Your Message Here! (Empty Signs): www.rt66pix.com

EMPTY SIGN #3 (Central TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:52:50 GMT

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COWS & SIGN (Rt 66 nr Erick OK)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:50:09 GMT

]]>Maybe the sign says MOO on the other side...that would explain everything!

It would have to be a simple word. MOO, GAS, EAT...maybe, at most, CAFE. There's just no space for anything more.

I'll bet that rusty little sign had some bright paint at one time. Possibly a stylized arrow at the tip. And it definitely had neon--glorious 1940s or 50s neon! Look carefully and you can still see a series of holes where the hand-crafted glass tubing snaked in and out.

Sign-making was a real art form back then. That little piece of steel was likely made by a local shop that did its own design, metal cutting and painting. Then it cut the neon tubing and shaped it into letters. When it was all wired up for electricity and installed, it would glow with bright colors and (perhaps) blink on-and-off to catch the attention of passing Rt 66 motorists.

There was a little gas station somewhere around here, west of Erick OK, back in the 1940s. It may have belonged to them.

There are no building foundations remaining now. Just a few shade trees and cows...and a little sign with a vanished message from the past.

(This image is on display at the Route 66 Interpretive Center, Chandler OK.)

EMPTY SIGN #1 (Rt 66 Holbrook AZ)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:50:46 GMT

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SIGHN FOR LEASE (West TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:51:08 GMT

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SIGN HOLDER, ABANDONED BUILDING (Rt 66 nr Bard NM)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:51:42 GMT

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EMPTY SIGN #2 (East TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:52:13 GMT

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REVENGE OF THE TREE (West TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:54:26 GMT

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ARROW SIGN & RUIN (West TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:55:07 GMT

]]>This neon sign once advertised "Cabins."

EMPTY SIGN #4 (OK)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:55:39 GMT

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ABANDONED TRUCK STOP & SIGN (Madisonville TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:56:14 GMT

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ILY RESTAURANT (nr Weatherford OK)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:56:42 GMT

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MOTOR COURT SIGN (nr Vicksburg MS)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:57:24 GMT

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EMPTY SIGN & WIRES IN RAIN (Wheatley AR)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:57:55 GMT

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PARTIAL SIGN THROUGH BARBED WIRE FENCE (nr Wall SD)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:58:14 GMT

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EMPTY SIGN #5 (East TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sat, 21 May 2011 15:44:24 GMT

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2 BLOCKS WELCOME (East TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:54:26 GMT

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DRIVE-INN (Rt 66 Tucumcari NM)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 18:12:18 GMT

]]>This was the last place a westbound motorist could get a spot in the shade, along with curb service from a local cutie, before 60 miles of near-desert.

Back then only high-end cars had the expensive option of air-conditioning. The rest of us stayed cool the natural way--we sweated!

But about that time, along came I-40 and much of Tucumcari, including this drive-in, was doomed. With only 6000 people even today, it could not support the long string of restaurants, gas stations, and motels that lined Rt 66.

This classic 50s drive-in has been boarded up and its canopy is mostly gone. A companion image "An Island of Refreshment" shows this in detail.

EMPTY SIGN #7 (Rt 66 nr Santa Rosa NM)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 19:42:26 GMT

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TEN COMMANDMENTS SIGN (Clovis NM)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:15:03 GMT

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ROUTE 66 BUDGET FUEL (Rt 66 & I-40, Conway TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:52:13 GMT

]]>Technically not on 66 but visible from it. This station adjoins the VW Bug Ranch.

ABANDONED TRUCK STOP THROUGH SIGN FRAME (Rt 66 Landergin TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:20:06 GMT

]]>Sure looks like that empty sign was once a bedframe.

WINNERS (San Jon NM)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:24:17 GMT

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THE COTTAGE, GOOGIE SIGN (Altus OK)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:46:03 GMT

]]>This is a minor 50s classic in a small city an hour from the nearest Interstate. The sign is nearly empty now except for faded lettering advertising a long-vanished business.

The sign originally had plastic panels backlit with fluorescent tubes. It likely included flashing bulbs in the three arrows that lit up in sequence. There may even have been some neon...all going at once, attracting customers (and bugs).

That thing at the very top appears to be rebar (steel reinforcement-bar) welded into a fanciful space-age asterisk, mimicking commercially-available "Rotospheres."

DARK STAR (Rt 66 Santa Rosa NM)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:16:55 GMT

]]>Arrows were common sign components in the Rt 66 era...stars, less so. This one is in front of a now-demolished motel originally called the "Modern Courts."

The sign construction is modular and indicates either an arrow or a star could have gone on the tip. (The bulk of the sign is overhead.)

Back in the Rt 66 era, lights may have lit up in sequence coming down the side of the sign and ending with the star. Maybe they all flashed on-and-off at once. Maybe they danced around. Maybe they did all of that in rotation.

But when the Interstate opened, for this and dozens of other nearby businesses it was "lights out."

TALL EMPTY SIGN (Southwest OK)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:10:08 GMT

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WHITING BROS. VERTICAL SIGN (Rt 66 Amarillo TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:56:27 GMT

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HEATER ON EMPTY SIGN (Rt 66 Galena KS)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:22:25 GMT

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NOW PLAYING (Rt 66 Mitchell IL)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:47:42 GMT

]]>Only this sign remains of a drive-in theatre. The vacant lot was for sale when this image was taken.

VW BUG IN AIR (Purcell OK)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:42:08 GMT

]]>A lot of work and welding went into this, some heavy lifting too, all to advertise a junk yard. Or perhaps they were elitists: Dealers in Recycled Metals. Whatever they were, they're gone now--only this rusting sign and a metal fence remain.

EMPTY SKELLY SIGN (Rt 66 nr Strafford MO)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:48:34 GMT

]]>This rusted pole, on a highway that intersects with Rt 66, is all that remains of a Skelly truck stop. Too bad the backlit plastic sign was broken from the frame. The whole thing would be worth some money now--more than 30 years after the Skelly brand disappeared.

EMPTY CONOCO SIGN & STATION (Rt 66 Landergin TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:24:25 GMT

]]>Rt 66 is merely a frontage road for I-40 through here. This was a travel center with Conoco fuel and the canopy on this side was exclusively for trucks.

ROAD RELICS (Rt 66 Glenrio TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:11:58 GMT

]]>Three former road icons decay peacefully. Their slumber is broken only by the occasional Rt 66 tourist with a camera or noisy dogs at the still-occupied house next door.

The Little Juarez Cafe in the background dates from 1952. The former Texaco station shares the same concrete block construction and is likely from the same era. The 1967 Pontiac Catalina is a pre-OPEC gas hog, now rusting in peace with the other relics.

BULBS WITH NO SIGN (Bogota TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:12:10 GMT

]]>This once advertised a crossroads business, perhaps a restaurant or small truck stop.

ROUND SIGN (Rt 66 nr Ludlow CA)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 05:24:54 GMT

]]>Another desert business goes bust. This one is so far gone the utility pole at extreme left is devoid of wires!

Utility poles are a bane of photographers. But in remote parts of the west (and this would qualify) they do provide reassurance that there's something up ahead to connect to--maybe even a little town.

WHITING BROS. WOODEN SIGN (Rt 66 Newberry Springs CA)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 22:32:21 GMT

]]>Dozens of cheap knot-filled boards and hundreds of nails produced this canopy sign for the defunct Whiting Bros. chain.

MOHAWK MINI-MART (Rt 66 Oro Grande CA)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 04:41:22 GMT

]]>Scenes like this grow more interesting every year. The wooden sign board appears to have been hand-stenciled.

Changing prices would have involved climbing a ladder. The last posted price was $1.99. They don't make them like this anymore.

LONG EMPTY SIGN (Rt 66/I-40 nr Wildorado TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 18:43:17 GMT

]]>This sign is visible from Rt 66 but clearly from the Interstate era.

TRUCK STOP SILHOUETTE (Rt 66/I-40 Landergin TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:25:32 GMT

]]>The truck is westbound on the Interstate.

SHADOWS OF SELF-SERVICE (Rt 66/I-40 Landergin TX)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:25:54 GMT

]]>This defunct truck stop is from the Interstate era and appears in other images. I have literally found something new to photograph here on every trip.

CHEVRON TEXACO (Rt 66 Glenrio TX/NM)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:31:51 GMT

]]>Chevron took over Texaco and used both corporate names--until shortening it to Chevron. But back when these stations went up the two were competitors.

The Texaco, at back, has traditional white porcelain steel with three green bands around the top.

The foreground canopy indicates the Chevron brand was abandoned and painted over. But that didn't work either.

SIGN, SKY & RUIN (Rt 66 nr Cubero NM)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 16:23:47 GMT

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LUX THEATER (Rt 66 Grants NM)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 05:04:13 GMT

]]>The 1937 neon sign and marquee remain but the theater has been out of business for decades.

HOLIDAY (Rt 66 Springfield MO)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:17:39 GMT

]]>The sign is doing a slow fade years after the drive-in was demolished. Here the setting sun shines through the "Holiday" providing natural illumination.

For a Route 66 drive-in, this sign was pretty basic--just backlit plastic and a signboard below.

IT'S FUN TO RIDE (Rt 66 Williams AZ)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:57:07 GMT

]]>The title appears in ghost lettering under the lead locomotive. Santa Fe (now BNSF) ran the famous Super Chiefs and other passenger trains generations ago.

BNSF is now one of the nation's biggest freight haulers. This eastbound train had four locomotives and 110 cars.

RUIN & SIGN (Rt 66 nr Ludlow CA)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 16:16:27 GMT

]]>Dead or dying trees bookend a scene in the California desert. There could have been more of this...if a US government project to build I-40 nearby using nuclear bombs had been carried out. More info: www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=51451

FORMER TERRIBLE'S SIGN (Rt 66 Barstow CA)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 02:53:50 GMT

]]>Strangely, everything except this sign was removed when the station closed. This required an attendant to climb and change prices. A similar sign is shown in use at a Terrible's station in Kingman AZ.

The sun is extremely low and on the sign's backside. An artistic effect has been added.

ROADSIDE JUMBLE (Rt 66 Holbrook AZ)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 01:22:08 GMT

]]>Dino and friends advertise a rock shop. 66 makes a turn down at the light and this stuff persuades some tourists to continue going straight.

SCENERY THROUGH SIGN (Rt 66 Lupton AZ)

rt66pix@hotmail.com (www.rt66pix.com) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:01:05 GMT

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