Repainting Marx boxcar. What would be the most appropriate scale, S or O guage, for decals. Is there a good source for GN decals? Thanks, Bob
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As the Marx cars are "traditional size" I think S scale decals would work best. K 4 Decals offers all of their decals in your choice of scales including S. For some reason the only GN decal listed is for an ore car, has the name but no herald. You might find something else from them you like.
@YakimaMarxist, take a look at my repaint 027 is still fun thread, which is linked at the very bottom below.
I do a great deal of repainting of mostly the smaller sorts of trains: "027 scale" as I like to call it. Actually many of the K-Line cars I've done are from the former MARX tooling. Also the smaller size Lionel cars. On that thread, I know there's a photo of a MARX solid door boxcar redone in Canadian Pacific.
Although I enjoy doing my research and looking at real photos of paint schemes I'd like to replicate, I find I have to take liberties and flub things a lot. I use HO scale decals for heralds and logos. Then I will use 0 or S scale capacity date decals. A company called Rail Graphics used to make capacity and dimensional decal sets, but they no longer do that.
I recently repainted a K-Line Alco FA into the PRR, utilizing a HO set of decals for a PRR GG1... a larger sized locomotive. Those decals worked just fine for my under scaled K-Line shell. A set of HO decals for an Alco locomotive would have been a little too small. So like I said, I have to take liberties and work with what I have. Alas, the number on that loco I repainted is a GG1 number, not an Alco number. I would have needed another set of decals to get the right numbers.
I'll second Scottie's recommendation for K4 Decals because they will print what ever scale size you want. They also do capacity and dimensional decals sets, which you could order for S scale, then utilized logos from other decal sets.
Here's a link for another company, CMR Products. Whether they have what will work for you, I don't know, but they do have a little bit of GN...
https://www.cmrproducts.com/Gr...ailway-GN-c102941003
Like I implied above, you could also look at Microscale, but look for larger HO rolling stock items, like locomotives or high cube boxcars to get larger logos or heralds. Then use the K4 data sets.
Brianel027: Thanks for all the information. I search the sources you suggested and found needed decals. Will order today. I still have my original Marx train set and board from early 50s. Put it up for my kids at Christmas. Neighbors of mine in the 70s gave me American Flyer sets which caused a need for a train room. My kids grew up but a grandson took their place. A couple of years ago he suggested at our new house, that we needed a permanent layout. So at 79 or so I did. My skill level is probably what a 12 year old train fan was in the 50s. Bought a K line GN gp-7 diesel to replace a Marx 999 thus causing the need for couple of transition cars. Thus a need to repaint and decal in GN colors. Aquired a Lionel caboose in O guage that more closely resembles the GN cabooses than the Marx's. In hind sight it might a been simpler to buy a Lionel S scale GN caboose and put Marx's on it. Or just use the Marx and GN it. My family and friends wouldn't know the difference. And beside, the layout are for play purposes. Try and learn right? Bob
Decals are not to scale - The lettering and logos can be used in any scale based on the measurement. For example the Pennsylvania RR used 7, 9 and 13 inch high lettering for the roadname at different times on various cars.
Specific decal sets are usually made to a given scale for a given car. As in the example above, you may find a set specifically for a PRR X29 boxcar in the circle keystone scheme in O scale. All the various lettering on that set would be scaled to 1:48 to match the prototype lettering diagram. This includes the capacity information, the numbers, the build date, repack date - virtually everything would properly scaled for that prototype.
But you could use the lettering for something else, free lance or prototype that it matched.
I find it most satisfying for me to match the lettering for models to the prototype lettering for that specific car. It is fun to find photos or diagrams to describe how it was done, and then try to make the model match. However, rule #1 is "it is my RR" and if others are not happy with what you do, they can not visit.
