We have put together a great collection of both new releases and revised stock for this month. In addition we have released a new metal sign to add to your collection. Also be sure to check out our "Bargin Bin" Section for specials on alphabet sets.
Also...read more about how to win free stuff...see details below the Spokane Metal Sign info.
We invite you to submit your best "HOW TO" articles for publication in our monthly newsletter. We know how talented you are and we figured it would be a great way to showcase your work.
The only condition is that you write an article that will be of interest to other Microscale modelers and that you use some Microscale products such as Microscale Solution or Microscale decal set(s).
If your article is selected and used in our Newsletter, you will be entitled to 4 FREE decal sheets of your choice from our regular stock.
With your submission, please include your written release for Microscale to use the information and photos for publication.
Updates 87-35 Revised
UP Turbines and Freight Cab Units Need accurate lettering for those new Turbines? Researched and drawn by Dick Harley, we are proud to announce the revised 87-35 decal set that will more accurately letter the legendary Turbines. A new set will follow with more of the winged medallion nose heralds soon. Taken from actual UP drawings and cross referenced with photos.
Identifying Stencil Fonts BY Chris Palomarez
Hartford Slocomb "Dog's Lunch" patch on a NOPB boxcar.
Since the 1950's, American Railroads have been transferring and selling equipment, either by merger or a purchase. It's common today to see locomotives and freight cars re-stenciled for a new owner. In the modern railroad economy, it has become popular to lease equipment rather then outright own it. There are many railcar leasing company's that have purchased surplus freight equipment then lease it back to the railroads. You can find a pretty good list of these lease companies here: http://www.krunk.org/~joeshaw/pics/misc-cars/fc.shtml
As these freight cars change owners, they're often "patched" to reflect the new owner. Much of the time this operation is pretty crude with using whatever stencils lying around the shop. A great example of the "git'r'done" style patch is the Hartford Slocomb's patch on the ex New Orlean's Public Belt RR boxcars. Note the different style "5s" vs the Roman style reporting marks and the number "4". I've classified the reporting marks as "Railroad Roman Stencil" and the number "5s" as Squared Stencil. Refer to the Stencil Font Glossary PDF for a breakdown of each font and corresponding decal set number: Stencil Font Glossary
On this page I include a few leasing companies and railroads that I've seen use that particular stencil font face on a patch. Use that as a guide to get started identifying the font applied to the side of the car/locomotive. Of course there are no limits to what you can do with these decal sets beyond reporting marks. In fact if you are an HO modeler, using the N-scale sizes will give more range in application if smaller size characters are needed (freight car classes, build dates, reweigh, etc. can be stenciled on)
Futura Bold example.
More recently some lettering is cut from vinyl and then applied to the car as a decal. I've noticed a lot of new cars with the Futura Bold and the Futura Condensed Bold font face. Futura is pretty similar to the UP font but the major differences are the sides of the "M" are slanted, the tail on the "Q", and the "C" is flat on one side. The numbers in the Futura face are completely different then that of the UP Font. This freight car is an example of the Futura Font. Taking a moment to examine each character will yield what makes that face unique. There is of course the overall style of the face but beyond that you can start seeing details that will help identify what to use on your models when cross referencing the glossary sheet to the real thing.
As the railroads evolve and continue to patch equipment. There will undoubtedly be an increased variety of fonts used. These sets cover the most common styles out there. With some cross referencing and looking at the real thing, you will be able to choose which decal sheet is the best match for the model.
IN THE WORKS
Each month we will be letting you know what we're working on for the near future. Please remember to check out this newsletter each month for details of upcoming releases.
Coming Soon... DRGW Covered Hoppers BNFE/WFCX Insulated and Mechanical Reefers McCloud River RR Locos, Boxcar, Caboose BNSF SD70MAC Executive scheme patches and relettering, including Green BNSF Wedge logo
Microscale has been serving the model train hobby market for over 50 years. We pride ourselves in delivering the finest quality products and service. We also provide a variety of custom printing services for manufacturers and other organizations alike. If you have a custom decal project and want us to provide you with an estimate please contact us at vickie@microscale.com or ryan@microscale.com.
