I have an unlettered HO tender/locomotive and I want to put a specific road number on it, e.g. '4193'.
What approach do folks typically use for this?
Do you cut out the individual numbers from a decal sheet and butt them together? The concern I have here is getting the alignment/spacing correct.
Are there vendors that print custom decals for a reasonable price?I would want these in white.
Thanks!
There are a number of companies / people who do custom decals, but normally they have a minimum number of sets you have to order. I don't know if it would be worth it for one set for one engine.
Some commercial decal companies make number decal sets without connecting film, so each number floats off the sheet separately. It's usually not then that hard to line them up on the model so they look right.
If you search around online, you might find a company that makes "number jumbles" like Champ used to make, where the number are all mixed up. (In other words, instead of "0000111122223333" it's "9581257483654") Then you might get lucky and find all four numbers in order, or three of the four and just have to add one.
Are you wanting to decal a one time engine for a specific railroad or will there be more? Microscale makes railroad specific decals with the correct lettering style that include numbers. Make sure you get the set for steam engines. Or will this be an engine for your railroad name in which case you should decide on a standard print style you will use on future engines to give them the same appearance. Placing a rubber band on the tender will give you a removable reference line to allign the decals. Use a toothpick to float the decals into location and a piece of paper towel to wick away excess water before applying decal setting solution.
Hi Chris,
Sorry to be late to the discussion.
I strongly recommend getting a quote from Precision Decal Co., (pdc.ca). The owner/operator, Bill Brillinger, is true to his name - he is brilliant! He will supply small quantities on sheets as small as 3" x 2" so you don't have to spend a fortune on a full sheet. He is an expert on proper fonts for specific railroads or eras, or you can send him a photo with dimensions and he will give you the numerals you want in the same font.
For others who might be interested, he can work with your artwork or he can do the artwork for you from a sketch or any graphics design software.
The decal film he uses is extremely thin and quite tough.
Best of all is that his prices are very reasonable.
Just a note regarding applying his decals. They require a slightly different technique from what most of us are used to. I suggest reading the instructions.
Cheers!!
Dave, a very happy customer!
P.S. You might consider getting several sets of different tender numbers so you can change the numbers on future acquisitions.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!