Decal Help Needed

Very neatly done - completely printed - what's the overall cost of that operation?

Thought you might consider using those parts as masters for casting a bevy of sets in resin.

I'm having a friend do it so there's no official cost. He said it's about $5-10 worth of plastic for each of these cars. 

Wondering if you could use these. Microscale still makes them. Decal "O" scale #48-1210

http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?

Don

Steven Michael posted:

I'm having a friend do it so there's no official cost. He said it's about $5-10 worth of plastic for each of these cars. 

Reliance on the kindness of friends can be positive for all involved.  Cheap enough on the materials!

What's the printer time?

Decals might be tough indeed for both styles.

Can't tell you that. Pretty long, I believe he told me the floor/frame piece took around 8 hours. There are faster printers but cost increases with speed.

scale rail posted:

Wondering if you could use these. Microscale still makes them. Decal "O" scale #48-1210

http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?

Don

You know, I looked at those before but determined that the largest letters were just a little too big, but I might just go ahead and order it anyhow. If it doesn't work I'm sure tberes something else I can use them on.

Steven Michael posted:

Can't tell you that. Pretty long, I believe he told me the floor/frame piece took around 8 hours. There are faster printers but cost increases with speed.

Good thing to start at night and let go until morning - ties up the printer a lot.  That goes back to my thought of using these as masters for resin casting - probably kick out a set of castings every hour with a little luck, but then you will incur costs for RTV & resin. 

A friend willing to tie up his printer for free is a friend indeed!

I'm looking forward to seeing an assembled model!

Wow! I need a fleet of those! May I ask what will you be using for the trucks? Perhaps Atlas O Andrew trucks?

That's awesome Steven! Good luck on the decals 

Steven the G38 and G39 cars are very popular.  And I see you added the covers for the steam lance poke holes.

May I suggest that you have someone review your 3d models and make them worthy to sell or reproduce.  By this I mean make the "machinings" metal smooth and accurate in fidelity.

You would probably have no problems selling enough of them to recover your costs... and to help you build a fleet of them. 

What era are you modeling?  if you can afford it you could use Protocraft Ride control trucks with a few Rich Yoder Crown cast mixed in.  This would help with weight for empty cars.

Very nicely done.   I can still remember them rumbling away to their destination at the steel mill.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Wow! I need a fleet of those! May I ask what will you be using for the trucks? Perhaps Atlas O Andrew trucks?

I designed them to take weaver trucks. I'm completely aware they are not actually the correct design, but they are the only ones that allow the car to sit high enough to fit three rail pizza cutters, but still allow it to sit at the correct height with scale two rail trucks installed. Once I have one in hand I might be able to play around and see what I can do with atlas trucks. Now that you have me thinking about it, I should've added holes to allow for a Kadee coupler, although it wouldn't be too hard to drill them out. I'll keep you updated. 

Steven

The car looks cool, and I am glad to see this example of the technology!  As for the decals,  Champ made a set of PRR Boxcar decals.  Here they are applied to an X 31.  You can get the height by scaling the photo, and if you can use them let me know. I MAY have an extra set:

Dear Steve,

Please check with John Francz of Mount Vernon Car Shops. He does incredible decals for PRR in all scales.

At this point he only has done PRR Cabin car decals in O Scale but he may be able to do the G38 decals in O scale

Also, I was on the same track as you looking for a 3d printer to do a PRR G38 or G39 project, you are one step ahead of me.

I would be in for 24-36 cars. Yoder and Atlas trucks added by purchaser and couplers.

NO one will ever do this car mass produced and you just can't buy one as you know they pretty much ran as a unit train.

Can't wait to see a string of these behind E44's or G's under the Cherry Valley club caternary.

Email me at jdunn8888@comcast,net or call me 609-432-2871 once you get a cost per car.

John P.Dunn Sr. Scale2Rail Promotions

jdunn posted:

Also, I was on the same track as you looking for a 3d printer to do a PRR G38 or G39 project, you are one step ahead of me. 

John,

Steve is an entire extension ladder ahead of you,

If I had a set of the printed parts, I probably could have molds made for casting these in resin pretty quickly.   

Originally posted by jdunn:

NO one will ever do this car mass produced and you just can't buy one as you know they pretty much ran as a unit train.

Why NOT? It's not a One RR, One paint scheme car. You had "worm" PC and Conrail in TWO schemes.[ Patch job & Conrail freight car red with logo] and you could possibly make a UP and an SP of the car as well [although their ore jennies were a bit longer than a G39]

I could picture lionscale making a pack of these cars...

I'm with Mark and Joe. If Lionel sold these as lionscale, as a moderately detailed American made car, they would be cheap enough to mass produce them AND cheap enough for people to desire purchasing them. Additionally, I had the same thought about making them in southern pacific paint. The cars aren't identical, but they certainly share resemblance. 

John, is there any way I can get in contact with them? Website? Also, if you could tell me the width of the word "PENNSYLVANIA" I could probably determine whether they'll work. 

I'm always surprised Weaver didn't do these in plastic.   They would be a fairly simple injection molding and just like eating potato chips it's not possible to just have one!

Yet MDC had no problems doing the SP ore jenny in HO even though only SP had that car (though the BA&P had similar). 

Dear Steven,

https://www.mountvernonshops.com

Marty, are are right on- Steven was a extension ladder over me on doing this project.

Let me know when I can buy 24/36 kits with price. 

I repeat, No one will ever mass produce this car.

While you guys are waiting for whomever to come out with the G38/39 I will be enjoying my unit train.

Life is too short.  

Thanks, John  

Steven Michael posted:

John, is there any way I can get in contact with them? Website? Also, if you could tell me the width of the word "PENNSYLVANIA" I could probably determine whether they'll work. 

Width is 3 3/8" from the outboard serifs on the "P" and the "A".  The Champ number is OB-307.  The title is alternatively Penn 40' Boxcar (new lettering and herald) or Pennsylvania Boxcar.  Either version works. Champ decals have been out of production, but I have a set if you want to give it a try, Contact me off line. 

Those are just a tad bit too wide John- two letters comes out to .56 in, I only have a half inch to work with between the ribs.