I'd like to paint my non prototypical locos, both diesel and steam (ones on my SP based layout that the real SP didn't have) in SP colors and letter them for the "COAST RANGE", as if a subsidary existed like Cotton Belt. I should do the (yet to be repainted) freight cars too for that matter. And even some patchouts.
So I'd like to use the same font used on SP, especially on the engines. Is that called Roman Gothic? Railroad Gothic? I've heard it somewhere. What brand would be readily available with the variety of letters to use for these?
Let me tell you, my experience with decals is limited to a few 1/25 model cars, I did ok. But I don't believe I have ever lettered a single model RR piece of equipment, except one, and that was only a road number done with dry transfer. I know that I need to apply decals to shiny surfaces.
My well stocked and knowledgeable LHS is on the other side of the Cascade mountains, no possible trips in this climate. I turn to you guys to help me get started in the right direction without buying sheets only to use 10% of what's on them. I do have some various freight car data sheets, and I am not going to be picky about the data being super accurate, as I can't read it without glasses, and no one else who ever sees the layout will know the diff.
Suggestions? Thanks. Dan
I've heard of Railroad Roman.
Does some of what you're looking for look like these:
https://fontsov.com/font/railroadroman34914.html
Southgate,
I believe SP's font is railroad roman or darned close to it. If you intend to do a large number of models, may I suggest getting custom decals made? Lettering your equipment one character at a time using generic alphabet sets is going to get old PDQ. Centering the name and keeping it straight is a lot more tedious than a 1/25 model car. On a custom decal set you can get various sizes of lettering for various car types. I had (had being the operative word here) a free-lance railroad with a six letter name, and after lettering a few dozen cars and engines using alphabet sets, prototypical road names took on a new lustre.
Try using an alphabet set and, see how it works out for you.
Thank you, Maxman. Those are close but a bit elongated, but your reply led me to find what I'm looking for; Times new roman. So I got the font down, now I just need a hint as to supplier.
Suppliers of custom decals can be found at www.greatdecals.com. A couple of firms doing custom work are Microscale Industries and, Highball Graphics, both of which are listed on the Great Decals website.
I've heard good reviews from this supplier of custom decal work:
https://www.pdc.ca/rr/custom_decals/
He can work from your artwork or help you with it.
MS Word is OK but a vector graphic is better, CorelDRAW or Affinity Designer.
I have purchased specifically made typefaces from RailFonts:
http://railfonts.com/Samples/Sou-Pac-demo.html
You could call your railroad Pacific Southern and there would only be one simple snip. Or Pacific Belt? Cotton Southern?
Microscale's minimum run is 250 sheets
Good Luck, Ed
Maxman and NTHS, after a closer look, I think you're both right. And the prospect of applying single letter at a time does not appeal. I'll look into custom decals, or even just live with SP lettering in my own little alternate reality.
Shoot, the model manufacturers have gotten away with swapping roadnames on RR specific equipment for years and the world still turns. And I have a few examples. Thanks for the replies! Dan
Enjoy your alternate reality. We all do it. After all, our trains run off of 12 VDC or whatever DCC is, instead of filling our homes with diesel smoke!
Click to enlarge
Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Thank you all for your replies. Ed, your idea about the "one simple snip" is great! I'll considder those possibilities. Decals are all readily available, in fact I have some.
Mel, I knew if anyone could narrow down the specific SP font, it would be you.
And it's always nice to have a little reassurance on our alternative realities. Not get too bogged down with prototypicality
Thanks, guys, questions answered.
Have you considered printing your own decals? I've done quite a few, and I'm happy with most.
But, you can't print white, and light colors don't do very well either. So, if you are flexible about the colors and backgrounds, you can do this.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
A good friend sent me some decals that he had custom made by Circus City
Wayne
I bought an Alps MD1000 printer specifically for printing white decals and print my own. The Alps is a good printer but it does have its faults, requires Windows XP and a parallel printer output. If I was starting over to make my own white decals I’d look for a laser printer that would use a Ghost White Toner cartridge, a bit pricy but one cartridge will print over 2000 pages.I kinda look at my Alps as a hobby tool so at $170 its inline with most quality tools. The white cartridges have been going up, $20 today for special cartridges, white, silver and gold.This is one I like the best.
I named my town after our youngest daughter, Susie (20), she was killed at work during a robbery. So my layout fire department is Susanville Fire, the printer was worth every penny to me to print out those decals. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Mr Beasley, I tried once on our lame printer, with predictable results. But I'm willing.
Dr Wayne, those pictures add additional enticement, so...
Mel, my wife has been wanting a better printer of late. I showed her the beautiful lettering on the firetruck with the door expanded to the full screen of my galaxy 8 phone. Then I shrunk it to actual size. Wow!
I'm sorry about your loss, I should add.
We're wide open to buying a quality white, gold, silver capable laser printer, but dont know where to start . Would best buy or office max have something? Or do you have any recommendations? Doesn't have to be cheap, but can't be too exotic. Would help if it can make workaday paper copies economically in the long run. Suggestions?
Southgate 2 Mel, my wife has been wanting a better printer of late. I showed her the beautiful lettering on the firetruck with the door expanded to the full screen of my galaxy 8 phone. Then I shrunk it to actual size. Wow! I'm sorry about your loss, I should add. We're wide open to buying a quality white, gold, silver capable laser printer, but dont know where to start . Would best buy or office max have something? Or do you have any recommendations? Doesn't have to be cheap, but can't be too exotic. Would help if it can make workaday paper copies economically in the long run. Suggestions?
Thank You!
The only experience I’ve had with laser printers was at work and that’s been awhile, I retired in 2007. I had a HP Laser Jet 4MV in my office that I used for printing 11” x 17” CAD preview drawings before sending them to a HP 42” Plotter. Best printer I ever used.Ghost White has a page to select the correct toner for all kinds of printers to see which printer cartridge fits each model of printer.https://www.ghost-white-toner.com/I’m way too old to go in that direction now, had that been available when I started printing decals that is the direction I would have gone.My 20 year old XP computer or KVM crapped out so I can’t use my Alps until I get around to tackling that problem. I don’t get around very well and I’ll need help moving my workstation to get to the back of all my electronic goodies. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.