Number Boards

[NWCanuck]

I am trying to figure out how people renumber the locomotive boards when they strip a shell. The boards on my current locomotive are black with white numbers on top. The light from behind only comes through the white numbers and not the black background colour of course. This effect must be screened on because they don't appear to be decals.

I am not sure how to replicate this once it has been stripped. I do have a Microscale decal sheet with background colours in both black and white. White seems easier to me because the light will go through a white background colour but not the black numbers ontop. I would really like a black back ground with white numbers and still have the light come through the numbers only, is this possible?

 

[Charles Smiley]

Could you (tediously) double up the decals to make them more dense in the black areas?

 

[NWCanuck]

Could you (tediously) double up the decals to make them more dense in the black areas?

The black areas are not really the problem. What I would like is a black background with a white number that light will still come through on. But after some intense digging around on the internet I found this link to Microscale on a forum called Diesel Detailers.

http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2...ode=87-205&Category_Code=NUM&Product_Count=16

They actually make exactly what I am looking for, who knew?

Here's a link to the conversation that took place over there.

http://dieseldetailer.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=help&thread=4629&page=1#34318

 

[Charles Smiley]

Good find. I've used their decals for over r30-years and never noticed that one.

 

[Charles Smiley]

Trainmaster #boards

From this topic I got motivated to make the large boards the SP used on these beasts. The little ones molded on the original model didn't look right on this SP unit.

They don't light up, but maybe I'll tackle that later.

 

[NWCanuck]

Nice looking Trainmaster Charles, maybe you could use some of the light from the class lights below and to the sides of your number boards. I think it looks great whether they light up or not. What brand is that model, if you don't mind me asking?

Atlas just announced some Trainmasters in Norfolk and Western this March. If MB Klein gets some in I might take one.

 

[Charles Smiley]

Mine is also Atlas. Good runner and the SP version has a great looking oscillating Mars light.

It needed the right 5-chime horn and some other tweaks to look right but I really think it's a good model. I still need to add the grab irons on the fireman side behind the cab. I think that's an SP-thing.

45 cars no sweat up a 1-percent grade.