I was amazed some 20 years ago that I couldn't find any REA 50' reefer decals, after I had kitbashed two ConCor 40' reefers into a yes totally inaccurate version -- but still, no REA decals? I couldn't even find comprehensive sets in HO. How, I thought, could there be no decals for a road name so well-known, and so ubiquitous for over 4 decades? Well, I worked on that and finally got a major company to do them.
That's when I modeled Pennsy passenger trains and needed the REAs, but I was further amazed to find no readily-available circle keystone and associated data decal sets. Another major, well-known railroad logo version absent from the decal ranks. But I didn't do anything about it because I didn't need much freight equipment.
Then I went to the New Haven, and same old same old ... Again ... was the NH an obscure railroad?
So then I got MicroScale to produce a set for 1940's-'50s script-type decals for various cars. And such good timing since the Bachmann hoppers, Atlas PS-1s and IM flats of NH prototypes appeared. You're welcome, NH fans!
NOW I find out there's no comprehensive set of Fruit Growers Express decals for wood side/rebuilt wood side/steel reefers and RB plug doors, complete with periods after reporting marks and those long black stripes. WHAT??? Another major railroad company relegated to limited-use decal sets made by spare-time hobbyists? And only in HO?
For all the sturm und drang I hear in this hobby and on its forums about things that should be done, so many basic things needed just seem to get forgotten.
Yes, I'm ranting about forum ranting that serves no purpose and gets nothing done. And now I'm going to work on getting sets of FGE decals available in multiple scales. You're welcome.
