Latest update on my Pullman Palace Cars

[GN.2-6-8-0]

Well finally got started on the lettering after clear coating them ,have to admit to my undying shame to using a rattle can of Krylon glosscoat So after giving them a good week to dry started lettering them today.
Only did three car's....Observation...Diner....and Combination.
That was the tricky part.
Being of course a dyed in the wool Great Northern guy but living in the Southwest now (Az) had to make some adjustments for running on our club layout.
Now the guys are pretty liberal here at the Arizona Model Railroading Society and most run their favorite trains ,not a few are eastern roads. but being out here in the west our layout is actually loosely based on the SP in the 40s and 50s scenery is all desert southwest aaand seeing as I wanted to try a sound equipped steamer and no GN. locomotives are available find myself with a small fleet (3) of Santa Fe steamers a 2-10-0 "Bachmann" 4-8-4 & 2-10-2 "broadway Limited Imports".

Yah"Yah I'm gettin'there.
Found the solution was to follow those who came up with the idea of lettering their cars for different roads on opposite sides. Great Northern Empire Builder will show when running one direction and ATSF when running the other direction.....Works for me

O.K heres the pictures of the 3 cars I've lettered so far their now ready for a coat of dullcote and window glass then we'll play around with the roofing ideas kicked around earlier on the other thread.

 

[UP2CSX]

Those are some real beauties. Did you use dry transfer or decal lettering? I know the dry transfer lettering can tough over those "wood" surfaces. Great way to kill two birds with one stone with the two different road names.

 

[GN.2-6-8-0]

So far I've been using the Microscale thin film decals,I have several sets of the dry transfers but seeing as their the the originals that came with the kits have been a tad bit leery of trying them because their quite old and I'm not to sure how they'll go on.

 

[UP2CSX]

I'd stick with the decals. I remember the dry transfers that came with the kits and they were none too good 25 years ago. I'm sure the passage of time hasn't helped any.

 

[GN.2-6-8-0]

I'd stick with the decals. I remember the dry transfers that came with the kits and they were none too good 25 years ago. I'm sure the passage of time hasn't helped any.

Right you are Jim, tried'em on one car just to see and they went straight to the waste basket lol.
Have 3 of the Obs. so got a bit creative and painted one with LV red which is as close to mahogany as i can find then in a moment of nostalage decided to name it the Johan Carlson after my wife's Grandfather,A wonderful old gentleman who past away in 1982 at the ripe old age of 85.
Update: realizing I had not numbered the car yet" numbered it 1897 the year of his birth.

 

[UP2CSX]

Looks great. Give that car a nice high gloss coating and you'll see why they were called "varnish".

 

[GN.2-6-8-0]

Well here's the last of the cars done yet another Observation,the last of 3 Had no idea what I was going to do with it when the proverbial light bulb went off over my head......My boy is a model railroader too
His thing is the Burlington....beautiful streamliners' butt ugly steamers' ......well except for the O5's
But I digress.....
Letter'd the last car for him' but...Named it BLACKHAWK 'not for the train but for the Comic books I use to read back in the 1950s Haw! he won't have a clue