Departmental Tops Fonts

[jolt5]

Recently i've been converting a few wagons to departmental versions of themselves. Here is one of my works so far!

I wanted to turn it into something like one of these http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brmediumwood . My question is which font should i use to make custom decals for the Tops data panels and the Tops codes on these departmental wagons? I thought it might be railway alphabet but it doesn't look right at all. 

any help would be appreciated

 

thanks Jolt5

Edited July 10, 2018 by jolt5

[Fat Controller]

Recently i've been converting a few wagons to departmental versions of themselves. Here is one of my works so far!

Screenshot_20180709-211524.png

I wanted to turn it into something like one of these http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brmediumwood . My question is which font should i use to make custom decals for the Tops data panels and the Tops codes on these departmental wagons? I thought it might be railway alphabet but it doesn't look right at all. 

any help would be appreciated

 

thanks Jolt5

There seem to be a variety of styles in those photos, varying from crude stencilling to a selection of 'sans-serif' types; most have the TOPS code in a different script to the rest. Most of those that hadn't been repainted seem to have the lettering in whatever font BR used when the wagons were built (a long while before 'Rail Alphabet' arrived) with TOPS code and 'D' prefix in the later style.

[jolt5]

There seem to be a variety of styles in those photos, varying from crude stencilling to a selection of 'sans-serif' types; most have the TOPS code in a different script to the rest. Most of those that hadn't been repainted seem to have the lettering in whatever font BR used when the wagons were built (a long while before 'Rail Alphabet' arrived) with TOPS code and 'D' prefix in the later style.

Thank you for the quick reply. I will have a try to replicate the look but i don't really know where to start. I guess making a template of the Box around the Numbers will be first and then just trying different things until i get the look i am after?

[Fat Controller]

Thank you for the quick reply. I will have a try to replicate the look but i don't really know where to start. I guess making a template of the Box around the Numbers will be first and then just trying different things until i get the look i am after?

I've no idea of how transfers are designed and printed; Railtec ( http://www.railtec-models.com/index.php ) seem to be capable of producing sheets with multiple styles. The one unifying factor is the absence of uniformity; the 'Corporate Image' Style Booklet didn't make it as far as where these wagons were maintained. I remember seeing mixed rakes of spoil wagons at Alsager Tip in the late 1970s/early 1980s- there were all sorts of ex-traffic Medfits, Highs and Shocks, the only recent paint being the 'D' in front of the number. When I was a lot younger, with better eyesight and steadier hands, I'd often simply paint the numbers using a fine brush, and enamel paint, thinned to the consistency of single cream; my mother used to say that it was a pity I didn't use a paintbrush for my school-work.

[jolt5]

I've no idea of how transfers are designed and printed; Railtec ( http://www.railtec-models.com/index.php ) seem to be capable of producing sheets with multiple styles. The one unifying factor is the absence of uniformity; the 'Corporate Image' Style Booklet didn't make it as far as where these wagons were maintained. I remember seeing mixed rakes of spoil wagons at Alsager Tip in the late 1970s/early 1980s- there were all sorts of ex-traffic Medfits, Highs and Shocks, the only recent paint being the 'D' in front of the number. When I was a lot younger, with better eyesight and steadier hands, I'd often simply paint the numbers using a fine brush, and enamel paint, thinned to the consistency of single cream; my mother used to say that it was a pity I didn't use a paintbrush for my school-work.

I spoke to railtec and they said they are happy to produce the decals if i make the file. I've done lots of research into the wagons and i have started to compile a long list of the wagons i want to replicate. I am not after a 100% replica but a good representation of how haphazard and uncared for these old neglected wagons were.