OK so I'm getting ready to make some "decals" for my heavy duty flat car to get it into interchange on the MSMRC, so I'm trying to settle in a reporting mark for my system.
Now through much digging I made it back to December of 2017 in a thread started by Kevin (SeeYou190) where I asked about what I could use as rep marks for the NWP-SWP, and I realize looking back I kinda hijacked the thread...
Sorry about that Kevin.
Anyways back to my point,
I've seen PRR rolling stock with reporting marks reading "PENNSYLVANIA" and the car number.
How'd they get away with that?
If they did couldn't I do something similar?
Like "NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC"
Or "SOUTHWESTERN"
Or if I have to stick to four letters how bout "NPSP" or "SPNP"?
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Oh and the "decals" are going to be basically dark charcoal grey copy paper with white lettering Elmers glued onto a rattle can paint job.
Call me cheap!
NWP SWP I've seen PRR rolling stock with reporting marks reading "PENNSYLVANIA" and the car number. How'd they get away with that? If they did couldn't I do something similar?
Their reporting marks were still not over 4 letters long (PRR).
"PENNSYLVANIA" is not a reporting mark.
Exceptions were made for very special people (railroads).
Is your railroad very special?
Ed
Please elaborate on the meaning of "special"
And this is what I meant.
Now using my brain for a moment I'd guess it was OK for the PRR because they still had "PRR" reporting marks on the car, on the ends that is.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
I don't know how many railroads were granted permission to use symbols — an ampersand in this case — but the D&RGW did and it totaled five characters, to boot.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw50230j14.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw50663agd.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw60037jpa.jpg
There it is—
gmpullmanI don't know how many railroads were granted permission to use symbols — an ampersand in this case — but the D&RGW did and it totaled five characters, to boot.
First off era matters.
If you are modeling 1900 then you can have more than 4 characters in a reporting mark.
If you are modeling 2000 then you are limited to 4 for the reporting mark. The railroad can paint something else on the car, but the reporting mark, what's actually on the official car record, what's registered with the AAR, will only be 4 characters.
Once you get past the 1970's and things are computerized, that only lets you enter 4 characters for the reporting marks.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
So "NPSP" it is?
And as I said the PENNSYLVANIA boxcar did have PRR reporting marks but not on the side of the car, the end of the car had PRR and the car number up near the roof.
It is true that AAR reporting marks may contain no more than four letters. What appears on the cars may be something else. For example, "Southern" appeared on both the sides and ends of Southern Railway equipment up until the very late 1980s-early 1990s, with "SOU" no place to be seen.
Add Wabash to the list of non-compliers. Although they use the WAB reporting mark along with the number on the car sides, they use the full name WABASH on the car ends.
As I understand it, it is not the railroads that choose their own reporting marks. They are assigned to avoid duplication. I guess the AAR does the assigning.
Railroads of course often use abbreviations for their name on locomotives and rolling stock -- they would not have to use their reporting marks or alpha code for this, but for practical reasons I imagine they like to use their AAR supplied reporting marks as their abbreviation as well.
Dave Nelson
I'm going to have some fun trying to get the reporting mark decals made tomorrow!
All I'm using is copy paper and Elmers glue.
The lettering for the marks should be white right? Majority of rep marks I see are white.
There are a number of companies that will make custom decals for you that will be better than "copy paper and Elmers glue". Just check out MR, RMC, NG&SLG or any model railroad magazine and you'll find several ads for custom decal makers, or just do an online search on "custom model railroad decals". It's well worth the investment.
Reporting marks can be any color that will show up on your equipment, so if you plan on using a dark color for boxcars etc. choose white or yellow; if a light color, use black.
BTW it does seem railroads were allowed to 'get away' with non-standard reporting marks for a while. The Missabe used their round herald instead of reporting marks on their ore cars for a long time, which was OK because the ore cars were almost always online - although sometimes they would be interchanged in Superior WI with GN/BN. However, as the Missabe did more 'all-rail' trains, sending ore cars many states away, the gov't cracked down and made them add "DMIR" to the cars.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8435/7990655169_4a08b7bce5_z.jpg
NWP SWP So "NPSP" it is? And as I said the PENNSYLVANIA boxcar did have PRR reporting marks but not on the side of the car, the end of the car had PRR and the car number up near the roof.
Assuming the AAR let you use NP (Northern Pacific) and SP (Southern Pacific) together. They might feel it was too likely to be confused with those railroads and assign something else.
I believe the four-letter maximum came in during the 1940's, before that it was more or less whatever you wanted to do. It appears the Pennsy boxcar was shows a date in the 1930's. I seem to recall that by the 1950's Pennsy cars might still have PENNSYLVANIA spelled out, but "PRR" reporting marks with the ID number.
BTW if your NWP-SWP is a "system", that would mean it was several railroads working together under one umbrella, not one railroad. Each car would carry the three or four letter reporting marks of the railroad that owned it. In the 1970's the "Chessie System" contained several railroads, so equipment carried reporting marks for B&O, C&O, or WM (Western Maryland) despite having "CHESSIE SYSTEM" on the cars, and the Chessie herald.
https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7020/6469185773_60f881de9d_b.jpg
Similar to how in the steam era cars in the New York Central System would have the NYCS herald, but could have reporting marks of NYC (New York Central), MC (Michigan Central), TOC (Toledo & Ohio Central), PE (Peoria & Eastern) etc.
http://blog.resincarworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/PandE_2831_hm_web.jpg
But the NWP-SWP also owns some of its own rolling stock.
No chance the ARR would allow a grandfathered in rep mark huh?
What I mean is the rep mark be NWP-SWP and when the 4 digit rule went into effect they got a lenience?
Not likely I'm guessing.
Also I've gathered that the rep marks DO NOT need to be on rolling stock? As long as there are plain identifying marks like "NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC" By the car number?
Reporting marks (2-4 letters and ID number) are required on all rolling stock used in interchange service. It is the one and only legal identification of the car, all other names and slogans and heralds are basically decoration. If the ABC railroad buys a used Union Pacific boxcar, it could just paint over the "UP" in the reporting marks and replace it with "ABC" and the car would be legal as an ABC boxcar. The fact that it still had "UNION PACIFIC" in big letters on it and a big UP shield or a "Be Specific - Ship Union Pacific" slogan wouldn't matter. The reporting marks are what identifies the car.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reporting_mark
It's either a system or a railroad, not both. If it's a "system", then it's several connected but legally separate railroads. There wouldn't be jointly owned equipment. A car might say "NWP-SWP SYSTEM" on the upper left, or have an NWP-SWP herald, but the reporting marks on the lower left would be NWP or SWP...like in the Chessie System example I used earlier.
BTW are you basing this on the actual NorthWestern Pacific railroad combining with a free-lance "Southwestern Pacific"?
The field is 4 characters. Four. Not six. No punctuation. 1 to 4 alpha characters. Once again it you want to model 1900, go for the gusto. If you want to model since the 1960's then the number is four.
Begining to sound like a Monty Python sketch. Anybody seen a Holy Hand Grenade?
I'm going to just a put NPSP on the car can call it good.
How's this look?
NWP SWP I'm going to just a put NPSP on the car can call it good.
NWP SWPHow's this look?
You did that with "Copy" paper and Elmer's glue ???Look's pretty good to me !
Rust...... It's a good thing !
Yes copy paper and Elmers glue diluted with water.
The trick is placing the decal and not touching it otherwise it'll start running and peeling.
By the way it's also a rattle can paint job.