Color of Road Striping


GNMT76

Active Member
During the transition era, c. 1947-1955, was white or yellow the predominant color for road striping in most states? My layout is set in Montana.

EDIT: Where can I get a roll of 1/32" width tape, which looks to be true to HO scale?

Thanks!
 
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In Illinois during the late 50s early 60s white was the center lines and outside lines. Yellow was used for no passing lines. If a yellow stipe was on yous side you were not suppose to pass. Sometime later it changed but no idea when.
 
In Illinois during the late 50s early 60s white was the center lines and outside lines. Yellow was used for no passing lines. If a yellow stipe was on yous side you were not suppose to pass. Sometime later it changed but no idea when.
I do not remember any white outside lines on the roads during the 50s early 60s?
But I was not privy to many other states either.
 
My recollection, was striping only on major state highways, especially multiple lane thoroughfares. City streets did not have any stripig, except for crosswalks on school routes, and parking space demarcation in business districts. it may be my imagination, but I always associated the introduction of yellow lines, with the introduction of red stop signs.
 
I'm modeling 1958 Mid-Western Montana. I didn't put a lot of effort into research, but my plan so far is yellow stop signs, no stripes on concrete city type streets and just white dashes on asphalt secondary roads.





I might replace the RR Crossing signs since the GN cross bucks were at a 30 degree angle in the 50s...
 
Where can I get a roll of 1/32" width tape, which looks to be true to HO scale?
I'm a bit late to this thread -- sorry!

Searching for "chart tape" or "graphic art tape" will find several sources, including Amazon. I've had good luck with Chartpak brand chart tape, but other brands are probably fine.

As for width, most road and highway stripes are 5 or 6 inches wide, so you'll want 1/16-inch tape (not 1/32-inch) for HO scale road stripes.

1/16-inch is equal to approximately 5.4 inches in HO scale.

Below is a scene from my N-scale layout where I used 1/32-inch chart tape for the road stripes.

- Jeff

road_weathered1_1000.png
 
I'm a bit late to this thread -- sorry!

Searching for "chart tape" or "graphic art tape" will find several sources, including Amazon. I've had good luck with Chartpak brand chart tape, but other brands are probably fine.

As for width, most road and highway stripes are 5 or 6 inches wide, so you'll want 1/16-inch tape (not 1/32-inch) for HO scale road stripes.

1/16-inch is equal to approximately 5.4 inches in HO scale.

Below is a scene from my N-scale layout where I used 1/32-inch chart tape for the road stripes.

- Jeff

View attachment 115500

Thanks, Jeff. I've since corrected myself and bought a roll of 1/16" tape.
 
EDIT: Where can I get a roll of 1/32" width tape, which looks to be true to HO scale?


Try an artist or craftstore and look for Graphics Tape or in a hobby shop the tape used to mark strips on model aircraft. It comes in rolls.

Greg
 
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Looking at this 1958 color driver safety film, it appears that all the road markings are white, even where theres a double center line. That last part surprised me. The school bus shows up in yellow, so any yellow lines would have showed up as well.

Highways & Byways makes HO and N scale adhesive road and parking lot markings in white and in yellow.
 
Looking at this 1958 color driver safety film, it appears that all the road markings are white, even where theres a double center line.
I think they changed the colors in 60's-70's . Drivers were getting confused in fog and low light conditions about what side of the road they were on. In fact there may not have been a nation wide standard. I want to say the standard came out of the Interstate Highways Act during the Eisenhower Administration. The idea was to help reduce the number of head on collisions.

P.S. I think some people have used automotive pinstripe as well
 
Highways & Byways makes HO and N scale adhesive road and parking lot markings in white and in yellow.
I have used these products with great satisfaction, especially the RR crossing markings. I also like the RH & LH lane arrows. Much easier than free-handing my own. I still use 1/16" chart tape that I got on Amazon for most of my road striping.
 



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