I sure wish Micro-Trains would get into the decal business...

[keeper]

There are set-up costs that would make that idea impractical. Look at any custom decal maker. They all have a large minimum number of sets they'll do.


Hmm... same with termites.
Try buying less than 5000
at a time...

Absolutely true!

But MTL could say: We are offering this service just for our HW cars.
Then they could narrow it down by setting up some options for font style, font size and colors - maybe two to four values for each option - and that's it.

Thomas

[peteski]

There are set-up costs that would make that idea impractical. Look at any custom decal maker. They all have a large minimum number of sets they'll do.


Hmm... same with termites.
Try buying less than 5000
at a time...

Not true Kiz.  There are plenty of custom decal producers (using Alps printers) who will gladly print you a quantity 1 or 2 decals for a reasonable cost (especially if you have print-ready artwork, which is usually the most expensive part of making decals).

For a world-wide list of them (21 just in USA) go to http://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/decals.htm  and look for "Custom decal companies".

[Kisatchie]

Not true Kiz.  There are plenty of custom decal producers (using Alps printers) who will gladly print you a quantity 1 or 2 decals for a reasonable cost (especially if you have print-ready artwork, which is usually the most expensive part of making decals).

Thanks for educating me.


Hmm... God knows I've
tried...

[Bremner]

Yes, Atlas sold painted/unlettered steamers back in the 60s and 70s that came with a decal sheet for a handful of roads. And from what I've heard, it didn't work out very well (I forget the reasons why).

I'm not proposing that MTL include decals with the actual cars as I think that would create its own set of problems (decal sheets getting "misplaced" or simply getting old and brittle). I think making them available "al carte" via their website would probably work out better.

Cheers,
-Mark

Mark, don't forget that they also tried un-number diesels about 10 years ago as well...
http://www.atlasrr.com/NLoco/nsd60.htm

[spookshow]

Mark, don't forget that they also tried un-number diesels about 10 years ago as well...
http://www.atlasrr.com/NLoco/nsd60.htm

Oh yeah, forgot about those. I guess the main difference there is that Atlas didn't provide any decals along with the models. Or at least I don't recall that they ever did.

I love those things though, and buy them whenever I can (beats having to strip numbers). But maybe I'm in the minority there

Cheers,
-Mark

[Bremner]

no, you're not...I have stripped the lettering off of a U25B, a U30C and a GP35.....

[Packer]

Why not borrow the decal idea from accurail?

You can buy a decal sheet from them that has 12 different car numbers, and the background color on them is supposed to match the color painted on the car. Granted they are HO, but the idea could work in N.

[Bsklarski]

Printing your own is the only way to go.

OR.... what my brother and I did was have them printed for you and sell them yourself.

[peteski]

Mark, don't forget that they also tried un-number diesels about 10 years ago as well...
http://www.atlasrr.com/NLoco/nsd60.htm

Actually those models were the ones I was referring to. I didn't even know about the older ones.  I thought that those diesels came with road number decals but it looks like I had a brain-fart. Never mind then... 

[Bob Bufkin]

Don't know about the decals for the Atlas diesels but, I believe it was Walthers, passenger cars that came with decals were real bummers. 

[spookshow]

Printing your own is the only way to go.

Why?

[mplsjct]

Does this look like the right font for Heavyweight lettering?

[spookshow]

Does this look like the right font for Heavyweight lettering?

The lower "stretched" font matches up pretty well with the lettering on my MTL cars.

Cheers,
-Mark

[mplsjct]

The lower "stretched" font matches up pretty well with the lettering on my MTL cars.

Cheers,
-Mark

OK, how about the smaller type that would include the name of the passenger car?

if someone could upload a photo of a heavyweight pass car with a name on the bottom, I would greatly appreciate it.

I can make decals fairly easily, if I can match the small type, then it's just a matter of getting the color right.

Thanks in advance.

[Nato]

              I have several large size  N Scale Decal Sheets from Micro Scale (are they still cataloged?) for Pullman Heavyweight Sleepers in the Pullman Green scheme with Delux Gold lettering. I just have not gotten around to applying them yet. I agree though that for other roads thsi is a problem, and applying numbers and letters singularly is a pain in the Patooie. It is nice that Rapido Trains offers multipul numbers and car names, and that Walthers did (does) provide decal sheets.                                         Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.