Hi, I have a number of the Pecos River Brass cars that are painted but not lettered. What would be the right decal set to letter the cars? Also, what is the best guide to use as far as proper placement? I am almost crazy enough to photo-etch stencils and paint on the lettering, but sanity is prevailing and I need a little help. Thanks!
The right lettering and decal set depend on what the cars represent-- car type, series, owned by ATSF or Pullman?, whether lettered for specific train (ie. Scout) Your best bet would be to consult prototype photos. Some sources in my own library: ATSF Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment, Lloyd E. Stagner. 1995, Morning Sun Books, Edison, N.J. 128p. Two or three color pictures on each page of passenger and freight cars, organized by car type. Not definitive or necessarily representative, but lots of photos from 1960s to 90s. In some cases, the caption information is based on an incorrect identification of the car number, and the information matches the number but it is not the actual car shown. Coach, Cabbage and Caboose : Santa Fe Mixed Train Service John B. McCall. 1979, Kachina Press, Dallas, Texas. 256 p. Complete coverage of mixed train service with timetables of runs, narrative history and rosters, photos and scale drawings of nearly all coach-baggage combines on the Santa Fe. Includes a year-by-year list of what train numbers ran on what routes from 1901 to 1967, the end of mixed service. Head End Cars Frank M. Ellington & Joe W. Shine, Santa Fe Railway Passenger Car Reference Series- Vol.1 1999, Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society, Highlands Ranch, Col. 159 p. Definitive history of Santa Fe railway post office cars, baggage, express boxcars, etc. Photos and scale drawings of nearly every class, and rosters of individual cars. If a car was demoted to a maintenance of way car, the MOW car number and conversion date is given. If scrapped, the book documents the name of the scrap dealer who bought it. Note: except for the "rider car" combines used on trains like the Fast Mail Express, coach-baggage car combines are NOT covered here. They were used mostly as coach, baggage and caboose on mixed trains and are covered in _Coach, Cabbage and Caboose_. Also, baggage-club lounge cars are not covered here except as they were later converted to baggage cars, etc. Passenger Train Equipment 1870-1975 of the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Vol. 2 Business and Special Purpose Cars Frank M. Ellington & Joe W. Shine. 1975, Railcar Press I & II, Colfax, Iowa. 177 p. This HUGE book, 19" x 12" horizontal format, opens up to more than a yard wide. Covers business cars, 40' Division Superintendent's cars, cars of Directors Special trains, steam generator cars, exhibition and classroom cars, test cars, motion picture camera car (to make films for diesel simulator), physical examination cars and Santa Fe Skyway's DC-3s and DC-4s, called "Sky Chiefs". Quarter Century of Santa Fe Consists, A Fred W. Frailey. 1974, RPC Publications, Godfrey, Ill. 208p. The quarter century is the one from the end of World War Two to the beginning of Amtrak. Organized by trains, this book gives the consist- each car in the train from the front to the markers, the type of cars and the number series of cars usually assigned. If a certain car did not go the entire route of the train, the points where it was switched on or off are given, and connecting trains which carried them. The section on each train goes through all the major changes made through the years in the trains consist and operation. Using this book, you can reconstruct what the regular makeup of any passenger train looked like, as it passed any specific point on the Santa Fe, in any given year or season during the period covered. Or you can trace how a New Orleans- Oakland through sleeper was carried on a Missouri Pacific train from New Orleans to Houston, switched to the California Special at Houston and carried to Clovis, New Mexico and there switched to the San Francisco Chief. This is not specifically an equipment book but it has around a hundred photographs and/or floor plans of interesting passenger cars to illustrate how a car fit into a particular service. The book also includes a set of Santa Fe condensed system timetables for major passenger trains, at two or three year intervals covering the quarter century. And it includes a roster by type and car number of all the passenger cars used during the period covered. Santa Fe Railway Painting & Lettering Guide for Model Railroaders: Volume 1 Rolling Stock Compiled by Richard H. Hendrickson. 1990, Santa Fe Modelers Organization, Inc. Dallas, Texas. 65p. Organized survey of SF system practices in painting and lettering cars from 1910 to the time of publication. Many illustrations of cars and a chart of assignment of "Name Train" slogans and styles of system maps painted on box and refrigerator cars. The Santa Fe Historical and Modeling Society also has a book specifically on coaches, including heavyweight smokers. I have the book but it is not written up ion my bibliography yet. I would have to know what cars you have, and then we can discuss paint schemes at different periods, etc.
David, Microscale has good ATSF Heavyweight decals. Or at least they did, don't know if they are stil in production. Regards, Otto
I use Microscale 60-383 and 60-384 both in Dulux yellow/gold. I also had some custom decals made by Rail Graphics that I use for some of the head end equipment.
David, 60-383 is out of stock at Microscale. (I just got the last set in stock from MBKlein.) I will be using parts of it but not all and would be happy to share what I don't need. I'm doing four M&R sides and one JnJ RPO.) Russell, Did you get decals printed for the express boxcars? 60-1043 doesn't appear to cover the express boxcars prior to the 60s. Thanks, BenW Fairport, NY
Yes, I had some custom decals made for those but I have since found some Microscale 60-112 that are about the same thing. They no longer show up on the Microscale web site so they may not make them any more but some shops may have them in stock still.
I still have the custom decals if you need them. You usually have to get a minimum order and all so I have way more than I will ever use.