Road Color
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cracked cement most roads then in towns like u where describing would probably have cracked cement roads
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Roads
Rural roads in that period would have been mostly be dirt, gravel, or possibly asphalt. The concrete highway building boom started in the 1950s with the Interstate Highway program, during Eisenhower's administration. Prior to that, a few county roads, (in relatively prosperous counties) might have been asphalt, but most were gravel, or dirt. Lower trafic, local roads, dirt.
In the late 1930s and early 1940s the U.S. was still reeling from the great depression, and then involved world war two. There wouldn't be any government money left over for much in the way of road building, or maintainance. There were exceptions for roads that were deemed essential for military use. The "alcan highway" that connected the "lower 48 states", through Canada, to Alaska, is one example. In fact, the ostensible motive for building the interstate highway system was to aid military transport in the event of war. In the world war one era, a young army officer named Dwight Eisenhower, was assigned to lead an army truck convoy across part of the US. It was a nightmare journey due to the deplorable state of the highways of that time. Years later, as president, he pushed the interstate Highway act.
Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:
A main, county "highway" on my layout. (Wow, asphalt! My layout is set near Seattle. Would you like to drive on an UNpaved road/swamp in the "Rain capital of the USA?")
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Tim72;
Rural roads in that period would have been mostly be dirt, gravel, or possibly asphalt. The concrete highway building boom started in the 1950s with the Interstate Highway program, during Eisenhower's administration. Prior to that, a few county roads, (in relatively prosperous counties) might have been asphalt, but most were gravel, or dirt. Lower trafic, local roads, dirt.
In the late 1930s and early 1940s the U.S. was still reeling from the great depression, and then involved world war two. There wouldn't be any government money left over for much in the way of road building, or maintainance. There were exceptions for roads that were deemed essential for military use. The "alcan highway" that connected the "lower 48 states", through Canada, to Alaska, is one example. In fact, the ostensible motive for building the interstate highway system was to aid military transport in the event of war. In the world war one era, a young army officer named Dwight Eisenhower, was assigned to lead an army truck convoy across part of the US. It was a nightmare journey due to the deplorable state of the highways of that time. Years later, as president, he pushed the interstate Highway act.
Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:
A main, county "highway" on my layout. (Wow, asphalt! My layout is set near Seattle. Would you like to drive on an UNpaved road/swamp in the "Rain capital of the USA?")
Tim, if you're modeling a certain region, then you should research what "local" gravel or dirt would look like. If you don't really care, then just about any normal color would suffice. Many areas of the USA seem to have reds, tans and browns. Do some googling of various scenic spots and get ideas from there.
Roads
I own and bred Alaskan Malamutes which introduced me to the history of that area. The ALCAN Highway was put through by African American troupes because the Japanese set up shop in the Aleutians. A group of 8 Sled teams made up of Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes set out in early 1941 before the war to map out the ALCAN Highway. Funny I just received the article form another Malamute history buff today. I believe it started around the Golden staircase he gold rushers used in 1900 on there trek for Dawson. anyways it was tough going as tractors were temperamental in the cold. The perma frost factor was a learning curve.
I think I will go with Busch asphalt road. Seems easy enough.
Thanks for the help guys!!!!
I own and bred Alaskan Malamutes which introduced me to the history of that area. The ALCAN Highway was put through by African American troupes because the Japanese set up shop in the Aleutians. A group of 8 Sled teams made up of Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes set out in early 1941 before the war to map out the ALCAN Highway. Funny I just received the article form another Malamute history buff today. I believe it started around the Golden staircase he gold rushers used in 1900 on there trek for Dawson. anyways it was tough going as tractors were temperamental in the cold. The perma frost factor was a learning curve.
I think I will go with Busch asphalt road. Seems easy enough.
Thanks for the help guys!!!!
I grew up in a small Illinois town. The main 'downtown'
streets were brick. The remainder of the town's streets
were annually graded then a coat of some type of 'oil' was
applied. This was topped, most often, by sawdust but
later by gravel. The rural roads were gravel or slag from
the coai mines.
Don
streets were brick. The remainder of the town's streets
were annually graded then a coat of some type of 'oil' was
applied. This was topped, most often, by sawdust but
later by gravel. The rural roads were gravel or slag from
the coai mines.
Don
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I could be wrong, but I don't know that anything other than divided highways built to interstate standards were ever made out of concrete. Certainly dirt or asphalt for country roads and asphalt or brick for town streets would be much more common.
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Move to NJ. Most state roads were made of concrete with expansion joint at 30'. Some were highways but most are two lane local roads. Built in the '50s, still used today.
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Yup, i drive on these every day. Past the church with about 50-100 members and butcher shop(where we took our pig) and there is a garden center. Tansboro NJ. A few have been paved over without leveling the concrete!
In the 50's all our city streets were dirt, nicer areas had gravel. Only exception was asphalt in downtown and bus routes. We used to pour oil changes in the street in front of our house and hosing the street, to keep dust down, was a chore just like moping the floor and washing dishes.
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