traffic and Burma Shave signs

[snowey]

I have some dry transfers of these, that I bought for my old HO layout, but never had a chance to use them before I was forced to disasemble it and switch to N scale. So, since the signs are in HO can I still use them for N? 

The HO layout was set in the 50s and the N layout is set in the 60s, so I know I can't use the Burma Shave signs in a "new condition". If I can use them though; I plan to put up a few and make them look faded and maybe place them in an out-of-the-way area, surrounded by weeds since I'm modeling a small, older, somewhat run-down area and the last Burma Shave signs appeared in 1963.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Set them up like old billboards.

[IRONROOSTER]

According to the book "The Verse by the Side of the Road" the crews were sent out shortly after the company was sold in February 1963 to remove all signs.  There was apparently concern that payments would have to continue to the landowners otherwise. 

Of course you can always claim your set was missed, and faded with time.

If you use HO signs I would avoid putting any N scale cars near them.  Otherwise, why not. 

Enjoy

Paul 

[MisterBeasley]

You could simply print up new N-scale signs on your computer.  If you use cardstock instead of regular paper, it will be stiff enough to support itself, and all you'll need to do is add a support pole.

My layout is set in the late 1960's, but I wouldn't hesitate to put in a set of Burma Shave signs.  In fact, thanks for the idea!

[dknelson]

I think they did miss a few.  I can remember seeing some in the mid 1960s, sometimes missing a key sign which was annoying.

Someone, maybe it was Selley, used to offer this one in HO and I think this was a real Burma Shave sequence:

He tried to cross

As fast train neared

Death didn't draft him

He volunteered

Burma Shave

===========

If you want to capture the feel of rural roads in the late 1950s, early 1960s the other signs that I remember seeing over and over again driving through Wisconsin were "Impeach Earl Warren" and "Get the US out of the UN" -- both were put up by the John Birch Society which was politically active at the time.  For those youngsters among us, Earl Warren was chief justice of the US Supreme Court.   I am not talking politics here by the way, Bergie, rather I am recollecting what a prototypicaly rural road would look like in the early 1960s.

Oh and another detail -- many of the Sinclair gas stations had fairly large green concrete dinosaurs on the property.   My sister and I would go talk to the dinosaur while the attendant filled the car with gas, checked the oil, the wipers, and the tire pressure, cleaned the windows -- no self serve back then.   It took a while for the attendant to do his work. 

Dave Nelson

[tgindy]

Wikipedia has done an immaculate presentation at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_shave 

Take special note of the links toward the bottom, and don't forget to checkout your favorite year at http://burma-shave.org/jingles/

[BRJN]

A few years ago I found a book at the Public Library which included ALL the Burma-Shave signs.  Needless to say, I took notes furiously.  There are a number of railroady jingles, as well as other driving-safety and 'buy our product' themes.

If you put your HO scale signs on a copier and set it for 50%, you will get about N-scale signs.  If they are too small to read, then reduce the HOs to suit and put them on mini-billboards.

If you just can't talk yourself into using Burma-Shave stuff, try these Honorable Mention jingles (not used by Burma-Shave) instead:  (1) Drink some drinks / Crash some cars / Spend the night / At OUR bars / State Police.  (2) Does your coach / Seem rather dry? / When you win the game / Anoint the guy! / Gatorade.

[MisterBeasley]

Or this one from the cold war era, when Nikita Khrushchev ran the old Soviet Union:

Fat Nikita's / Getting Stronger / Can't Afford / To Wait Much Longer / Sherman Tanks

Amazing that the human mind can remember something it read in Mad Magazine 50 years ago!