I was surprised to see the American Flag on the NY&A locomotive in trackside photos placed backwards. That is to say the flag is how you would expect to see it on a wall, with the field to the left.
But on vehicles, and on soldiers uniforms, the field belongs forward as if flying from a flag staff. That would look backwards to the uninformed, but is the correct way to display a flag on a vehicle.
Unfortuantely, our modeler is correct for a NY&A locomotive. It is the railroad that got it wrong and not our model maker.
I shall send a letter to the NY&A.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
It is pretty much universal that when depicting a flag it should be as if you view it with the pole on the left, so an American Flag should have the blue field with stars on the left.
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The French Flag should always be Blue/White/Red, not Red/White/Blue. The Finnish Flag should always have the shorter side of the cross to the left.
Many flags do not matter for left/right orientation, Germany, Russia, Scotland, Alabama, etc.
There is a school of thought that the "pole" side should be towards the front. In this case, if you paint a flag on the right side of a locomotive, or a semi trailer, it could be reversed and considered correct.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Apparently, based on UP photos photos alone, the American flag field is on the left and right:
Field on left: https://www.up.com/media/releases/171019-spirit-of-up.htm
Field on right: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UP_Baggage_car_US_Flag.jpg
I know other companies fly the flag on their locos/cars, but UP came to mind.
kasskaboose Apparently, based on UP photos photos alone, the American flag field is on the left and right: Field on left: https://www.up.com/media/releases/171019-spirit-of-up.htm Field on right: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UP_Baggage_car_US_Flag.jpg I know other companies fly the flag on their locos/cars, but UP came to mind.
Both of these are correct since the blue field id forward (assuming that that baggage car is moving left to right.
Well, if you think about it, a painted-on flag is not a flag, it's a painting. And, as Mr. Zimmerman noted, "you don't need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows".
Wayne
I think they have a tendency to bend the rules when a particular vehicle often runs in reverse.