While looking for inspiration of any future model railroad I create, I have a great interest in freelanced railroads set from the 1980s to present. One thing that always appeals to me is the logos and custom decals used on many of these freelanced railroads.
I understand decals can be printed from a home computer, however, I am not a graphic design guru who can come up with some of the logs I see on freelanced railroads. It is likely that I'd be able to do a very basic design, some letters next to each other, similar to modern CSX or BNSF. I really like the looks of states that are used as an outline or letters that are linked to each other or interlocking.
My question, where does one go to get a design/create a logo and print the decals?
20 years ago these guys were a whole lot cheaper but they can do the artwork for you too. http://www.railgraphicsdecals.com/home.html If you open their pdf there is some information that might be useful if you want to DIY.
Milenials have computer skill that we don't have, you might ask around your family and friend. I know to make your own you need the paper and a spray to keep the ink from washing off. I'll let those who have done it fill you in.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
While I feel pretty tech sauve as a young teacher, my area of expertise lies in making spreadsheets, Docs, and presentations, not creating cool graphics. The link you provided is a step forward for me. While I don't envision painting a whole fleet of locomotives or rolling stock, I'd like to be able to patch and/or paint one or two locomotives and a few boxcars or hoppers sometime.
Thank you for the valuable link!
Here is another company that does custom decals:
http://pdc.ca/rr/custom_decals/
The person who suggested them to me spoke very highly of their services.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Some of my Rail Graphics decals:
Not all the best photos, but hopefully you get the idea.
Sheldon
I used Rail Graphics years ago and have reordered more several times. Well worth the money in my view.
Hey Sheldon:
The links to your examples aren't working. I wonder if it's Photobucket messing up yet again.
Edit: Oops, the links just disappeared. They don't show in your second post.
I highly recommend Rail Graphics. I had custom decals made by them to honour a late friend, biL Marsland, who was a Member here and on another Forum which I frequent. My brother did the artwork and Rail Graphics did the rest and I was very pleased with the results. I got sets in both white and black, and the ones I used (all white) were very opaque. The sets that I didn't use were sold to other modellers, at cost, and there are now Lehigh Susquehanna & Western cars on layouts in various parts of the world. I think that biL would be pleased.
I'll soon be ordering more lettering for my own road, although most of it will be based on the three orders of dry transfer custom lettering (now almost all used-up) which I got from C-D-S. In this case, too, my brother will be doing the artwork and layout.
Here's the version currently in use...
....and some earlier stuff, all gone to new owners:
If you're interested in dry transfers, Ozark Miniatures now has the C-D-S line, although I'm not certain if they do custom work.
Wayne
Tichy is now offering decal printing how much design work they do i don't know you might contact them and ask, as for homemade ones unless you have access to a printer that has white ink they are without white unless you use a sheet of white and block out the white with color.
hon30critter Hey Sheldon: The links to your examples aren't working. I wonder if it's Photobucket messing up yet again. Edit: Oops, the links just disappeared. They don't show in your second post. Dave
Posting from my tablet, links did not work? I will fix it later....
Mel, very nice, but many of us need/want white lettering......not so easy to do at home.
RR_Mel Sheldon A fellow model railroader put me onto the Alps MD1000 printers. He made me quite a few decals before I decided to look for a printer on eBay. I’ve been printing my own white, silver and gold decals for about 4 years on my Alps. The Alps will do full color print but I still use my HP Inkjet for regular decals. The Alps ink ribbon prices are escalating as the supply dwindles. The Alps ribbons don’t get very good mileage, they just don’t last very long. Mel Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951 My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Exactly, I'm aware of all that. Not an investment I want to make.
I do the graphic work myself, but printing I have used Bedlam Creations and have not been disappointed both the times I have used them. $40 shipped for a 6" x 8" sheet which I am able to cram quite a bit on.
I was actually using some of the custom decals today finishing one of the New Hope and Ivyland Baldwins I have been working on.
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60361449@N02/
Anthracite Modeler - YouTube
Rail Graphics make my decals, but I don't have a logo. I only have road name, reporting marks and numbers.
I like the look of the lettering for the locomotive. It's something simple like this for a locomotive that I would want. I'd only use a logo of some sort for the hoppers or boxcars. Thank you all for the helpful links and ideas!
Tomorrow I will fire up my scanner and post the sheet of rail graphic decals I had made. After 20 years they are still usable unlike Waltehrs decals at the time which have faded into unreadable.
My only regret is I didn't think to add a later period font. I went with black decals and white decals. Maybe I should have added gold lettering too. My point is think broadly when you order.
The freelanced railroad I envision is a shortline/local of sorts that operates between a few towns. Thinking total freelanced, it started long ago (turn of century), and has survived through local support. The era is 1990s-present. Colors will be very basic with whatever I do paint or patch, so the decals would likely be white or black depending on paint color.
Really liking what I've seen from Rail Graphics on everyone's railroads. Inspiring and motivating. Now, if I could only finish my masters degree sooner so I could get to my hobby more frequently.
My scanner magnified this so it doesn't actually look that good. With the naked eye the imperfections are not seen. I had it printed in both black and white lettering. In retrospect I wish I got creative with color or more modern fonts.
I went to Rail Graphics site and they are no longer taking orders and are closing. Another one bites the dust. Keep supporting those MRR suppliers, local and mail. They are important to our hobby. We can't afford to keep losing quality suppliers.
God's Best & Happy Rails to You!
Bing (RIPRR The Route of the Buzzards)
The future: Dead Rail Society
Looks like its a retirement, given that there's a year's warning on Rail Graphics shutting down. Guess I need to hurry up and finally get around to designing and ordering all those decals I need for the next 15 years worth of projects...
NittanyLion Looks like its a retirement, given that there's a year's warning on Rail Graphics shutting down....
Looks like its a retirement, given that there's a year's warning on Rail Graphics shutting down....