Fellow Modelers,
Pre-1960 some vehicle roads had guard rails that consisted of what looked like sections of telephone poles installed at intervals along the side of the roadway. Some of these posts would have steel cables stretched between them while other sections of highway only had the rows of posts. Often simply painted white or maybe only the tops of the posts were painted white.
What is considered a realistic spacing such posts? Any other tips on their installation, especially if someone has found a fool-proof method to get the job done over long stretches of road. I would love to see any close-up pics.
Cheers,
FJK
Some roads {country} still have them although most are being replaced with metal guardrails we know of today.
I think they were spaced about 3-5 feet apart depending it they were on a curve or just a straight away to protect from a ravene.
If wire was used between them, then they were the further apart. {it seems to me if I recall correcty}
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
FJK.
There are some still around on rural roads but the posts are concrete or even granite. They are spaced about 4 to six feet apart with 1/2 inch steel cables. There are anywhere from 4 to 8 cables. They are spaced about 2 to 3 inches apart. The posts are various in height but most are 3 to 4 foot high. It seems that each town or county had different standards.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
I seem to recall them being white either on the top or bottom with the other color black. It would seem logical that the bottoms were black. and didn't they have angle at the top to a point?
We still have wire rope guard rails where I live. They are typically constructed from 8" round posts and two strands of galvanized wire rope. The old original posts seem to be creosote dipped while the new ones are pressure treated. They would place the posts closer together on the curves, at I would guess about 4 feet apart. On the straight runs they are about 8 to 10 feet apart. At the beginning and end of a run the cables terminate at a concrete block thats buried in the soil.
Pat
The ones I recall were white, with 6"-8" at ground level painted black. Of course, I also remember painting mine the same way, but the picture below says otherwise. Luckily, all are still removable, as there's still lots of other work to do in this area.
Mine are about 3' high and only 5' apart - they look right to me, but some real ones I've seen not too far from here are about the same height, but 12' - 15' apart. These are very old ones, and have two cables, as will my modelled versions.
I used .100" styrene rod, first distressing it by dragging a razor saw along its length. After painting, the individual posts were cut, with the tops bevelled, to help shed water, then touched-up with white paint.
Wayne
That picture may helps a lot of you. It was taken in 1946 on Sainte-Anne Blvd in Quebec City. The road was built in 1941, so details should be typical of the era.
http://pistard.banq.qc.ca/unite_chercheurs/Anq_Afficher_image?p_page=1&p_anqsid=201012142217173268&P_cote=E6,S7,SS1,P30877&P_codedepo=03Q&P_numunide=880471&p_hauteur=913&p_largeur=1264
As Doctorwayne said, the base is painted black. On this picture, it looks like posts are spaced from 5' to 6'. In the background, you see a lot of posts... Looks like they were extensively used.
Matt
Proudly modelling the Quebec Railway Light & Power Co since 1997.
http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com
http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com
What goes around, comes around! The states of Ohio and Michigan are revising this type of guardrail system on interstate highways. They are putting them in the grass covered medians to prevent cars from crossing over and creating head-on collisions. Sort of a catch fence. The system is a bit different as they are using aluminum posts instead of wood and the posts are set on narrow concrete strips to facilitate mowing & maintenance, but the rest of the thing looks like the old ones.
Jim - Preserving the history of the NKP Cloverleaf first subdivision.
"My fenders were clickin' the guardrail posts, the guys beside me were white as a ghost"
- Hot Rod Lincoln
BTW, how were the cables attached?? My memory was that holes were drilled thru the posts, rather than the cables being connected to the outside, but I could be wrong....
I've seen both system on old pictures. The modern ones I've seen were all attached outside. It's easier to do and to maintain.
wjstix BTW, how were the cables attached?? My memory was that holes were drilled thru the posts, rather than the cables being connected to the outside, but I could be wrong....
The wire rope guard rails where I live are attached to the wood posts with a galvanized J - bolt. The wire runs along the face of the post and the J-bolt passes through the post and secures the cable to the post face. Some areas have an all metal wire rope guard rail system with galvinized I beams for posts and a fabricated metal standoff which attaches the wire rope to the posts.
That's what I remember - black and white (I believe the top was white) with the top cut at about a 45 degree angle to shed water and retard rot formation.
This was in a time when most Indiana highways were two lane, with plenty of dips and rises that could give you a bit of zero G time at 50 or above - whipperdills, some called them.
- Heinrich 'Big Harry' Diehl, President and Founder, Big Fork 'n' Diehl RR
Bring back the Wabash P-1 Hudsons! Blue steam engines are cool.