Traffic cones in the 1950's?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
21

You can find a description and pictures of modern Toledo torches (the trade name for smudge pots) at the following site:

http://home.earthlink.net/~trafficgard/TorchIntro.htm

By clicking on the highway torch link on that page, you’ll go to a location with pictures of modern copies of kerosene highway flares, and further info about their history.

Growing up in the fifties, I too don’t recall traffic cones being used much, if at all. Although Wikipedia mentions they were invented in the1910’s, I don’t think they were available in the modern plastic version until much later. That would have depended on the industrial ability to cast flexible plastics in large sizes. In the fifties, if it was flexible, it was likely to be rubber, not plastic. The first traffic cones were apparently concrete, with limited portability, so it makes sense that they wouldn’t be used much for road repair sites.

The black and white stripes on the wooden saw horse type barriers were painted on a diagonal line, and were only on the horizontal cross-member, as I recall.

Lastly, there are two books on Burma Shave signs:

The Verse by the Side of the Road, by Frank Rowsome, Jr.
Burma-Shave: The Rhymes, The Signs, The Times, by Bill Vossler

I’ve got the first book, and it’s terrific. A complete history of the company and it’s unique publicity campaign, with a complete year by year listing of the verses at the back. Since the signs were only up for two years or so before being replaced by new ones, with a listing like that, you’re sure to have a verse used at the time. Both books are in print, and can be ordered from Amazon, and other book sellers. There’s also a wealth of info on the internet, including photos of sign collections. Just search for the terms: Burma Shave Sign

Hope this helps out.

-Ed

My job is
Keeping faces clean
And nobody knows
De stubble
I’ve seen
Burma-Shave

He tri

22

Smug pots and folding wooden sawhorse barriers were the norm in the 50’s, the plastic cones didnt become common nationwide till the late 70’s. Smug pots gave way to the sawhorses with the flashing lights on them in the early 60’s.

maybe this will help

http://www.trafficcone.com/

23

Traffic cones were invented in 1914 and “Witch’s Hats” were a common nickname for them. The cones themselves wouldn’t look out of place, but the bright orange ones would as the plastics used for those was a later development.

Traffic cones in use in the 1950s would have been painted rubber and could be almost any color. As I mentioned above, the ones I recall were black, yellow and red. However, since they would be theater property in your use, you could paint them white or some other color.

24

Again, thanks for the input, everyone. I never thought of the barrels! Now I remember them marking the entrance lanes at the local “demolition derby” we used to go to in the 50’s. The Drive-In owner (me) could paint them any color he choose. I sometimes look through my collection of stereo (3-D) “family snapshot” slides from the 1950’s for reference, but didn’t feel like looking through the 3,000 of them right now. Joe

25

Joe - thanks for an interesting topic.

Now, about that drive-in…are you going to use a laptop computer screen for the movie, with “Emperor of the North” showing? Can you maybe put that one on the sign out front of the theater? I can almost smell the popcorn and hot dogs…

26

That would be the wrong era, EotN was made in '73, Maybe a loop of the train robbery scene from ‘How the West Was Won’ instead? in Cinemascope, of course[;)]

27

I am only 50 but I do remember old metal barrels used for construction of roads in the Boston area.

David

28

No, I’m using a 7" personal DVD player. I’ll be showing continuous “snack bar refreshment ads” from the 50’s and 60’s, as well as other intermission ads/announcements. The movie sign out front will probably be a spoof related to where the club modular layout will be shown, ie “The Crab That Ate Baltimore” for a MD show. Joe