Historic Missouri Road Signs And Lane Marking

Since I'm modeling the Clinton sub I was wondering about some state road signs from the 1940's and 1950's. I found some great examples of Missouri state highway signs.

http://www.aaroads.com/shields/thumbs.php?state=MO

But I was wondering did Missouri have any speed limit signs during this era? I've read some places that most states didn't even have speed limits.

Thanks for any help and Merry Christmas!

 

The Missouri Traffic Code and driver's exam had "Safe and Prudent" for the speed limit, however certain places and curves were marked with number MPH signs. I think the "Safe and Prudent" went out about 1960 if I remember. Also those red-white-blue Interstate signs only go back to about 1956-57. The "classic" MO highway sign is the very neat one with the marble reflectors.

Tom G.

 

Thanks Tom. I'd love to see those number MPH signs. Does anyone know their color, if they were used as a stand alone sign, or when they started using them with the the curve ahead signs like in the attachment?

 

I found this very useful 1948 handbook by the MUTCD. Looks like there was a standard for states to follow.

https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/ghawkins/MUTCD-History.htm

 

Derrick

They did have the yellow diamond shaped signs with the arrow like in your picture, but they also had some white signs (w/black lettering) when you would approach a hazard, like coming to a town or a slow down zone ahead. And after you passed the little town or slow zone, they had another sign that said "Resume Speed, Thank You."

And sometime back in the middle 50's (I believe??) the octagon or hexagon stop signs were changed from yellow to red. Some of those yellow signs had those marble reflectors also.

Tom

 

To All:

Our good friend and forum member Dale Rush of Blair Line makes several sets of road ad highway signs and my be able to weigh in on this thread if any apply to your era and what you are looking for. Below is the web link:

http://www.blairline.com/hisigns/

 

I just found some information about some states not using yellow marking on highways until the early 1970's. Can anyone verify when Missouri started using them?

 

Missouri always, in my remembrances since WW II, used yellow stripes for no passing lanes, but the stripe was in the center of the lane until about the mid 1950's when they moved it to along side the center line.

 

I'm having a little trouble picturing what your describing. Was it similar to what we have today?

 

Traveling as a youngster in both Kansas and Missouri during the late 50's, I recall a passing zone was a white dashed line down the center. A no passing zone was a solid yellow line alongside the dashed white line on the side of the lane that had no passing. If both lanes had no passing, the dashed white line was in the center of the two solid yellow lines. Am I remembering correctly?

 

Derrick,

As I describe 'along side the center line' is how it is today. Formerly it was in the center of (each) driving lane. The auto's tires straddled the stripe where the "oil slick" appears on the road.

Tom G.

 

When I worked for the Colorado Division of Highways, most of the standards that we followed came from the American Association State Highway and Transportation Officials, which was commonly called AASHTO. Take a look at their web site.

 

Although not Missouri-specific - https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/ghawkins/MUTCD-History_files/MarkingColorEvolution.pdf may give some historical pointers and suggestions for additional web searches.

 

Thanks everyone and Bob I found this 1949 reference on page 5 of the document you shared. I wonder what high and low type bituminous material is.

 

The asphalt surface of the roadway consists of the wearing course placed over the sub-grade or on a prepared base. The basic asphalt surface type classifications are bituminous surfaces including surface treatments, bituminous mats, and asphaltic concrete decks or pavements.

Bituminous surfaces are classified according to the type and makeup of the wearing surface. All wearing surfaces are placed on some type of prepared base, and the thickness and stability of this base usually has a direct influence on the life of the surface. There are three main types of surfaces.

Low-Type Bituminous Surfaces - Low-type bituminous surfaces are those produced by surface treatment with light road oils or liquid bituminous materials such as oil earth, oil aggregate, seal coats, and leveling courses. Each surface treatment being less than 1 in. in thickness.

Intermediate-Type Bituminous Surfaces - Intermediate-type bituminous surfaces consists of a plant-mixed machine laid surface. The thickness of the surface course is usually greater than in the low-type classes, and may consist of one or more bituminous courses. The base course may be of the same material as described for the low-type bituminous surface.

High-Type Bituminous Surfaces - High-type bituminous surfaces consist of asphaltic concrete (dense and open graded) mixes, machine laid. This type of surface, because of traffic loads, usually require a more substantial base than low and intermediate types. The base may be of either rigid or non-rigid design. The surface wearing course is usually 1 1/4 in. or more in thickness.

It was easier to copy from wiki than to re-type from my AASHTO handbook.

EDIT** I would also venture that striping and signage varied based on whether or not highway was Federal Aid Primary, Federal Aid Secondary, State, or State Aid County, or just and old county highway or municipal.

 

Great info. My main curiosity is what material and type of markings were used on Mo. State Hwy 13 in the late 40's to early 50's. I'm pretty sure I've seen parts of old 13 around Deepwater that are concrete. I just can't wrap my head around a black line down the center of the roadway and solid yellow lines down the oil slick for no passing zones. I'd love to see an old photo of that.

 

In the 1940's Highway 13 was very narrow concrete with a "drainage lip" (for lack of better words). Sort of a smooth 45 degree "curb." And every few feet a "spillway" to carry water off to the side trailing the direction of traffic.

The pavement was in "blocks" with tar dividing the segments. The blocks were divided down the center with a tar joint acting as a center line. And as mentioned earlier (posts 9 and 11), the no passing stripes were in the middle of the driving lane.

Tom G.

 

Thanks to all the input I've been working on some concrete surfaces. It's not perfect but a start.