LMS numerals

[tycho14]

I have recently completed an ex Caledonian tank loco and want to apply early LMS livery. Almost all the photos I've seen have 18" numerals on the tanks, but I'm struggling to find suitable transfers.  Logically, the  18" numerals on the HMRS sheet 1 should be the ones, but these are black shaded and the photos all seem to be plain yellow/gold with no visible black shading.  I thought that maybe the Crewe straw type numerals available on Sheet 2a might be suitable, but there are no 18" nos. - largest is 14".  Can anyone advise please?  Is there another source, or should I just put up with black shaded 18"?

 

Alan

 

[daltonparva]

I can't remember what sizes are what, but I wanted large straw coloured numbers for a Garrett which weren't available on the OO gauge sheet, but I worked out one of the sizes on the O gauge sheet was right (enough for me). They are the same sheets only bigger, so work out what the O gauge sizes would represent in OO.

[Steamport Southport]

You use the black shaded. The real ones were the same. They had stopped hand painting them about this time and they were large transfers. The information is in the Illustrated History Of LMS Locomotives books by Jenkinson and Essery.

 

It's mentioned in the instructions but isn't quite clear.

 

Locos were numbered in black-shaded figures in 18" size on most larger tenders and tanks of some larger tank engines.

 

Unlined black engines not painted at Crewe used black shaded gold transfers.

 

 

https://hmrs.org.uk/transfers/lms-gold-loco-and-coach-insignia-150318.html

 

 

Jason

[tycho14]

Thanks for tne responses.  I have a copy of Essery & Jenkinson (although only Vol 3), but there are few specific references to black counter-shaded numerals and I can't find any connected with 18" numerals. They only seem to feature in the notes for the HMRS transfers. I've looked closely at lots of photos of both tank and tender engines with the early livery (and including both red and black), and can't see  any sign of black counter shading. In contrast, the later liveries with red counter shading show up very clearly.  So I'm still unconvinced....!

I hadn't thought about using the 7mm transfers!  There are indeed 6mm (ie 18") numerals on the 7mm Sheet 2a.  So that seems to me to be the way to go.  The down side is that the 7mm sheet is about 3 times the price!   And I'll have little use for most of the sheet.

There also seem to be fewer stockists of 7mm transfer sheets!  Might there be any 7mm modellers out there willing to sell me a portion of the 7mm Methfix sheet 2a?  If so I'd be very grateful!

 

Alan

[daltonparva]

14 hours ago, tycho14 said:

 The down side is that the 7mm sheet is about 3 times the price!   And I'll have little use for most of the sheet.

There also seem to be fewer stockists of 7mm transfer sheets!  Might there be any 7mm modellers out there willing to sell me a portion of the 7mm Methfix sheet 2a?  If so I'd be very grateful!

 

Alan

I did it the other way round. I used the numbers I wanted, then divided the rest of the sheet into about 6 different lots of different styles etc (about 2 years ago, can't remember exact details) and sold them on eBay. I got my numbers for free and made about £5 profit after costs. I bought direct from HMRS, Google away for them.

[corneliuslundie]

HMRS is still able to sell transfers via the website, though unfortunately not much else except digital prints of photographs while the M&SC is closed.

Jonathan