A company has offered the City of Albuquerque a way to repair its malfunctioning neon archway lights on Central Avenue, aka Route 66, at no cost, according to a report by KOAT-TV. Other media outlets in Albuquerque reported last week the city was looking at replacing its troublesome or burned-out neon with LED lighting, which is … Continue reading Company offers to fix Albuquerque signs for free
Category: Signs
Albuquerque plans to upgrade city neon signs to LED
Deep in a KRQE-TV story about the City of Albuquerque's Route 66-themed signs -- including the archways over Central Avenue -- is this item -- the city eventually will upgrade them to LED. Apparently neon owned by the city has been experiencing trouble staying lighted for extended periods -- to the chagrin of residents and … Continue reading Albuquerque plans to upgrade city neon signs to LED
Brooks Building in Arcadia soon will have a Route 66-friendly tenant
Joel Rayburn, owner of the Route 66-related GlassBoy Studios and Tourist Trap Tees, soon will move into the historic Brooks Building just a stone's throw from the Round Barn in Arcadia, Oklahoma. Rayburn told me in a text he should be ready to open the doors to those businesses there by early October. According to … Continue reading Brooks Building in Arcadia soon will have a Route 66-friendly tenant
Rail Haven hotel installs replica of classic sign
The Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven hotel in Springfield, Missouri, on Friday installed a replica of a classic neon sign that came down in 1994 when the hotel was rebranded, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Part of the reason the original sign was taken down was because it was "in bad shape," said Jennifer … Continue reading Rail Haven hotel installs replica of classic sign
One way to repurpose an old sign
Steve Paulken, city manager for Winslow, Arizona, sent these photos of the old Moore's Pawn & Trading sign along Route 66 in town being refurbished, thanks in part to a city program. Paulken wrote in an email: This sign has been here for over 30 years, but in recent years has been unused and totally faded out. … Continue reading One way to repurpose an old sign
Kingman building ‘welcome arch’ to its downtown
Kingman, Arizona, is building a "welcome arch" across its downtown Beale Street, according to the Kingman Daily Miner. The arch would be installed as part of Kingman's participation as a quarterfinalist in the America's Best Communities contest in which $10 million is at stake, city manager John Dougherty said. Dougherty said the ABC team, which … Continue reading Kingman building ‘welcome arch’ to its downtown
Signs saved from the demolished Bel-Aire Motel
An article this week in the The State Journal-Register answers one question in the wake of the demolition of the Bel-Air Motel in Springfield, Illinois -- what will happen to the neon signs? The short answer: They've been acquired by two local residents, where they likely will be restored. Retired Springfield businessman Ron Metzger and … Continue reading Signs saved from the demolished Bel-Aire Motel
The sad decline of the Sun ‘n Sand Motel
Less than three years after it served overnight customers, the historic Sun 'n Sand Motel in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, has declined into an eyesore and a magnet for homeless people, according to a detailed report this week in the print edition of the Guadalupe County Communicator. Longtime Route 66 travelers likely will recognize the … Continue reading The sad decline of the Sun ‘n Sand Motel
Artisan re-creating smaller versions of classic Route 66 neon signs
Joel Rayburn of GlassBoy Studios in the Oklahoma City area unveiled three smaller re-creations of classic Route 66 neon signs during the Rockabilly on the Route festival in Tucumcari, New Mexico, this weekend. The re-created signs are El Cajon Motel in San Bernardino, California, a Whiting Bros. Motel sign in San Fidel, New Mexico, and … Continue reading Artisan re-creating smaller versions of classic Route 66 neon signs
Bel-Aire sputnik will be restored for sign company’s museum
For those who worried about the fate of the sputnik structure atop the doomed Bel-Air Motel in Springfield, Illinois, do not worry. Ace Sign Co. of Springfield removed the sputnik over the weekend and eventually will restore it for its neon museum that coincidentally opens today, according to the State Journal-Register. The fiberglass ball of … Continue reading Bel-Aire sputnik will be restored for sign company’s museum