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Railroad crossing markings

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  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: South Carolina
  • 313 posts
Railroad crossing markings
Posted by trnj on Saturday, February 7, 2009 2:44 PM

Does anyone have a good system for marking roads with the "R R" marking?  The brass stencils Walthers had are out of stock and the company that formally had dry transfers for them has them no more. 

 TRNJ

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • 569 posts
Posted by ratled on Saturday, February 7, 2009 4:01 PM

What scale are you looking for?  I have an HO scale jpeg I can e mail you that you can cut your own templates from

ratled

Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • 178 posts
Posted by chicochip on Sunday, February 8, 2009 4:56 PM

I made my own "custom" markings with Microsoft Word. I selected a font that was a close, if not correct, match for the letters on the roadway. First, I typed in the R X R in yellow. The I changed the background to a dark contrasting color (gray or black should work well). Then I changed the font color to white. With a little scaling of the type size, and some trial and error, I was able to produce letters of the appropriate height. I printed the image on standard 20 lb. paper, and then carefully cut the white letters out with an Xacto knife. I applied the markings to the roadway by first lightly coating the surface with diluted matte medium (available at art stores). I think diluted white glue would work just as well. Then I positioned the markings on the coated surface, and gently smoothed them with a small paint brush wetted with the same diluted matte medium. Once everything had dried and set, I brushed more of the diluted matte medium over the area to seal the application. Cost?... Pretty much nothing.

chicochip

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: Amish country Tenn.
  • 10,027 posts
Posted by loathar on Sunday, February 8, 2009 6:35 PM
  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Irving, Tx
  • 17 posts
Posted by cicsos2 on Monday, February 9, 2009 12:46 PM

 Thanks to trnj for asking the question - that I was thinking about this morning - and also many thanks to chicochip for providing an excellent suggestion.  I took the suggestion and did the same, except I used powerpoint, and withing a very few minutes (and 3 test prints) I was able to add RR crossings to my streets that I'm adding that are made from black foam board from a local crafts store.  Since the street is black, for right now, I simply used a black background.

 

 

Cheers, Bill M.

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: South Carolina
  • 313 posts
Posted by trnj on Monday, February 9, 2009 1:03 PM

To all who responded to my question re: crossing markings, THANK YOU!  I not only received several excellent suggestions but also some web-site info and even an offer to lend me a stencil!  What a great fraternity model railroaders are!  I am waiting on a reply from a "web" hobby supplier as to whether or not the stencil is in stock and I have printed out some crossing markings as well.  If all else fails, I might take the offer to borrow a stencil!  Some times I hesitate to ask something for fear it is a dumb question so I'm glad others benefited this time around. 

 John Cornette

Mebane, NC 

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: Amish country Tenn.
  • 10,027 posts
Posted by loathar on Monday, February 9, 2009 3:48 PM

No dumb questions here! Big Smile Let us know if that stencil is in stock. (and where) I need to order one myself.

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