Model Railroading on the Cheap

I tried a couple times to make my own decals with the computer and blank decal paper. I used the Windows Paint Program and printed them with the home computer ink jet printer. This works because of black lettering on a light colored background. Home computers cannot print white.

   I used a decal making kit by Testors. It comes with a few half sheets of blank decal paper, a spray can of sealer for after printing, and some software for the computer with some art work images more suited to the customized automobile kit hobby.

   This was my first attempt with the Testors kit and while it worked OK, I feel that I could have done better with my own art work as I think my lettering would look better with a heavier stroke. However, when I tried bold lettering on a different project, I had several failures of the sealer spray to dry, and gave up rather disappointed. I wondered if it was because of so much black ink causing the sealer over spray to not dry?

   I now believe that our decals need white backing for the colors to be correct. I had trouble with a yellow printed decal being nearly invisible on a black car- unusable. Perhaps white decal stock would work better at producing our desired colors.

   Note to save decal paper: After getting your art work satisfactory; arrange it to use just part of a blank decal sheet: Print a sample of it on a sheet of plain paper about 2 inches down from the top (leading edge). Then use this plain sheet to carry our decal paper through the printer by attaching the leading edge of the decal sheet over top of our printed sample with Scotch tape and re-insert our sample with decal sheet attached into the printer and print the same thing again – now on top of the decal paper. This method is dependent on the printer feeding sheets straight through the printer. Then apply a couple coats of the sealer over spray.  That way one does not have to use a whole sheet of decal paper for such a small label.

Using home-made decals

   Here is my finished caboose being pulled out from WREX at Hillton with home-made decals. This was a fine quality plastic caboose by Proto2000 (LifeLike) with nice interior, open-able doors, day lighted grab irons, and a track powered light inside.  Its paint job had gotten in trouble before I acquired it. I attempted to fix that with weathering and this decal job. I am not the happiest with how this turned out but I feel that it is at least suitable for my track maintenance train. I guess I am still learning.

   Here is a closer look at the track maintenance department caboose with home printed decals. There is even a figure on the platform, but he is hard to see. The car number 850 was done with commercial decals; that type style has a heavier stroke that I like better.

   This up close view shows the New Age Sign Co. building (a home-drawn on the computer-printed on card stock paper – cut, folded, and glued paper building) in the near background. Next back is the plastic RR WMCA building for overnight lodging of train crews and in the distant soft focus are Walthers ‘Back Streets’ paper flats.