WTB: NYC PT tender decals

I'll admit I've been waiting for someone else to do this before trying it myself. I recall Hot Water did not remember how his painter accomplished the modification on his without stripping the whole tender, so let us know how you make out if you go ahead with this.

Thanks for joining the thread, Nick!!!

I figured with the subject line I used I'd at least get YOUR attention 

I need to email Scott Mann and ask what type of paint was used on this relatively new release of the NYC Hudson.  If we're all lucky, we can use something like Goo Gone to remove the incorrect "New York Central" and in my case, the number "7" on the cab and tender.  Seems like I remember someone saying Goo Gone in a recent thread, perhaps the Union Pacific Heavyweight one.  If Scott says that the black is laquer and the lettering is enamel, I'd be willing to try letter removal vs a total strip and repaint.  If single number removal would work; I'd probably just try to find the correct "7" in a dry transfer for the cab and rear of tender leaving the factory "544" part alone.

Nick, have you done anything with yours regarding this issue or are you just gonna live with the incorrect lettering?

Best,

Dave

Usually I'm willing to be the "guinea pig" on special projects, like the heavy modifications I made to Lionel's 18056 Hudson, but in this case I already shelled out $1,000 for the locomotive and I just don't have the guts to try this without someone else definitively documenting their own procedure. It's obviously possible since Hot Water's painter did it, we just need to know how! C'mon Jack spill the beans 

Nick,

I've always followed your modifications with great interest, 'specially the Hudson mods and the Penn Central coach mods - you do wonderful work and should be very proud!!!

Now, back to the issue at hand...

EARTH TO HOT WATER we need some advise and help here! 

I know he's out there somewhere.

Anybody else out there in forum-land have any info on modern font NYC steam locomotive decals or dry transfers???

Best,

Dave

Well Nick, I just got a reply from Scott and it is NOT pretty regarding our crusade...

... and I quote:

"Dear Dave,

Unfortunately on Brass models the Decal is Baked on. It is actually
part of the paint and has to be gently sanded off, requiring
repainting part of the tender and redecaling and then clear coating.

So the process is different as the Aluminum cars were not baked as
the brass engines were.

Scott Mann"

Well, there goes the Goo-Gone trick - bummer!

Perhaps we should just leave well enough alone.  I'm still gonna try to find the decals or dry transfers so I at least have them in the box with the loco in case opportunity (read catastrophe) presents itself regarding a total repaint.

Best,

Dave

As best as I can remember, I purchased a Champ Decal set #E-10 at the March Meet, here in the Chicago area. There are quite a number of folks selling Champ Decals at each year's March Meet.

Yeeesh, now I really don't want to screw with it. Jack, would your painter be willing to do another lettering job on another tender? If not it's okay, but if he's open to another job I would love to get a quote.

I'll ask him, the next time I see him. However, You'll have to ship the tender to him, here in Chicago, and then of course come up with that Champ decal set.

Sounds good Jack, keep me posted.

Started looking around just to see what's out there and did come across a few EH-10 HO sets of the required decals. Naturally the O version is the elusive one. Will probably end up scouring York for a set. Dave, if I find them first I'll grab an extra set for you.

I saw Gene Kutina this morning at our local hobby shop. He said he is willing do "correct" another Sunset/3rd Rail NYC centipede tender, if you are willing to ship it to him in Chicago.  To my knowledge, Gene does NOT do eMail, so here is his home phone number: (773) 762-5484.  You are now on your own, tell him I sent you, and he should know which steam locomotive model you are talking about. Also, he may have the necessary Champ O Scale decals in stock.

Good luck.

I would also like to reletter the tender on my J3 Hudson. Nick, please post after you speak with Gene. Im curious as to what he has to say about doing it and i figure he would prefer to not have 2 people calling him about the same thing.

I would also like to reletter the tender on my J3 Hudson. Nick, please post after you speak with Gene. Im curious as to what he has to say about doing it and i figure he would prefer to not have 2 people calling him about the same thing.

For all of us who would like to re-letter our 3rd Rail J3a Hudsons, here's a picture of the real NYC #5447 which clearly shows the correct font and positioning on the PT.

She ain't pretty but here she is, road grime & all...

(NYC J3a 5447 Chicago, IL - 10-31-1953)

... and here's NYC 5453 Huron, OH - July 1953 

For those of you who have cab #5451, I'm still looking!

BTW, as I type this, I'm holding a Lionel 6-38097 add-on PT tender and it sure appears to me that the fine folks at Lionel took some poetic license with it regarding font SIZE and positioning...

Best,

Dave

You would think that with how popular the NYC Hudson is, there would be aftermarket decals available to modelers. I'll take a set.

Well, think again. I talked to the owner of MicroScale some years ago when they were dropping O scale decals left and right. I inquired about this, and his answer was simple and to the point. O scale DO NOT SELL.

I asked about popular Class A lines and his answer was the same: they DO NOT sell in O scale. He said they were in business to make a profit and since they were blowing out their line of O scale decals, he doubted they'd be made again anytime soon.

I get the MircoScale newsletter and the funny thing is, even with the greater variety of products made in HO scale, the vast majority of their new decal releases are in HO scale, followed by N scale - as with most of the other decal makers.

I checked the all the websites of all the O scale decal makers I am aware of, and not one had anything in New York Centeral for steam locomotives of any kind.

Unfortunately the best bet here is to search for old stock, which as Hot Water suggested, will be a matter of going to shows. Or paying the extra money to have someone custom make them. And most decal makers have a minimum you have to have made. Seems like I have read here of one decal maker who does single sheet custom printing.

Whelp, somehow I managed to miss all this info by over two weeks. I called Gene as soon as I stumbled back on this thread, and we just had a very enjoyable discussion about not only the detail work, but also the dynamics of prototypical modelling in general.

We left it off that I'll be shipping him the tender tomorrow. The work to be done involves the correct lettering for the tender, but additionally he'll also install a more realistic coal pile and even take a look at the damaged rear tender truck that I wasn't having much luck with. The quote for all this work was very fair; when everything is done he estimates it will still be under $100. I was so excited to hear all this that I honestly forgot to ask him how he feels about doing a few more of the same jobs, since now I know Dave and Greg would like to have the same thing done. My apologies guys, I'll bring it up with him tomorrow after I call and let him know that the tender has been shipped.

Gene sounds like a great guy and definitely someone I can trust to do the right job on a model like this. Jack, thank's so much for referring me!

Forgot to mention, below is my progress thread on the Super J3a. Photos will be posted there when I get the tender back from Gene. Today I actually just finished blacking out all the areas on the engine that were incorrectly plated. The end goal is to have this $1,000 3rd Rail model look very much like the $3,600 Kohs model.

https://ogrforum.com/t...r-experiences?page=1

Just got off the phone with Gene again. He told me it would be fine to refer more people for this job, so Dave and Greg, you're good to go if you want to call him as well!

Nick,

While you were "snoozin'" at York having a good time with all of the guys, I was on the phone with Gene.  Gene invited me to join his crowd at the local hobby shop and I'm gonna take him up on it.  That way, I can hand deliver my J3a to him.

I found a couple of different sets of NYC decals (read: differnet sizes).  Which ones did you grab?

Best,

Dave

Wow, you share the same LHS with him? Small world lol. Anyway I never was able to find the decals, but no matter since he informed me he has them anyway. My tender is on the way to him right now since I'm far away in Florida. Have you dropped yours off to him yet? Wonder if he'll be doing them at the same time.

Actually, no, we don't share the same LHS...  He's in the Chicago area and I'm in the Buckeye capital.  I'm just gonna drive up there one Saturday and visit a bit and give him my Hudson.  It'll just be a little 4 to 5 hour trip up & the same time back.

Best,

Dave

Champ E-10

I have 2 sets im willing to sell  $5.00each plus postage

Bob,

I'll take 'em...

What's your email address - its not in your profile  

Best,

Dave

Hey Bob,

I'll take the other set. My email is in my profile. Just take out the NO_Spam from my email address.  Thanks.

Bob,

We need your email address, can you update your profile for us?

Oops, we both must have been typing at the same time...

Got it, thanks!

Best,

Dave

Bob and Al,

Bob, I'll take both sets of decals.  I've just sent you both an email.

Best,

Dave