Lettering Advice.

[max (uk)]

Evening all,

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a rather simple method of lettering my unlettered On30 engines.

The name of my model railroad is rather long so im not too keen on adding each letter by letter. Unless I have it as just the initials when I am planning to do on my smaller engines.

Any advice?

[jayl1]

Champion Decals has some private name decals in O gauge.  You may be able to find some that are in the name of your line (or at least something else you like).  Do a web search & the company should pop up.  They do retail sales & colors are black, white, & gold.

[epeorus]

The other alternative is to have decals that are custom made.  I had Rail Graphics do a set for my Jemez & Rio Grande.  They will create a decal from custom art or just lettering in your choice of quite a few type styles.  The cost is not cheap (I guess) - about $45 for 25 sheets of decals (if you want single color decals).  That single order has lasted me several years.  If you go back to them for more, cost declines.  At any rate, they have a pdf catalog that explains it all.

www.railgraphicsdecals.com

Jim

[ebtnut]

One other thought, though it is a bit tedious--Get some blank decal paper from Walthers or Micro-Mark and some press-on letters (if you can find a suitable color and font).  Apply the press-on letters to the decal paper, then over-spray with Krylon or other good fixative.  Then apply the decal in the normal manner.  It's easier to do the lettering flat on a table then it is to try and apply individual decal letters onto the model.

[lvrr325]

Woodland Scenics offers sheets of dry-transfer decals in several fonts for about $5 a shot.  Most narrow gauge cars and locomotives had fairly simple, plain lettering, often just the road's initials and a car number, which should be fairly easy to recreate with the dry transfers. 

[peterherron]

You also could try using a stamp.  Custom stamps are about $25.00.  You then dip it in white (gold) ink and presto!!  This would only work on tenders and flat sided cabs, though.  Peter