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Help with decals for GG1 - need some specific ones and I dont know if they are available

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  • Member since
    October 2014
  • 273 posts
Posted by LOCO_GUY on Friday, December 18, 2015 4:06 PM

NVSSR,

My old hands are so old an shaky that I would be lucky to get a screw back into a loco without a heavily magentized screwdiver tip. So I can't do that much detail work. I tried putting pin stripes down an NYC passenger car and it looked like a snake. As someone said in a movie "A man's GOT to know his limitations.". Was that Dirty Harry?

I am going to try and create some jet black road numbers and look at other alternatives for the white "Amtrak" lettering.

Chris.

Loco Guy - is a state of mind - not an affinity to locomotives.

Sit back and enjoy your track...

  • Member since
    March 2011
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Posted by NVSRR on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 7:36 PM

You could always use white decal paper.  Just outline the letters in black line.  Make them slightly larger than the finished letter.  Using a very sharp blade trace, cut on the inside of the black line slowly and carefully.  Take your time.   That will give you the white letters.  Not the greastest method, but a method none the less.

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

  • Member since
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Posted by pike-62 on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 7:00 PM

LOCO_GUY

I have already ordered some decal paper to make my 9mm high road numbers. I just need help with the 5mm solid white "Amtrak" logo.

Can anyone give me advice on this?

 

 

Chris

Contact me via private message. This is something I can help with.

Dan

  • Member since
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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 8:40 PM
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    October 2014
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Posted by LOCO_GUY on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 4:11 PM

I have already ordered some decal paper to make my 9mm high road numbers. I just need help with the 5mm solid white "Amtrak" logo.

Can anyone give me advice on this?

Chris.

Loco Guy - is a state of mind - not an affinity to locomotives.

Sit back and enjoy your track...

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Posted by ndbprr on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 5:57 AM
You can restore old decals by spraying the sheet with varnish or lacquer from a spray can. It makes a skin to hold them together while installing them.
  • Member since
    October 2014
  • 273 posts
Posted by LOCO_GUY on Monday, December 14, 2015 11:55 PM

Well that's amazing - you can print your own decals on decal paper.

I just watched a youtube video on how to make them - really cool. However, you cannot make white decals as the printer treats white as the absence of color as it assumes you are using white paper. So I might be able to do the road numbers but not the Amtrak logo itself.

It's just fantastic what you can learn here - I dont think I have ever submitted a post that didn't teach me plenty of stuff I did not know about.

Any suggestions as to what might be the best decal paper (thickness, quality, brand, etc) to work with for locos and cars?

Chris.

Loco Guy - is a state of mind - not an affinity to locomotives.

Sit back and enjoy your track...

  • Member since
    October 2014
  • 273 posts
Posted by LOCO_GUY on Monday, December 14, 2015 11:24 PM

Bob,

My hope was that I could maybe get the white lettering for the "Amtrak" road name. Some loco must have used it. The black numbering I would use from anywhere as long as it looks similar to the Amtrak ones.

How can you make your own decals? Is there some printer paper that you can print on a blank decal and then use it? That would be really cool as I could do the whole side on one decal.

Chris.

Loco Guy - is a state of mind - not an affinity to locomotives.

Sit back and enjoy your track...

  • Member since
    December 2011
  • 440 posts
Posted by Uncle_Bob on Monday, December 14, 2015 11:20 PM

If Amtrak apparently never painted a G in this scheme, it's doubtful anyone ever produced decals for it.  You could try using black numerals and letters in a similar font to those in the drawings, unless you want to make your own or have a custom decal maker create some for you.

  • Member since
    October 2014
  • 273 posts
Help with decals for GG1 - need some specific ones and I dont know if they are available
Posted by LOCO_GUY on Monday, December 14, 2015 11:09 PM

Hi Guys,

I am trying to repaint a GG1 in the phantom paint scheme and need some specific decals as follows:

1. Set of four 3 digit road numbers jet black and 9mm high

2. Set of two "Amtrak" road names solid white 5mm high.

I don't know if these are produced - I do have a set of microscale decals that are a close fit but not exactly right. I have the road numbers but they are only 6mm high and the road names are a silver color not solid white.

Can anyone tell me if I can buy these on ebay or online and, if so, what I should look for. Decal set name or number.

Also, If anyone has these decals and would be prepared to send them to me I would pay for the decals and shipping. I need newer ones - as I don't have any fancy fluids to bring old decals back to life. Also it would be good to have a few backup decals in case I make a mess of them.

See this thread for more details on the paint scheme -

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/252158.aspx

 

 

 

 

Chris.

Loco Guy - is a state of mind - not an affinity to locomotives.

Sit back and enjoy your track...

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