Highest RCS mileage ever.

[Osthagen]

Longer distances seem to be less prevalent on route-conformation and directional signage than they once were, and the highest mileage on an RCS today is London 166 on the A30 eastbound at Honiton. There is this oddity on the A1(M) southbound at J44 south of Wetherby, with London listed without a distance, a feature shared by several signs on the northernmost stretch of M1.

The highest mileage, of which I am aware, to have ever been present on an RCS was this one on the M4 eastbound after J46 at Cwmrhydyceirw, near Morriston in Wales. The sign lists "London 191" as one of its destinations. The relevant sign was here (listing now: Cardiff 44, Swansea N&E no distance, Neath 8), although the distance it gives is actually erroneous because Charing Cross is only 188 miles away from that location.

I am uncertain as to whether a further mileage has ever existed on an RCS on the network.

[Was92now625]

Longer distances seem to be less prevalent on route-conformation and directional signage than they once were, and the highest mileage on an RCS today is London 166 on the A30 eastbound at Honiton.

Not contributing to the original topic but getting sidetracked by the sign, I'm surprised there were no brackets on the sign. Dorchester would involve considerable travel NOT on A30 (e.g. A35). You COULD get to London by staying on A30 (subject to a gap).

[NICK 647063]

Not contributing to the original topic but getting sidetracked by the sign, I'm surprised there were no brackets on the sign. Dorchester would involve considerable travel NOT on A30 (e.g. A35). You COULD get to London by staying on A30 (subject to a gap).

Brackets aren’t used on modern RCS, the mileage to London is via the A303 which again on older RCS would be in brackets but these days aren’t.... I will give you another example here of the modern layout https://goo.gl/maps/bQExXYYRYP7dKsmo6 On old RCS Leeds would be brackets via A64, Hull brackets via M62 and Doncaster not brackets, these days brackets don’t happen.

[A9Dan]

Longer distances seem to be less prevalent on route-conformation and directional signage than they once were, and the highest mileage on an RCS today is London 166 on the A30 eastbound at Honiton.

There is a London 167 here.

Has there ever been anything higher than Thurso 144 in Scotland?

[Osthagen]

There is a London 167 here.

Has there ever been anything higher than Thurso 144 in Scotland?

There has, I listed a former example with "London 191" in my original post, which was looking for the largest mileage on a historic RCS.

[Osthagen]

Brackets aren’t used on modern RCS, the mileage to London is via the A303 which again on older RCS would be in brackets but these days aren’t.... I will give you another example here of the modern layout https://goo.gl/maps/bQExXYYRYP7dKsmo6 On old RCS Leeds would be brackets via A64, Hull brackets via M62 and Doncaster not brackets, these days brackets don’t happen.

I wonder why having things like "(Hull 56)" on signs is now considered unacceptable.

[A42_Sparks]

I don’t think the London 191 has ever or will ever be topped.

As Osthagen noted once the motorway was completed and you could actually drive the whole way to London on the M4 it disappeared from the RCS.

[crazyknightsfan]

The highest mileage, of which I am aware, to have ever been present on an RCS was this one on the M4 eastbound after J46 at Cwmrhydyceirw, near Morriston in Wales. The sign lists "London 191" as one of its destinations. The relevant sign was here (listing now: Cardiff 44, Swansea N&E no distance, Neath 8), although the distance it gives is actually erroneous because Charing Cross is only 188 miles away from that location.

What a useless sign the current RCS is. Just like the A1(M)/M1 signs with London as a regional destination with no distance. Just dumb.

As a curiosity, one of the only examples of a distance-less regional distance on an RCS in Australia was on the M2 Motorway in Sydney (opened 1997) - I can see where the inspiration came from.

[WHBM]

There used to be an RCS in Santa Monica, California, right at the start of Interstate 10, just as you come out of the tunnel eastbound, which gave the distance to Jacksonville Florida, other end of the road, as about 2,500 miles. It's gone now, shame.

Often felt there should be an RCS leaving both Lands End and John o'Groats giving the distance to the other.

[Osthagen]

Just like the A1(M)/M1 signs with London as a regional destination with no distance. Just dumb.

Its interesting that they sign London under the heading "(M1)", when its common knowledge that the easiest way to get from the A1(M) southbound in that area to London, or anywhere along the M1 south of Barnsley, is to firstly join the M18 at J35, and join the M1 from that.

[Chris5156]

The relevant sign was here (listing now: Cardiff 44, Swansea N&E no distance, Neath 8), although the distance it gives is actually erroneous because Charing Cross is only 188 miles away from that location.

Given that it was installed before the M4 was complete, it's not unreasonable to think that 191 was the correct mileage when part of the journey would be made on the A48 or other roads.

Has there ever been anything higher than Thurso 144 in Scotland?

There has, I listed a former example with "London 191" in my original post, which was looking for the largest mileage on a historic RCS.

It wasn't in Scotland though!

[Osthagen]

Has there ever been anything higher than Thurso 144 in Scotland?

It wasn't in Scotland though!

I misread the post. There is a brown "tourist" sign on here on the A835 near Ullapool, listing "John o' Groats 170", no other destinations. Its debatable whether or not you want to classify that as an RCS, it is confirming that a driver is on a particular a route.

[Bryn666]

There used to be an RCS in Santa Monica, California, right at the start of Interstate 10, just as you come out of the tunnel eastbound, which gave the distance to Jacksonville Florida, other end of the road, as about 2,500 miles. It's gone now, shame.

Often felt there should be an RCS leaving both Lands End and John o'Groats giving the distance to the other.

There is still the "Cove Fort" sign as you leave Baltimore on I-70 westbound, listing the distance as over 3,000 miles away. I suspect the one in LA has just vanished and a cash strapped Caltrans haven't bothered to replace it rather than any ideological reason mind.

As for LE-JoG; the fingerposts sort of count? I recall LE has one pointing to New York 3147 (there's a picture of me stood in front of it in 1996 somewhere in the albums in my parents loft).

[Osthagen]

When the Yorks sections of M1 were first opened in c. 1967, did London feature on any of the RCSs? I ask because how prominently London seems to feature on older directional signs in this area.

[trickstat]

Brackets aren’t used on modern RCS, the mileage to London is via the A303 which again on older RCS would be in brackets but these days aren’t.... I will give you another example here of the modern layout https://goo.gl/maps/bQExXYYRYP7dKsmo6 On old RCS Leeds would be brackets via A64, Hull brackets via M62 and Doncaster not brackets, these days brackets don’t happen.

I wonder why having things like "(Hull 56)" on signs is now considered unacceptable.

I'm wondering whether it was decided that the difference between bracketed and unbracketed destinations could be considered misleading. For example, a sign on the northbound M1 in the Northampton area may have shown a distance to Leicester unbracketed and Birmingham in brackets. However, to get to the point in central Leicester that the distance applies to you will still have to leave the M1 just outside the city.

[kc1]

Longer distances seem to be less prevalent on route-conformation and directional signage than they once were, and the highest mileage on an RCS today is London 166 on the A30 eastbound at Honiton.

There is a London 167 here.

Has there ever been anything higher than Thurso 144 in Scotland?

Glasgow 103 is the highest I can think of in Scotland.

[McDanger]

Glasgow 103 is the highest I can think of in Scotland.

There are many in Scotland which will trump this. For example https://goo.gl/maps/7MAvNhDsMhpH8Au19 on the A9 heading south.

[Osthagen]

Glasgow 103 is the highest I can think of in Scotland.

We've presently got higher mileages to Thurso (144) and to John O Groats (170), but about "Glasgow 133" on the A83 leaving Campbeltown?

[Altnabreac]

Was driving home up the M6 yesterday and passed this sign:
https://goo.gl/maps/mH4EhupcHR9BmWdo9

Think it has to be a contender for the lowest (But has to be the highest value on the individual sign) value.

M6
SCOTLAND
Carlisle 4

No further distance given than 4 miles. Anyone got a lower example than that on a Motorway?

[jervi]

Was driving home up the M6 yesterday and passed this sign:
https://goo.gl/maps/mH4EhupcHR9BmWdo9

Think it has to be a contender for the lowest (But has to be the highest value on the individual sign) value.

M6
SCOTLAND
Carlisle 4

No further distance given than 4 miles. Anyone got a lower example than that on a Motorway?

Equal award for lowest highest distance given on a RCS on a motorway
A329(M) https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.43791 ... 384!8i8192
M181 (for as long as it lives) https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.56797 ... 312!8i6656