AARoads Forum

Regional Boards => Great Lakes and Ohio Valley => Topic started by: Brandon on February 12, 2011, 03:51:10 PM

Title: Outline signs in Indiana?
Post by: Brandon on February 12, 2011, 03:51:10 PM
Found an interesting picture while snooping around on the internet.  It is a 1967 view of the Borman Expy that has what appears to be an outline sign for US-41 & US-6 Calumet Ave.  No exit number on this sign, but it is now Exit 1 for US-41 north.

http://library.calumet.purdue.edu/archhtmlfin/SC_Photos/scp_228.htm
Title: Re: Outline signs in Indiana?
Post by: mobilene on February 12, 2011, 05:47:45 PM
New one on me! But I was just a few months old when that photo was taken.
Title: Re: Outline signs in Indiana?
Post by: agentsteel53 on February 12, 2011, 07:49:16 PM
such a thing certainly exists...

(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/IN/IN19580311i1.jpg)

bear in mind that the outline-shield idea was a federal standard as of 1948.  the question of how to sign outline shields on non-white-background guide signs was answered informally by 1955 when many states, starting with California I believe, signed white outlines on the dark backgrounds.

it was codified by the AASHO interstate manual of 1957, which explicitly showed outline shields, instructing white borders on green backgrounds.  The AGA company was happy to oblige, making the shield shape above in white with button copy, to be affixed to green-background signs as seen there.  I have seen those shields with that distinct shape in use in at least 6 different states (CA, CO, CT, IN, FL, TX) and I could probably come up with more if I spent more than three seconds thinking about it.

1961 was when the "as above, so below" standard came into play - AASHO dictated that shields on guide signs match the color scheme of independent-mount shields on poles.  California started to comply by 1962, but as late as 1963 were putting up the last of their AGA stock.  In an extraordinarily clever move, to preserve the viability of their 30-year-lifespan guide signs, they changed the surface-level standard of their five-year-lifespan pole-mounted state route shields to green with a white legend in 1963-64.
Title: Re: Outline signs in Indiana?
Post by: Alps on February 13, 2011, 01:30:06 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 12, 2011, 07:49:16 PM

1961 was when the "as above, so below" standard came into play - AASHO dictated that shields on guide signs match the color scheme of independent-mount shields on poles.  California started to comply by 1962, but as late as 1963 were putting up the last of their AGA stock.  In an extraordinarily clever move, to preserve the viability of their 30-year-lifespan guide signs, they changed the surface-level standard of their five-year-lifespan pole-mounted state route shields to green with a white legend in 1963-64.
No way - the green color was just to preserve the BGS? The way California has led the MUTCD around on a leash, you'd think they had no need for that.
Title: Re: Outline signs in Indiana?
Post by: mukade on February 13, 2011, 07:15:34 PM
Quote from: Brandon on February 12, 2011, 03:51:10 PM
Found an interesting picture while snooping around on the internet.  It is a 1967 view of the Borman Expy that has what appears to be an outline sign for US-41 & US-6 Calumet Ave.  No exit number on this sign, but it is now Exit 1 for US-41 north.

http://library.calumet.purdue.edu/archhtmlfin/SC_Photos/scp_228.htm
That actually looks like the Kingery Expy. (i.e. Illinois) approaching Calumet Avenue from the west. The Borman is straight approaching Calumet Ave. from the east.
Title: Re: Outline signs in Indiana?
Post by: Brandon on February 13, 2011, 11:31:42 PM
^^ Looks like it.  Also looks like this was taken after the Big Snow on Jan 26-27, 1967.