Aging road signs

[adt1982]

This is at the intersection of East Columbian Blvd (frontage road for 4-lane US 66) and Sargent St. in Litchfield, IL.

[Big John]

This is at the intersection of East Columbian Blvd (frontage road for 4-lane US 66) and Sargent St. in Litchfield, IL.

A red street blade behind it?

[Brian556]

A red street blade behind it?

Farmers Branch, TX uses red blades.

[Scott5114]

As does Goldsby, OK, Del City, OK, and Norman, OK used to back in the 90s. There wasn't a prohibition against it until 2009.

[akotchi]

There are also some in downtown Trenton, NJ, though they are closer to a maroon color.

[Mark68]

Cherry Hills Village, CO also uses red.

[Scott5114]

Okay, that's probably enough examples.

[Central Avenue]

Dunno if I'd call this a "road sign" in the strictest sense, but it's certainly aging:

[Brian556]

There wasn't a prohibition against it until 2009.

Didn't know that. The one above is very new, so apperantly Farmers Branch is still using red, for now.

Interestingly. Lewisville, which, for several years. has used maroon signs in it downtown area, has started intalling brown signs in downtown. Maybe this is the reason.

[thenetwork]

This probably isn't as old as it looks, since Ohio was one of the last states to use button copy, but it seems to be the one remaining button copy sign in a long stretch of ClearviewHwy:

It looks a lot older because it looks like as "recycled" sign.  Best way to describe it it that ODOT took older BGS's and bolted thin sheets of colored aluminum panels over them, then adding the proper lettering.  This was often a cheap cost-cutting move -- just like on other occasions when instead of replacing an aging BGS, they just replaced the numbered shield on the sign and left everything else alone.

A lot of the times, ODOT left the old text on the sign before it was covered.  I had seen instances where a panel or two came off, and you saw what was underneath.
 
BTW, I count at least 5 panels used on that sign.

[agentsteel53]

It looks a lot older because it looks like as "recycled" sign.  Best way to describe it it that ODOT took older BGS's and bolted thin sheets of colored aluminum panels over them, then adding the proper lettering.  This was often a cheap cost-cutting move -- just like on other occasions when instead of replacing an aging BGS, they just replaced the numbered shield on the sign and left everything else alone.

California does this too - except they tend to use a single sheet of aluminum, sized correctly, with a retroreflective legend.  the reason is: the old sign serves as a great backing, even though its visibility is below standard.  I can think of plenty of examples of signs which have 1960s date codes on the back, and are retroreflective on the front.

needless to say, the California utilization looks a lot less sloppy than Ohio.

[PurdueBill]

This probably isn't as old as it looks, since Ohio was one of the last states to use button copy, but it seems to be the one remaining button copy sign in a long stretch of ClearviewHwy:

It looks a lot older because it looks like as "recycled" sign.  Best way to describe it it that ODOT took older BGS's and bolted thin sheets of colored aluminum panels over them, then adding the proper lettering.  This was often a cheap cost-cutting move -- just like on other occasions when instead of replacing an aging BGS, they just replaced the numbered shield on the sign and left everything else alone.

A lot of the times, ODOT left the old text on the sign before it was covered.  I had seen instances where a panel or two came off, and you saw what was underneath.
 
BTW, I count at least 5 panels used on that sign.

I need to look through my pics and see if I can find any examples of such ODOT work from I-70 between Indiana and Columbus; there were several examples of that overlay type where the overlay didn't quite cover the full width and one could see a faint outline of the original layer's border, and one overhead on 70 WB lost a quarter of its overlay for a couple years and you could see ghost images of the old letters underneath.  Unfortunately that one was replaced with a Clearview one eventually. 

[apeman33]

Okay, that's probably enough examples.

Some red ones are still up in the ghost town of Picher, Okla. I thought I had put some pics up on Facebook but I can't find them.

[Scott5114]

Yeah, most of Goldsby's are still up (since they were still good until 2009), and you can find a few in Norman still if you keep your eyes peeled.

Red street blades probably won't be remarkable for another 10 or 20 years!

[adt1982]

Litchfield has put up some new red blades in the past few years.  Before they used red they used green.

[roadman65]

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Washington+Heights,+New+York,+NY&hl=en&ll=40.84943,-73.939351&spn=0.001984,0.005284&sll=27.698638,-83.804601&sspn=9.892242,21.643066&oq=washington+h&t=h&hnear=Washington+Heights,+New+York&z=18&layer=c&cbll=40.849457,-73.939477&panoid=tlr-NdD1cOPyxpEDqt79BA&cbp=12,274.33,,0,0

The shield in the assembly not only is faded, but it on a blue sign.  I am guessing this was a US 9 shield as this is at the 179th Street entrance to the George Washington Bridge in NYC, where US 9 SB enters the I-95/ US 1 Freeway.

[hbelkins]

Some oldies from in and around Sullivan County, NY:

[Billy F 1988]

This STOP/SLOW flagman sign was found a few years back. I estimate finding this back somewhere in 2007 in a pile of scrap at Pacific Steel in Missoula while I was with my dad dropping off scrap iron. It's an 18" x 18" sign that has mounting holes for the handle. When I found it, the handle was already dismounted. Obviously, somebody decided to scrap the sign. Don't know why that was, but, it's still has some use. So, it went home with me, and my dad mounted a 24" handle to the sign.


The STOP side.


SLOW.

[Billy F 1988]

This sign has seen its days of duty in the Rattlesnake region of Missoula.


This US 12 sign has soldiered on since circa 1975. I think the shield is '61 spec with Series C digits, though I am not sure.


This is pretty old gantry hanging over East Broadway just after you cross Van Buren Street. I personally like this style.


Remember that fuzzy snapshot of this assembly? This is a much better and clearer snapshot of this same one. If you look closely, you can see rivets attaching each legend and symbol to the sign, so you could call this somewhat a button copy.


This has sat here in Missoula since circa 1983, but I can't say for sure.

[formulanone]

Some oldies and worn-out tunes...

[NE2]

Shit yeah. I forgot there was still a set standing.

[PHLBOS]

Along the NJTP, there's still one or two remaining original (1971-era) BGS for Exit 7A (I-195) complete w/faded button-copy shields.  One might want to get a photo of those before they're completely replaced.

[kphoger]

Wouldn't doing so involve carjacking anyway?

[Billy F 1988]

The likelyhood of carjacking in Missoula is pretty low, but that doesn't mean that carjacking isn't present in Missoula. Someone's car could still potentially end up carjacked. It just depends on where you park. You park downtown and leave your stuff out in the open, then yeah, it's possible.

But that's not entirely the premise of this sign being out here in the Rattlesnake area of Missoula. This sign basically means "there is a city-managed park in front of your house with trails and a creek, no motoring traffic is allowed on these trails at all times." I can understand your point on the carjacking, but, like I said, the likelyhood is pretty low unless you leave your expensive stuff in plain sight like the front seat or on the dashboard.

[agentsteel53]

that first US-12 looks even to have started out as a '48 spec pattern.  check to see if it has the black border painted in later.