N Scale Hi Rail - Retro Hollow Core Door Layout

[CRL]

It’s apparently a regional thing, like the button hooks for left turns used in New Jersey.

[peteski]

@OldEastRR may very well have moved here from the East.
Roundabouts here are a relatively new phenomena.  We've been getting more and more but I'd say they've really only been around for +/- 15 years.
They've always been roundabouts even by WSDOT nomenclature.

Roundabout nomenclature is also used in UK.  Like I mentioned, the term "rotary" is being replaced by "traffic circle", but not roundabout.  We had these in New England area for many decades.

[OldEastRR]

Well, when I was bopping about MA, NH and ME in the '90s, they were called "rotaries". And not with any fondness by the natives. Whatever they're called, they are all over the county now. I'm glad to see you NE natives happily and enthusiastically embracing these roundabouts.
I also remember from my '90s times in Balto that there was double- and triple-parking common on every major street. I happened by just when the Inner Harbor had been rejuvenated and the Amtrak station restored to elegance.
And Lee, I'm sure you'll find a way to reproduce scenically just how jammed in RRs had to be in the already built-up cities of the mid-1800's.  I have wonderful memories of late 1970's MA coast and how Norman Rockwell-ish the place felt.  Coming back in 1990 and seeing the changes was jarring.

[MK]

It’s apparently a regional thing, like the button hooks for left turns used in New Jersey.

Button hooks?  That's a new one.  We call them Jug Handles in North Jersey.

[muktown128]

I grew up on the Jersey shore and they were known as traffic circles and jug handles.  Never heard of rotaries and button hooks as terms to describe these things until this thread.  Some of the traffic circles were notorious for accidents and a few were replaced with more traditional intersections because the original circles were not designed to handle the volume of traffic.  Most of these traffic circles were fairly large and occupied a fair amount of real estate.  There were several traffic circles on Route 70 going from Brielle, through Bricktown, Lakehurst and Marlton along with traffic circles on Route 35/34 in Monmouth county.  Jug handles were common on all of the county and state highways.  Took some time to getting used to making left turns from the left lane after moving from Jersey.

I live in SE Wisconsin now and roundabouts became all the rage a while back.  We have many (almost too many) along the interstate and state highways.  I'm not a big fan of them, but after learning how to drive thru traffic circles in Jersey, the roundabouts with WI are a piece of cake.  The roundabouts in WI are much smaller than the traffic circles in Jersey and you have to go much slower thru the ones in WI because it is a pretty tight curve.

Scott

[John]

I grew up on the Jersey shore and they were known as traffic circles and jug handles.  Never heard of rotaries and button hooks as terms to describe these things until this thread.  Some of the traffic circles were notorious for accidents and a few were replaced with more traditional intersections because the original circles were not designed to handle the volume of traffic.  Most of these traffic circles were fairly large and occupied a fair amount of real estate.  There were several traffic circles on Route 70 going from Brielle, through Bricktown, Lakehurst and Marlton along with traffic circles on Route 35/34 in Monmouth county.  Jug handles were common on all of the county and state highways.  Took some time to getting used to making left turns from the left lane after moving from Jersey.

As a young sailor, I went to school at Lakehurst in the 70s.  One night, after a lot of drinking at Eisenhower's bar, my friend Norman and I decided to head to Philly ..  I don't remember which roundabout since Norman was driviing .. he got into one of them, and couldn't figure out how to get out .. so we went around in circles a few time .. a different time, and different attitudes .. don't do this now, nor was it wise back then ..

[peteski]

Well, when I was bopping about MA, NH and ME in the '90s, they were called "rotaries". And not with any fondness by the natives. Whatever they're called, they are all over the county now. I'm glad to see you NE natives happily and enthusiastically embracing these roundabouts.

I wouldn't say "enthusiastically embracing". Far from it.  They are more of a pain, then useful.  Well, one useful thing about them is if you lost, or unsure where to go, you can drive around in circles until you figure out which exit to take.  But with the advent of GPS, that is not usually a problem.

[nuno81291]

Embracing roundabouts? Born and raised in MA and can’t stand the damn things. Especially with my work rig, a 1 ton truck with a 14k dump trailer.. kill or be killed out there. 

[dem34]

I grew up on the Jersey shore and they were known as traffic circles and jug handles.  Never heard of rotaries and button hooks as terms to describe these things until this thread.  Some of the traffic circles were notorious for accidents and a few were replaced with more traditional intersections because the original circles were not designed to handle the volume of traffic.  Most of these traffic circles were fairly large and occupied a fair amount of real estate.  There were several traffic circles on Route 70 going from Brielle, through Bricktown, Lakehurst and Marlton along with traffic circles on Route 35/34 in Monmouth county.  Jug handles were common on all of the county and state highways.  Took some time to getting used to making left turns from the left lane after moving from Jersey.

I live in SE Wisconsin now and roundabouts became all the rage a while back.  We have many (almost too many) along the interstate and state highways.  I'm not a big fan of them, but after learning how to drive thru traffic circles in Jersey, the roundabouts with WI are a piece of cake.  The roundabouts in WI are much smaller than the traffic circles in Jersey and you have to go much slower thru the ones in WI because it is a pretty tight curve.

Scott

As of this Summer all of the Circles in Monmouth County have been replaced by Roundabouts after a politician had a heated online argument about receiving a ticket in Wall.

[CRL]

There have been traffic studies that indicate they cause less congestion than signaled intersections for moderate levels of average annual daily traffic. That’s probably why you’re seeing more of them, plus I’m guessing they’re cheaper.

[Wardie]

Embracing roundabouts? Born and raised in MA and can’t stand the damn things. Especially with my work rig, a 1 ton truck with a 14k dump trailer.. kill or be killed out there. 

Even more fun with a Peterbuilt 567 and a 45’ dry van trailer. Especially the single lane ones with concrete aprons on the inside.

[wm3798]

Hers an  overview of my N scale model railroad...

You know, the one that doesn't have a traffic circle.  Only circles of track.
Moving on, now.
Lee

[rickb773]

My brain finds this much easier to comprehend:

[wm3798]

Thanks Rick!

[narrowminded]

There's a rarity!   An amphibious steam locomotive in midstream.  How many barges can it tow?