I’ve been given/refered to good stuff on a lot of highway and street signs… now I’m wondering whether anyone (state, county, army, USMC whoever) put up signs to route traffic to their bases in the US?
Any pics or links please?
What has this to do with MRR? Well, if I’m running flats loaded with HMVVVVVVs a sign on an overpass would give a clue to where they might be going… would justify cutting them out from a train with a switcher…
TIA
[:P]
Well im not sure if this will help you out, but I served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Sill, OK. Ft Sill is the home of Field Artillery and I remember them having a rail head not to far from my unit. The highway signs in the area were labeled as Lawton/Ft.Sill. 44 was the highway that ran past the base. If i can help in neway let me know. [:)]
Yes.
In the immediate area there are signs on the expessway
AIR FORCE
RESERVE BASE
and an arrow like other green locational signs. There are also smaller, more cryptic directional signs like - "262 ENG BN → ". On US 40 near Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland there a number of signs like
APG VISITORS
THIS EXIT
or
APG TRUCK DELIVERIES
USE GATES 4, 6A, 9
In other words, they are just like any other location or large industrial facility. An airport is probably the best analogy in your area. Note the signs and replace AIRPORT, DEPARTING FLIGHTS, RENTAL CAR RETURN, and DELIVERIES with FT SILL, MATES FACILITY, GARRISON DETATCHMENT, and, well, DELIVERIES.
HTH,
KL
I believe the State DOT (Department of Transportation) is the only entity authorized to put up official signs on highways and freeways. Local roads would devolve to the city/county.
For major attractions and facitities, the DOT doesn’t seem to have a problem with putting up the signs - they’d be the standard green informational ones. After all, it’s part of their job to see you get where you want to go.
Signs that would be appropriate would include:
“Fort Lewis - Main Gate”
“Fort Bragg - Gate 3”
“Fort Benning - Main Post”
Or similar.
Military bases in the US (at least those whose existance is acknowledged publically) are marked on highway signs in the same manner as towns. If you have one of those green highway signs you can put this installation name on it (like in this case, Edwards Air Force Base, CA):
If you model the actual installation fenceline and gate, you’ll need a sign like this:
…with a guard shack and pop-up barriers. This is an exercise at the main gate of Patrick Air Force Base, FL, my last assignment.
Army post gates are similar. Post-911 security gates are much more involved, and for scurity I don’t have photographs of them (the above photo came from the Air Force News Service).
Thanks for trying to model some aspect of the American military. I’d be happy to help you with information to the extent that operational security is maintained.
Maj Dave Vollmer, USAF
For what you are modeling, a spur with a gate and fencing with barbed wire along the top would work great. You would also need some of those no trespassing signs along the fencing and on the gate. I don’t have a pic of the Army’s no trespassing signs handy, but I will see what I can dig up.
Second edit: My earlier comments are public knowledge, in fact there are signs indicating this, and the installation commander was promoting visitation to the base by the general public as published in the local paper. I wish I could find the document, but I saw in black and white where a counter terrorist “expert” stated that the open base was safer.[%-)] As not to get anybody’s knickers in a twist, though, I will edit (more to stay on topic than anything). I see nobody got bothered by the fact that someone posted pics of a gate (and yes, that was also from a source that is public). The same people complaining also quoted the same info?!?!? Doesn’t seem to support your message. If this wasn’t public knowledge and was considered sensitive, you wouldn’t have seen it here Ray. There is nothing new, groundbreaking, or dangerous about posting that comment here. We are an active military family, and I would not post anything that poses a risk to my family, friends, and service members. There is truly dangerous info out there, and this ain’t it.
For some photos of US military locomotives
http://military.railfan.net/locos/
For US road signs
http://www.trafficsign.us/index.html
Have fun
“On a side note to what Dave wrote above, the Army seems to take security a lot more serious than the Air Force. Their gates are a lot more involved that what you would have at an AF base. I can’t believe how lax security has become at some Air Force installations. Any joe blow with a valid driver’s license can get access to the Air Force Academy during the day and during events. That is one of the main reasons we moved off base. There is just no security anymore (not to mantion the civilian security guards that the AF uses. Some just don’t seem to care. The Army is going to civilian gate security as well). Housing privatazation was another big factor, but that is a whole other UGLY story…”
Smitty, I don’t know what your purpose was in making this statement? If it was to call the military’s attention to a problem with security then you are addressing the wrong crowd; you should be lodging a complaint with your commanding officer. Otherwise, these kind of comments don’t seem to be very helpful where security is concerned, in fact they seem to be downright dangerous.
Incidentily, I spent four years active duty in the Marine Corps so I feel I have every right to make these comments.
Ray
Thanks for the help everyone! [:D][:D][:D]
I often work by a RAF site (security has been tied down for years) so, if I may make a respectful comment, this sounds like frustration and a “heads up” to me. I’ve also had to do more evacutations of S London passenger stations than I can recall and - on one occassion - went screaming mad at the local civil police (won’t say why… just that they needed it- my point got through at least to those on the receiving end). (My Sargeant Majors used to make their point quite effectively if we upset them slightly). Maybe Smitty’s comment can get everyone looking at this issue and drawing base commanders’ attention where necessary? Maybe even an e mail to Congressmen and Senators?
We are all eyes and ears in the defense of our homes.
(Perhaps both Smitty and Ray would like to edit their posts to cut the “unsuitable” information. I wouldn’t cut the lot as any heads-up that keeps us all awake is good.
I hope that this comment is acceptable.
I don’t know what you get to hear on your side of the pond but I just t
Back “On Topic”…
Thanks for the help [:D].
I have so many ideas on both the big project and the practice run that I couldn’t squeeze in even a gate post for a base. Also just suggesting a base with highway signs saves me from having to do barbed wire along fencelines (a pet hate of mine) and trying to find good personnel - and paint them.
(The Preiser figures are terrific but not painted. I think that the same applies for Noch. I’ve seen one or other professionally done (H0) and they looked terrific but I would go cross-eyed trying to do Choc-Chip… but I guess that for the 80s Woodland would be the correct pattern)?
I’m (eventually) running flats with mostly engineering type stuff chained down (thanks for all the previous help here [:D]). This is because I’ve been able to get HMVVs and dump trucks easily and it makes a change from the usual (although one Abrams, and one Bradley have crept into the collection).
That raises a question (which I think is safe to ask -don’t answer if it isn’t please)… do engineer units have their own light armour security or would they have attached units? (Maybe PM an answer)?
I’m inclined to (eventually) mark things up for National Guard because I was TAVR.
I guess that I might run a bi-level loaded with HMVVs. It could give some receiving unit a fit if they hadn’t been warned… [:-,] How would they get them off?
(Years ago I had an Inspector - commonly known as “Old Egypt” who had got started on the railway via his National Service and Longmoor Military Railway [all British Army rail ops use Single Line Working regardless of how many tracks there are… they just get more single lines… or wiggle round any holes that th
Down here, the military puts up it’s own roadside signs. The DOT puts up signs indicating how far Ft Polk is from the sign that’s posted and what direction you would want to turn, but the post puts up all the others. Convoy route signs, hazardous cargo routes, heavy vehicle routes, everything. This includes signs along major highways as well as military roads.
[:D][%-)][:D][%-)]
Now I’m reeling! [(-D]
Tell me more PLEASE? [bow]
Hazardous cargo routes???
[8D]
Mostly they’re directional/information signs for military vehicles. Which roads they can go on, which ones they can’t, which routes convoys must take (example: they can’t go the middle of town unless they’re on the main highway, unless otherwise dictated by local authorities. A convoy went through a housing district one night. The residents were not happy. I know, I was there, helping direct traffic.). There are also specific routes laid out for vehicles carrying hazardous cargo. This can range from bleach to jet fuel and may include dangerous chemicals. The sign used for this has “HC” in a circle. Roads not allowed for this have the same symbol with a diagonal line through it. I’ll try and get some pics for you this week.
[quote user=“Dave-the-Train”]
Thanks for the help everyone! [:D][:D][:D]
I often work by a RAF site (security has been tied down for years) so, if I may make a respectful comment, this sounds like frustration and a “heads up” to me. I’ve also had to do more evacutations of S London passenger stations than I can recall and - on one occassion - went screaming mad at the local civil police (won’t say why… just that they needed it- my point got through at least to those on the receiving end). (My Sargeant Majors used to make their point quite effectively if we upset them slightly). Maybe Smitty’s comment can get everyone looking at this issue and drawing base commanders’ attention where necessary? Maybe even an e mail to Congressmen and Senators?
We are all eyes and ears in the defense of our homes.
(Perhaps both Smitty and Ray would like to edit their posts to cut the “unsuitable” information. I wouldn’t cut the lot as any heads-up that keeps us all awake is good.
I hope that this comment is acceptable.
I don’t know what you get to hear on your
Here’s a few websites to play around with. You may find something you can use.
http://www.graffitiworx.com/military-signs.asp
http://www3.shopping.com/xGS-Military_Signs~NS-1~linkin_id-8004347
http://www.gorgetdesigns.com/index.php?b=/regimental.php?cat=&subCat=