Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Peter_L]

Looking through some photos over the weekend, reminded me of our overnight halt in Yuma, Arizona.
A photo in the hotel lobby showed an old Ford on a wooden plank road, so naturally we had to make a visit. There is little to see of the original structure but if one ignores the comfort of one's air conditioned modern car and the smooth (smoothish ) black top highway and looks out across the foot scorching, throat drying, eye stinging desert it is maybe possible to imagine just 1% of what it must have been like to actually drive this road.


http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/70spring/plankimages.htm

Searching "Plank Road Arizona" produces a host of images and information...

[peter scott]

Hi Peter,

I came across a display of photos and a sample of the road in the motor museum in San Diego last year. It certainly was an amazing construction to create a road across the dunes. Apparently it was single track and there were many miles between passing places. With neither party wishing to back-up fights broke out.

Peter

http://www.gbcnet.com/ushighways/US80/US80_plank_road.html


_________________
http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[Penman]

Hi
I am sure that back in the late 40s early 50s there were some wooden block streets in the centre of London.
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[Peter_L]

Hi Peter...... Like many of our road trips, there are always things that have to be missed. We were heading to San Diego, to see the museum aircraft carrier USS Midway. then north to the Queen Mary at Longbeach before reaching our rental house at Bodega Bay... Last year was a detour on the way back from Florida, to visit the museum battleship USS North Carolina in N.C. I don't think anyone makes a bucket large enough for my bucket list.

[peter scott]

We think alike!





The previous time I visited the QM was not long after it had first arrived and it had incongruous Gilbert-Scott red telephone boxes sited at various places along the promenade deck. Fortunately these have now found some more appropriate home.

Peter
_________________
http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[MVPeters]

I believe that the origin of "trunk" roads is somewhat similar - tree trunks, perhaps sawn in half, dropped across a pathway. Only major arteries - trunk roads - were worthy of such surfacing. This technique is still used in some logging areas.
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Mike - MVPeters at comcast.net
2002 MINI Cooper 'S'

[peter scott]

Nice one Mike, but you are more than 10 days too late. Roads are like trees because the major parts (trunks) lead to minor parts (branches). Or vice versa if you start at the roots.

Peter
_________________
http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[MVPeters]

(Not sure I understand the 10 days reference).

But the point is that only the MAIN roads, the TRUNKS, were surfaced this way.
_________________
Mike - MVPeters at comcast.net
2002 MINI Cooper 'S'

[peter scott]

Sorry Mike, the 1st of April reference maybe has more significance in the UK.

Peter
_________________
http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[Rick]

[Peter_L]

Several dictionaries seem to agree that the word "Trunk" derives from the Latin. "Truncus" The trunk of a tree

So called trunk roads in Pakistan and India pre date any American roads and the Grand Trunk Railroad in 1852 predates the U.S / Canadian road network

Americanisms may suggest that references to a rough road of "tree trunks" would use the word "log" although a "Logging Road" refers to the noun "Logging"

...... and just to think, if we had never stopped at Yuma, this thread may never have happened and therefore would not have spawned a thread about wood block roads

Don't let anyone say this forum is made up of a load of boring old farts...
(there are only a few of us here)