US 140 existed until about 1980, so it's possible someone here has a personal recollection. Did it end at its junction with US 15 (later Business 15)? Or did it overlap with US 15 north for a half-mile, ending at US 30, right at the town square? (I haven't found any historic map detailed enough to include shields on that half-mile segment of Baltimore Street, nor have I seen any photos that show route signage in the Square.)
This picture strongly suggests it did not end at US 30. This was the view at the circle in downtown. For some reason there is no US 30 shield to continue straight..
www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=PA19600151
Here is a 1948 picture of the US 15-140 split that does not answer the question but does show a US 140 shield...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Q22Vkl29kU/UqYMBeTo6GI/AAAAAAAACZA/5_2QJYzI9z0/s1600/Battlefield+Hotel+1948.jpg
Edited to change imbedded photo to a link to the photo
Quote from: Mapmikey on October 09, 2016, 08:06:14 PM
This picture strongly suggests it did not end at US 30. This was the view at the circle in downtown. For some reason there is no US 30 shield to continue straight..
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=PA19600151)
Here is a 1948 picture of the US 15-140 split that does not answer the question but does show a US 140 shield...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Q22Vkl29kU/UqYMBeTo6GI/AAAAAAAACZA/5_2QJYzI9z0/s1600/Battlefield+Hotel+1948.jpg
Those U.S. and state highway shields were tiny back then.
And notice in the first linked photo that a pharmacy (see the S&H Green Stamps sign?) took up space underneath Lincoln's bedroom. That whole building is now part of Gettysburg NMP. I've been inside once or twice.
ixnay
Yeah, most sites state that it ended at US 15 (now Business). I haven't been able to find anything except scant information, so PA Highways (and Wikipedia, but I'm skeptical of that site) was my best friend here.
Quote from: ixnay on October 10, 2016, 07:23:25 AM
Quote from: Mapmikey on October 09, 2016, 08:06:14 PM
This picture strongly suggests it did not end at US 30. This was the view at the circle in downtown. For some reason there is no US 30 shield to continue straight..
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=PA19600151)
Here is a 1948 picture of the US 15-140 split that does not answer the question but does show a US 140 shield...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Q22Vkl29kU/UqYMBeTo6GI/AAAAAAAACZA/5_2QJYzI9z0/s1600/Battlefield+Hotel+1948.jpg
Those U.S. and state highway shields were tiny back then.
ixnay
The speed limit was probably pretty low and the traffic was much lighter then. Folks didn't do as much intercity travel back then.
To add to this as I just noticed this post now, but when I was there with my family as a kid back when US 140 was a registered route in the system, I do remember seeing then that US 140 went to US 15 Business and did not recall seeing signs to the town square.
That is why I find it odd that its replacement in PA only ends at US 15 mainline. That PennDOT left a gap in between two PA state highways.
Yeah, I would imagine it actually went into downtown Gettysburg. It definitely predated the U.S. 15 bypass.
Quote from: roadman65 on December 03, 2016, 10:03:36 AM
To add to this as I just noticed this post now, but when I was there with my family as a kid back when US 140 was a registered route in the system, I do remember seeing then that US 140 went to US 15 Business and did not recall seeing signs to the town square.
That is why I find it odd that its replacement in PA only ends at US 15 mainline. That PennDOT left a gap in between two PA state highways.
Linked from PA 97 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Route_97_(Adams_County)) wikipedia article. Back when the change from US 140 to PA 97 was made, this seemed to be an actual issue (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5102934/pa_97_issues_july_31_1979/).
Quote from: 74/171FAN on December 07, 2016, 07:16:35 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on December 03, 2016, 10:03:36 AM
To add to this as I just noticed this post now, but when I was there with my family as a kid back when US 140 was a registered route in the system, I do remember seeing then that US 140 went to US 15 Business and did not recall seeing signs to the town square.
That is why I find it odd that its replacement in PA only ends at US 15 mainline. That PennDOT left a gap in between two PA state highways.
Linked from PA 97 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Route_97_(Adams_County)) wikipedia article. Back when the change from US 140 to PA 97 was made, this seemed to be an actual issue (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5102934/pa_97_issues_july_31_1979/).
Why does PA 34 become PA 134 south of town? Why does 134 turn into nothing at the MD border? The answers are all related - PennDOT makes no sense.
Thanks for all the info; much of this research has been incorporated into the revised US 140 page (http://www.usends.com/140.html).
Quote from: Alps on December 07, 2016, 07:21:39 PM
Why does PA 34 become PA 134 south of town? Why does 134 turn into nothing at the MD border? The answers are all related - PennDOT makes no sense.
PA 134 was part of PA 34 until ~1928, so that is a bit of a puzzler.
to be fair, Maryland has also had some state routes end at the PA line that do/did not become primary routes in its surrounding states eiher...
Quote from: Mapmikey on December 09, 2016, 04:32:27 PM
Quote from: Alps on December 07, 2016, 07:21:39 PM
Why does PA 34 become PA 134 south of town? Why does 134 turn into nothing at the MD border? The answers are all related - PennDOT makes no sense.
PA 134 was part of PA 34 until ~1928, so that is a bit of a puzzler.
to be fair, Maryland has also had some state routes end at the PA line that do/did not become primary routes in its surrounding states eiher...
Well since both end at US 15 BUS, I guess Gettysburg may not have wanted PA 34 signs in town either. (though oddly enough linked from PA 34 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Route_34)'s Wikipedia page, PA 34 for a few years (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2990234/pa_669_147_created_april_1_1963/) followed US 15 BUS (http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/MAPS/Type_10_GHS_Historical_Scans/Adams_1966.pdf) to US 15 south of the borough) However, PA 272 does not seem to be posted at all with US 222 in Lancaster so there would be precedent for PA 34 to have a secret duplex with US 15 BUS and then continue on PA 134 south of the borough.
Basically, the routings of many PA routes do not make much sense to me either.
Dale Sanderson covers the historic ends of US routes, and has good photo coverage of the end of US 140. He shows some old state name cutouts at Lincoln Square, however his research comes up with it not officially coming to US 30.
He does show shield clutter to the max, but with TO US 140. That may explain the doubleheaded arrow shields at the square they converted to later on to use one per route, even with it showing left and right despite the left turn not being allowed due to the one way pattern around the square. Yes, common sense will tell you to go around it and it is using its literal meaning, but after the drivers I meet on the toll roads while collecting and from my days working near I Drive in Orlando, anything is possible.
Anyway, Dale is usually pretty good about historic and present day route ends of the US highway network.
Do you realize Dale posted this thread?
Quote from: 74/171FAN on December 09, 2016, 11:14:03 PM
Quote from: Mapmikey on December 09, 2016, 04:32:27 PM
Quote from: Alps on December 07, 2016, 07:21:39 PM
Why does PA 34 become PA 134 south of town? Why does 134 turn into nothing at the MD border? The answers are all related - PennDOT makes no sense.
PA 134 was part of PA 34 until ~1928, so that is a bit of a puzzler.
to be fair, Maryland has also had some state routes end at the PA line that do/did not become primary routes in its surrounding states eiher...
Well since both end at US 15 BUS, I guess Gettysburg may not have wanted PA 34 signs in town either. (though oddly enough linked from PA 34 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Route_34)'s Wikipedia page, PA 34 for a few years (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2990234/pa_669_147_created_april_1_1963/) followed US 15 BUS (http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/MAPS/Type_10_GHS_Historical_Scans/Adams_1966.pdf) to US 15 south of the borough) However, PA 272 does not seem to be posted at all with US 222 in Lancaster so there would be precedent for PA 34 to have a secret duplex with US 15 BUS and then continue on PA 134 south of the borough.
Basically, the routings of many PA routes do not make much sense to me either.
Sounds like fodder for its own thread (unless it's been brought up on the general PA thread).
ixnay