New Micro Scale O Gauge Decals

Micro Scale has reissued a good number of their O scale decals.

Unfortunately, no NYC steam.  Does anyone have a good source for NYC steam?

"Good number" might be a little misleading. I get the Microscale newsletter and they have reissued a few and introduced a few more sets in O scale. The vast majority of new items are still in HO and N scales.

I've talked to people at Microscale and they are planning on "slowly" reprinting sets that have long been out of stock in O scale. I've requested the Gothic White RR Data set and was told it would go on the list. I also mentioned the Conrail Executive set, but was told that one took way too long to sell out on the first run, so that's not likely to be done again. That line of thinking could very well apply to many other sets once available in O scale.

BUT again, like the response from many other O scale product makers, this all depends on how well what they do make in O scale actually sells.

Does anyone make decals for the Reading all Green schemes?  Also trying to find numbers for a MTH Sw1500,i have two with the same Road# trying to change one of them, they are in the yellow and green scheme.

Dande050,

Are you asking about this scheme?

http://www.microscale.com/Merc...Category_Code=OSCALE

Nice to see the Reading Open Hopper sheets back in stock.

I wanted decals for this engine.

I've worked with Microscale on a number of decal projects......most in the plastic model hobby, cars and aircraft.  I always bring up O scale decals.....IIRC they offered to reprint any set they had artwork for as long as I paid up front.......So...feel strong about a set??? Buy the entire lot and resell them......kinda see why Microscale is slow to reprint.

If you want unavailable O scale decals, you have to find a set in HO, and then send them to a custom decal maker, asking him to blow them up to O scale. I would think that would be cheaper than buying an entire run.

AMCDave posted:

I've worked with Microscale on a number of decal projects......most in the plastic model hobby, cars and aircraft.  I always bring up O scale decals.....IIRC they offered to reprint any set they had artwork for as long as I paid up front.......So...feel strong about a set??? Buy the entire lot and resell them......kinda see why Microscale is slow to reprint.

I tried that. I wanted a couple pf sets of NYC decals. They said it would cost 1000 bucks for 500 sets. Price per set was less than 20% of list but what do you do with the other 498 sets. I doubt there are anywhere close to enough NYC modelers who still do their own custom painting.

Pete

Have any of you tried ProtoCraft for O Scale decals?

dandeo50,

P&D Hobbies has that decal set available. This is for the scheme in the photo.

http://pdhobbyshop.com/show_pr...oscale&start=301

I thought you were looking for the modern green scheme.

Norton posted:

 

I tried that. I wanted a couple pf sets of NYC decals. They said it would cost 1000 bucks for 500 sets. Price per set was less than 20% of list but what do you do with the other 498 sets. I doubt there are anywhere close to enough NYC modelers who still do their own custom painting.

Pete

And thus you get a hint of what Microscale sees.......sell 15 sets and have 485 in stock.  If the sets would sell.....Microscale would print them.....

AMCDave posted:

Norton posted:

 

I tried that. I wanted a couple pf sets of NYC decals. They said it would cost 1000 bucks for 500 sets. Price per set was less than 20% of list but what do you do with the other 498 sets. I doubt there are anywhere close to enough NYC modelers who still do their own custom painting.

Pete

And thus you get a hint of what Microscale sees.......sell 15 sets and have 485 in stock.  If the sets would sell.....Microscale would print them.....

They could alter their business model to fit the times since they are the printer and already have the artwork. Run off 10 sets, sell them for double the price and they would have no problem selling all they print. The custom decal makers can do it and they have to come up with their own artwork or modify yours for their graphics software.

In my case I have since located alternatives but still every new project involves a hunt. No more going to the hobby shop and picking them up.

Pete

Norton posted:

They could alter their business model to fit the times since they are the printer and already have the artwork. Run off 10 sets, sell them for double the price and they would have no problem selling all they print. The custom decal makers can do it and they have to come up with their own artwork or modify yours for their graphics software.

In my case I have since located alternatives but still every new project involves a hunt. No more going to the hobby shop and picking them up.

Pete

Unfortunately that is not possible or they'd do it.........

I am a decal artist and producer. Just giving my background. Microscale decals are printed via the screen printing system. This means a screen must be cut for each color printed. And each screen must be set up and adjusted for alignment in order to get the great decals we want. 'Set up' can waste 20-50 sheets JUST TO START PRINTING the first good sheet. So it's easy to see why they can't spend half a day and waste lots of materials in order to make maybe $100 which would really end up as a loss overall. (Microscale is in So Cal which is an added cost FYI)

Short run decals are possible to run off a ALPS or other printer that prints white ink.....but ALPS is long gone and thus this is a short term fix and when ALPS printers break and ink supplies sell out....that tech is done.

I'd love a tech that allows me to store artwork on a computer and when 3 sheets are ordered....I print 3 sheets. But we do not have that yet. Maybe someday.....maybe not. thx 

Dave can you do short runs? Don

scale rail posted:

Dave can you do short runs? Don

Kinda depends.....I can not do white print.....so very limited. 

So, Dave,.....and others who have background in the decal business...

Is licensing (requirements thereof) an expense they have to bear?   I never thought much about this until they (MicroScale) made an announcement a couple years or so ago, indicating that they were all done making/selling decals for a particular oil company (e.g., gas station decal sets) since their licensing had terminated and they were not given any extension.  Then, of course, there was the big debacle re a particular railroad(s) and licensing to the hobby business in general....since resolved.   And, if our pals in the legal profession are retained to complete these licensing deals, isn't that an expense () to be absorbed in product?

So, how do these 'cottage' industries....person + computer + ALPS printer = ' decal business'...deal with this?  Or do they have to? .......until 'served' at the door?

Just wondering....

I never cease to be amazed at the myriad of chutes, ladders, hurdles,....and regulations...even a small business must contend with in order to make and sell a widget.......or a decal. 

And, if we had a ready prolific supply of O scale decals covering all the bases of interest, would we have hobbyists who have the time, patience, skill, and inclination to use them?  And manufacturers of UN-painted/lettered items to support?

Not long ago I was leafing through some very, very old model railroad magazines and came across an article showing how Mel Thornburg, your quintessential skills-blessed model railroader, had done the striping, scroll decorations, AND fancy-font lettering on a VERY ornate locomotive...all with paint and brush.....NO decals.   Awesome, to say the least. 

But, hey.....if you want it badly enough, and the "easy" way out isn't available, and you're confident and proud of your own effort, not easily swayed by pickers-of-nit, ....then, why not?

FWIW, always....

KD

Licensing can always play a part. Auto companies, energy, major 'brands' and a few others treat their logo as a profit center and not just trademark protection.So it can be an added cost. Most railroads have gone the 'fair use' route as they realize the positive PR they get in return. (also lack of any big profits possible from a license)

Cottage or home producers  run under the 'easier to ask forgiveness than permission' theory.  And if it's a one time one sheet of decals it can almost be called 'art'. So licensing does not come up.  It was explained to me this way by a somewhat famous artist friend.  He can paint a picture of a famous race car driver that says he has his image and name copyrighted.  Sell said painting w/o an issue. Print 500 copies of that painting....now you are in trouble.

Maybe more than anyone wanted to know....but what we deal with daily. thx  

I believe the B&O sheet for F units may be wrong, the strait black stripe should have the words " BALTIMORE AND OHIO" printed on them, should they not?

I was ready to order a set to paint up a SD70ACe in one of Frank's photo shop schemes,

RATS! 

John Pignatelli JR. posted:

I believe the B&O sheet for F units may be wrong, the strait black stripe should have the words " BALTIMORE AND OHIO" printed on them, should they not?

I was ready to order a set to paint up a SD70ACe in one of Frank's photo shop schemes,

RATS! 

Have you checked the Microscale site????

It looks like that is a 2 sheet set.......and the B&O lettering would be printed separate so builder could locate them as they need/wish. 

John Pignatelli JR. posted:

I believe the B&O sheet for F units may be wrong, the strait black stripe should have the words " BALTIMORE AND OHIO" printed on them, should they not?

John,

Keep in mind that the earlier B&O F3 and F7  B units did not have BALTIMORE AND OHIO lettering on them. They just had the plain black stripe. My guess would be Microscale did the decals to accommodate that scenario which would then make them correct. If you want BALTIMORE AND OHIO add it over the black stripe.

Thank you Bob and Dave.  I will put in an order.

Great idea for decals!!!  That aren’t decals at all.  INEXPENSIVE!!!!!!  LOOK FABULOUS!!!!

O scale decals are hard to find.  Ones you want are very difficult to find, if you ever do!

I’ve read all of the “How to” articles to get your decals done and most are expensive and inconvenient. 

Tonight, my wife and I attempted our own “decals” for the oldest logo of the Great Northern Railway.

I just purchased two new cabooses including a: MTH 20-91161 - Union Pacific CA-1 Woodside Caboose

Here is a very inexpensive way to make any “decal” you want made and apply it:

First, we got a photo of a historical GN Decal.

Second, we used a regular inexpensive HP Deskjet Printer with regular printer paper and printed the logo

Third, we opened the “decal” photo in Microsoft Word and adjusted the size

Fourth, we printed off the decal and cut it out

Fifth, MINIWAX WATER BASED POLYCRYLIC CRYSTAL CLEAR FINISH (SEE PHOTO) was applied with a small paint brush first to the back of the “decal”.  Then the decal was positioned onto the side of the caboose.  TAKE CARE IN POSITIONING BECAUSE YOU HAVE ONE CHANCE IN GETTING IT RIGHT.  It won’t slide easily.  We took a pencil and rolled it back and forth over the “decal” to get the air bubbles out, while it was still damp, and made sure it was flat and secure.  THEN we applied a thin coat of Miniwax clear finish over the top and around the edges of the “decal” to seal it.

Let it dry for a few minutes.  After a few minutes re-roll the pencil over the top to ensure a secure, flat fit. 

We then put a final light coat of clear finish to seal and protect it.   LET IT DRY.

It looks as good as any decal I’ve ever seen!

We will weather this caboose some more as we already smeared a dirty brown color over the sides prior to “decal” application.

YOU CAN MAKE ANY “DECAL,” SIGN, or WHATEVER IN COLOR IF YOU DESIRE EASILY AND INEXPENSIVELY!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE.