Grotesque

[The Johnster]

If you follow the Hornby part of the Trade area of this site, you may have been reading my adventures with 2761, a secondhand Hornby GWR 2721 pannier tank picked up cheap and fettled to run properly (project ongoing).  I am modelling the loco as it would have appeared in it's last few years at it's final shed, Tondu in South Wales.  Two very kind responses from BGJohn and mikkel last night increased my total knowledge of this matter by several million percent in a few minutes; the upshot is that I now know, from photographic evidence, that the loco carried the wartime austerity 'grotesque' livery applied by Caerphilly Works, presumably at it's last overhaul which was probably sometime in 1943 if I assume that it was eventually withdrawn (31/3/1950) because it's boiler ticket had expired.

 

'Grotesque' is a livery apparently peculiar to Caerphilly from 1942 AFAIK, and was applied to plain black liveried engines.  It was a sans serif lettering used for the G W R initials, as opposed to the Egyptian Serif used elsewhere on the GW including at other times at Caerphilly, and with 'initials' livery from 1942 to 1948.  The letters were sans serif, not shaded, and, I believe, in a sort of yellow straw colour; they were probably not seen much outside South Wales and would have been very rare after 1950.  

 

So, Hornby's 'unlined green Egyptian Serif initials post 1942 livery' is wrong for 2761, as that loco carried plain black livery and sans serif 'grotesque' initials, photographed in a very run down state presumably withdrawn at Swindon Works in what must have been some time in 1950 after the 31st of March.  It could be any colour under the muck, but the grotesque G W R is clearly depicted in the photograph, so it must be black under there somewhere.  

 

All this is the background to the question, do any manufacturers or suppliers of 4mm GWR transfer sheets include grotesque G W R initials on the sheets?  If not, can anyone advise if a Letraset (do they still make those) or similar is suitable, or if I can order 'bespoke' transfers anywhere.  I have this evening painted the loco plain black, and of course will be buying a suitable transfer sheet to provide the yellow route availability dots and the 'A' power classifications to go inside them, but need transfers to finish the loco off before final varnishing and weathering.  

[The Johnster]

Ok, does anyone know the dimensions of the letters, i.e. how high they were, so that I can at least look for some sort of non-railway transfer/pressfix in a stationers.  Otherwise I'll just have to see what's available in such a place and wing it, maybe a few different sizes to try out until one looks right.

 

AFK for a few days, long weekend in Darkest Dyfed, back Sunday night/

[BG John]

AFK for a few days, long weekend in Darkest Dyfed, back Sunday night/

Is that why it was warm and sunny here today, but the forecast for every day until I go on holiday is for rain?

[The Johnster]

Is that why it was warm and sunny here today, but the forecast for every day until I go on holiday is for rain?

gloomy-smiley-emoticon_zps2ls3rodj.gif

 

That'd be it, BG.  If you're behind me in traffic, we'll get every traffic light red as well; I'm not paranoid, they really are out to get me...