurring nature), which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the interim periods. The results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and therefore do not include all information and footnote disclosures required under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included herein should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2017 is derived from the December 31, 2017 audited financial statements. The following new accounting pronouncements were adopted in 2018: In March 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-07, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715). ASU 2017-07 improves the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2017-07 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years (i.e., January 1, 2018), early application is permitted. The adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. See Note 8 – Pension Plan for further details on the effect of the change. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. ASU 2016-18 requires Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents to be included within beginning and ending total cash amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Disclosure of the nature of the restrictions on cash balances is required under the guidance. This standard is effective for annual and interim reporting periods for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017. We adopted the guidance in 2018 and retrospectively adopted the guidance back to January 1, 2017. Upon adoption, changes in Restricted cash, which had previously been presented as investing activities, are now included within beginning and ending cash and equivalents balances in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Additionally, in August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which provided guidance on certain cash flow issues. ASU 2016-15 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (i.e., January 1, 2018). We adopted the guidance retrospectively effective as of January 1, 2018, which did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This standard represents a change in accounting principle that will more closely align revenue recognition with the delivery of the Company's services and will provide financial statement readers with enhanced disclosures. The Company applied this standard effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The Company has elected to apply this initial application of the standard only to contracts that are not completed at the date of initial application. For contracts which were modified before the adoption date, the Company has not restated the contract for those modifications. Instead, the Company reflected the aggregate effect of all modifications when identifying the satisfied and unsatisfied performance obligations, determining the transaction price and allocating the transaction price, if necessary. The cumulative effect of initially applying the new revenue standard would be applied as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. Except for the required financial statement disclosures included in Note 3 – Revenue Recognition, there was no impact to the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Other that the foregoing changes, there have been no material changes in our significant accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2018 from the significant accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. The following new accounting pronouncements, and related impacts on adoption, are being evaluated by the Company: In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220). ASU 2018-02 provides companies with an option to reclassify stranded tax effects within accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) to retained earnings in each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJ Act”) (or portion thereof) is recorded. ASU 2018-02 also requires disclosure of a description of the accounting policy for releasing income tax effects from AOCI and whether an election was made to reclassify the stranded income tax effects from the TCJ Act. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2018-02 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years (i.e., January 1, 2019), early application is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating this pronouncement but has not yet determined the effect of the adoption of this standard on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). ASU 2017-04 simplifies the test for goodwill impairment. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2017-04 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years (i.e., January 1, 2020), early application is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 requires that a lessee recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from operating leases. A lessee should recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. In transition, lessees and lessors are required to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2016-02 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years (i.e., January 1, 2019), early application is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating this pronouncement but has not yet determined the effect of the adoption of this standard on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Note 1 – Basis of Presentation

As used in this report, “Trans-Lux,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Trans-Lux Corporation and its subsidiaries.

Financial information included herein is unaudited, however, such information reflects all adjustments (of a normal and recurring nature), which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the interim periods. The results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and therefore do not include all information and footnote disclosures required under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included herein should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2017 is derived from the December 31, 2017 audited financial statements.

The following new accounting pronouncements were adopted in 2018:

In March 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2017-07, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715). ASU 2017-07 improves the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2017-07 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years (i.e., January 1, 2018), early application is permitted. The adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. See Note 8 – Pension Plan for further details on the effect of the change.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. ASU 2016-18 requires Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents to be included within beginning and ending total cash amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Disclosure of the nature of the restrictions on cash balances is required under the guidance. This standard is effective for annual and interim reporting periods for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017. We adopted the guidance in 2018 and retrospectively adopted the guidance back to January 1, 2017. Upon adoption, changes in Restricted cash, which had previously been presented as investing activities, are now included within beginning and ending cash and equivalents balances in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Additionally, in August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which provided guidance on certain cash flow issues. ASU 2016-15 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 (i.e., January 1, 2018). We adopted the guidance retrospectively effective as of January 1, 2018, which did not have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This standard represents a change in accounting principle that will more closely align revenue recognition with the delivery of the Company's services and will provide financial statement readers with enhanced disclosures. The Company applied this standard effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The Company has elected to apply this initial application of the standard only to contracts that are not completed at the date of initial application. For contracts which were modified before the adoption date, the Company has not restated the contract for those modifications. Instead, the Company reflected the aggregate effect of all modifications when identifying the satisfied and unsatisfied performance obligations, determining the transaction price and allocating the transaction price, if necessary. The cumulative effect of initially applying the new revenue standard would be applied as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. Except for the required financial statement disclosures included in Note 3 – Revenue Recognition, there was no impact to the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

Other that the foregoing changes, there have been no material changes in our significant accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2018 from the significant accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

The following new accounting pronouncements, and related impacts on adoption, are being evaluated by the Company:

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220). ASU 2018-02 provides companies with an option to reclassify stranded tax effects within accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) to retained earnings in each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJ Act”) (or portion thereof) is recorded. ASU 2018-02 also requires disclosure of a description of the accounting policy for releasing income tax effects from AOCI and whether an election was made to reclassify the stranded income tax effects from the TCJ Act. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2018-02 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years (i.e., January 1, 2019), early application is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating this pronouncement but has not yet determined the effect of the adoption of this standard on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). ASU 2017-04 simplifies the test for goodwill impairment. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2017-04 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years (i.e., January 1, 2020), early application is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 requires that a lessee recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from operating leases. A lessee should recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. In transition, lessees and lessors are required to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2016-02 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years (i.e., January 1, 2019), early application is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating this pronouncement but has not yet determined the effect of the adoption of this standard on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.