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Searching for decals - help please

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Searching for decals - help please
Posted by jcopilot on Thursday, February 28, 2019 10:56 AM


 Hi,

This is the first time I've tried to post photos on the forum, hope it worked.

The top photo is of an Atlas tank car, the second photo is of a Lifelike P2K tank car. Even thought the cars are lettered for different shippers - SHPX and GATX - the font style is the same.  I have many of the LL GATX cars with the same number and another Atlas SHPX car with the same number.  I need decals in the same font style so I can change the numbers, but I can't find any.  I have looked at many decal websites and cannot find a match.

If you look closely, the 'corners' of the round numerals have been clipped at an angle.  I know round things don't have corners, but that's what it looks like.  The '2, 3, 5, 8, 0' all have clipped 'corners'. 

Does anyone know of a decal set with numbers like these?

Thanks for your help,

Jeff

If it's worth doing, it's worth doing twice.
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Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, February 28, 2019 11:13 AM

The closest I've found, not decals but dry transfers, are the Woodland Scenics 45° Gothic.

https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/item/MG747

 WS_Gothic by Edmund, on Flickr

 

I display the black since it shows up better on a white background but the link above takes you to the white. Silver is available, too.

Close, but not exactly what you're after since these are dry transfers. I've seen that typeface called "Corner Gothic" and it is similar to what the college football teams use.

Personally, I like dry transfers for renumbering.

Good Luck, Ed

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Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, February 28, 2019 11:23 AM

I'm sure there's a name for that type of font.  If you knew that, it might make searching a little easier.

You could also do a discrete "patch".  I doubt that one could tell the difference, although, you would know.

By discrete I mean try carefully to match and blend the paint-out, before adding new numbers.

OR, you might be able to remove the numbers you want to change without damaging the paint, and then add new numbers.

Mike.

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Posted by RR_Mel on Thursday, February 28, 2019 11:49 AM

I would suggest you visit Webpage Publicity and scroll through until you find a similar font and you will at least have a font name to go by.
 
 
 
If you can find the correct font and can’t locate any decals PM me.  If you don’t need more than a page of decals I’ll give it a shot on my Alps printer.
 
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, February 28, 2019 11:53 AM

That style font was widely used by the US Navy in World War 2 and after.

.

If you seach for "US Navy Numeral Decals" you will find tons of these available.

.

Matching the size will be another issue that I cannot help with.

.

.

-Kevin

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Posted by RR_Mel on Thursday, February 28, 2019 12:51 PM

It looks like Kevin hit it right on the money.
 

 

 

 

 
The Forum software wouldn't print accept the font so I made a JPG

 

 

 

 

 

Mel

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Model Railroad   

 

 

 

 

Bakersfield, California

 

 

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

 

 

 

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Posted by sandusky on Thursday, February 28, 2019 1:24 PM

The navy font has shadow edges that are not what the op requested.

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Posted by NHTX on Thursday, February 28, 2019 1:46 PM

      Jeff,

      Please investigate the line of HO scale decals produced by Daniel Kohlberg at http://home.mindspring.com/`paducah/ .  He has a set with a stock number of GA-21, titled GATX Leasing 8000 Gallon Acid Tank Cars.  The set was made in response to Tangent's introduction of their acid tanker models.  The lettering is white, for black cars, will letter multiple cars, and has a number jumble so you can have any number you wish in the correct GATX/SHPX font.

     I hope this is what you are looking for.

                                                        NHTX

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, February 28, 2019 1:46 PM

sandusky
The navy font has shadow edges

.

The example I showed has shadows, but they are available from many sources in every color of the rainbow with and without shadows in every size imagineable.

.

If you need military decals, those military modelers are nuts, and everything you can dream of is available.

.

-Kevin

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Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, February 28, 2019 3:08 PM

NHTX
http://home.mindspring.com/`paducah/ . 

I just tried the link, I get an Earth Link page that says it doesn't excist.

Just so you know.

Mike.

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Posted by NHTX on Thursday, February 28, 2019 6:55 PM

      Another way to access Daniel Kohlberg's listings: www.greatdecals.com  .  Then go to "decal suppliers" and scroll down the list to "Illinois Central Gulf decals by Daniel Kohlberg".  This is my go-to site for all things decal.  

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Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, February 28, 2019 7:13 PM

That is great list!  Thanks!  Bookmarked that one.

Mike.

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Posted by jcopilot on Thursday, February 28, 2019 11:27 PM

I want to thank everyone for their replies, I really appreciate it.  GMPULLMAN, SEEYOU190, NHTX and Little Timmy all found decal sets that I couldn't find and RR_MEL even offered to print some for me if I could just find the font.

So much help in such quick time.  Thank you all for your help.  The best solution appears to be the GA-21 set offered by Daniel Kohlberg on Greatdecals.com.  

Many, many thanks,

Jeff

If it's worth doing, it's worth doing twice.
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Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, March 1, 2019 2:17 AM

mbinsewi
I'm sure there's a name for that type of font....

The closest I could find in my Letraset catalogue is called "Superstar"...while it has the desired clipped-off corners rather than curves, it's an "outline" typeface - the letters or numerals all have a narrow gap around each and in the interior of things like "B"s or "8"s with a narrow line around that gap.

These are also dry transfers, and probably no longer available, as it's an older catalogue.

Wayne

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Posted by mikeGTW on Friday, March 1, 2019 9:26 AM
The GA-21 decal set is probably the way to go The font used is either Amarillo USAF or USAAF Stencil both free fonts there is one more that it could be RAF-45-841ATH but that one is hard to find
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Posted by maxman on Friday, March 1, 2019 11:32 AM

mbinsewi

 NHTX

http://home.mindspring.com/`paducah/ . 

 

I just tried the link, I get an Earth Link page that says it doesn't excist.

Just so you know.

Mike.

 

 
 
Looks like you need that squigly thing in front of the Paducah instead of that apostrophy thing.
 
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Posted by hornblower on Saturday, March 2, 2019 1:29 PM

Being that the cars you want to renumber are black, there is another option: Make you're own decals using white background decal paper. Start with black background rectangles, then add your lettering in white.  Since you can print an entire new decal, you don't have to worry about matching the previous lettering font and size perfectly.  If you want the white lettering to pop, you'll need to paint the area white where you intend to place the decal.  Be sure to make the white patch slightly smaller than the new decal.  If you're okay with a faded lettering look, remove the previous lettering first, then just apply the decals to the model.

Hornblower

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Posted by mbinsewi on Saturday, March 2, 2019 2:20 PM

Thanks Maxman.  That is one heck of list of decal companies on that site.  Great information.

Mike.

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Posted by willy6 on Sunday, March 3, 2019 9:07 AM

Try Daves Decals. He makes custom decals at a reasonable price. All he needs is a clear picture of what you want. He did GREAT work for me. He also has a variety of decals for model building and model railroading. He is at davart.net.

Being old is when you didn't loose it, it's that you just can't remember where you put it.
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, March 3, 2019 9:20 AM

willy6
Try Daves Decals.

.

Dave's Decals cannot print in white. That is the only reason I have never used his services.

.

-Kevin

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Posted by doctorwayne on Sunday, March 3, 2019 8:55 PM

A friend had some custom decals made by Circus City Decals, and sent me some.  While they were intended for a 50' outside post boxcar, I used parts of two sets (all the dimensional data was re-organised to match the dimensions of the smaller car) to do this Tichy reefer...

While these particular decals would be useless for your tank cars, Circus City will make you an 8.5"x11" sheet of whatever you want, including white, starting at forty bucks.  You can get a lot of lettering on a sheet of that size, especially if it's only numerals.  You might want to include a selection of reporting marks, too.

You can supply the artwork, or they'll do it for you.  Apparently, their turnaround time is quick, too. 

Wayne

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, March 3, 2019 11:24 PM

doctorwayne
Circus City will make you an 8.5"x11" sheet of whatever you want, including white, starting at forty bucks.

I have not personally used them but Tichy will do an 8½ x 11 sheet for about the same cost. You can send artwork in MS Word or similar or a vector format like CorelDraw.

If you get Don's .pdf catalog there is a form near the end for custom decal orders.

https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Catalogs.aspx

Good Luck, Ed

 

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Posted by strider on Monday, March 4, 2019 10:46 AM

Take a look at Microscale's set 87-235 Tank Cars #1. I have a set and they look spot on. There's decals for different cars in different fonts so take a close look. They don't have SHPX lettering but there is GATX.

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, March 4, 2019 11:45 AM

strider
I have a set and they look spot on.

http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MD&Product_Code=87-235&Category_Code=UTLX

 

These look like they are the rounded gothic. OP is looking for the sharply angled corners.

Cheers, Ed

 

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Posted by strider on Monday, March 4, 2019 5:27 PM

Yes some of them are, there are different styles and fonts depending on shipper name, but if you look at the GATX section they are squared off like the OP posted.

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