Does anyone remember an exceptionally tall Sunoco sign near the NY State Thruway?
This would have been on the north-south section somewhere between Harriman and Albany. It was located west of the Thruway, and was likely advertising for what I think were two Sunoco stations on the other side of a mountain pass (I don't think the sign was on station property -- in fact, it seemed rather awkwardly isolated). I'm pretty sure that this sign had an adjacent lighting gantry maybe 2/3rds of its height; think of floodlights to illuminate it at night, far easier to maintain than the usual internal lighting.
I remember a super tall Sunoco sign (the old pointing (and flashing) arrow format) adjacent to I-93 southbound at Exit 3 in Windham, NH. The reason the sign was so tall was that the station was well below roadway level, and the sign rose well above roadway level.
The only one I am aware of on that stretch is in Coxsackie off Exit 21B.. the sign in question is on a hill, just above the station along US 9W below. You can see it better going northbound than you can heading south.
Yes, I'm familiar with the Sunoco sign near the Coxsackie exit, which is the only such sign that I can think of along the stretch between Harriman and Albany.
That has got to be it. Thanks! The fact that it's up on a hill makes it look taller than it is.
I saw this sign way back in 1975 when travelling from NYC to Gilboa, NY. Though I would think that we'd have taken a more southerly route to get to Gilboa, unless there was road construction at the time or the other routes weren't what they are now. Or it could have been a different Sunoco sign, one which is long gone.
Although the sign was not discrenible on Google Maps or GSV, there's a good view of it in Bing Maps Bird's Eye View: http://binged.it/18wQzJG One can only wonder how they get up there to maintain the sign or replace the bulbs, as there doesn't appear to be an access road. Maybe it's just unlit at night. Or they used to have external floodlights (as I remember from way back).
Up on a hill off I-84 at the Mass/CT border there was a tall Gulf sign with a floodlight upon it and the word "Food" just below for many years. It was kind of a landmark, and as a kid I wondered, "That must be some cool gas station, way up on that hill like that." Of course, it was down at the base, hidden from the road, and was ultimately kind of disappointing when I finally went and found it. Still, I miss that sign a little -- visible from far away, it made the end of Connecticut on 84 seem to come just a little sooner.
Quote from: roadman on May 01, 2013, 08:03:03 PM
I remember a super tall Sunoco sign (the old pointing (and flashing) arrow format) adjacent to I-93 southbound at Exit 3 in Windham, NH. The reason the sign was so tall was that the station was well below roadway level, and the sign rose well above roadway level.
Wasn't that the one that is located in-between the north and southbound lanes of I-93?
IIRC, there's a split of a good 1,000 feet between the lanes and the Sunoco station is located at ground level on NH-111, in the middle of I-93.
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on May 03, 2013, 04:19:34 PM
Quote from: roadman on May 01, 2013, 08:03:03 PM
I remember a super tall Sunoco sign (the old pointing (and flashing) arrow format) adjacent to I-93 southbound at Exit 3 in Windham, NH. The reason the sign was so tall was that the station was well below roadway level, and the sign rose well above roadway level.
Wasn't that the one that is located in-between the north and southbound lanes of I-93?
IIRC, there's a split of a good 1,000 feet between the lanes and the Sunoco station is located at ground level on NH-111, in the middle of I-93.
That is correct, the station was located at the base of the sign between the I-93 overpasses. My mother's parents lived in Manchester NH, and we would pass by that sign at least twice a month on our way back to Lynn MA.
The sign is long gone, but the gas station
is still there on 111 was still there until recently, when it was removed (verified this on Friday 5/10). The site is now being used as a staging area by the I-93 widening project contractor.
Edited 5/10/13 to update status of gas station - RM