Hope this isn’t too far off topic. There have been a few articles in MR about wrapping an entire structure in a decal made from a photograph to get realistic siding or bricks or whatever. I just saw an episode of “Horse Power” on Spike TV where they wrapped an entire car in a “decal” to change its colour and get all sorts of graphics, flames, etc. on it without having to paint the car. Apparently there’s a company that makes these gigantic self-adhesive sheets on what looks like an inkjet printer on serious sterioids and they cover the car with them. One sheet can cover the entire side of a car. They claim it’s faster than painting the car, they have a five year warantee and cost $4500-$5500 for an entire car. Now maybe that’s something the prototype railroads should look into for re-doing cars from other roads that they’ve acquired in mergers and it would cover up a lot of flaws as well as the other road’s heralds and reporting marks. Maybe for models, a whole car decal could take the place of painting and applying multiple small decals, and if taken from a photograph would the 100% accurate.
This technique is being done on protoype locos for special occasions and sponsors. Here in Canada several VIA Rail passenger engines were covered in graphics promoting the last Spiderman movie. Others have been decorated for Kool Aid, Telus cell phones, CBC Radio/TV, etc. GO Transit has had some of their double decker passenger cars covered with ad graphics. And so on.
I saw that show too. I wonder what those decals will look like after the first race?[:-^] I guess they’ll call it trading decals instead of paint. I wonder if they use those on some of the ornate Amtrak passenger cars?
I wonder just what they would look like after being exposed to the solvent-based paints graffiti ‘artists’ seem to favor…
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Got news for you - just about everything except the base paint on a Nextel Cup type car is a decal. Those cars get repainted after every race, or at least they used to. The RiverLine here in NJ uses wraps on some of their rolling stock. I’ve also seen wraps on NJTransit buses as well. And I wish I could remember exactly where I saw it, but the decoration (stripes, etc.) on full-size Amtak passenger cars are decals as well.
I watched that show as well, the Nova looks like its going to be a quick car. Like Bob said, VIA and GO Transit have used large decals for years on their equipment. In Ontario its becoming very popular. Almost every OHL hockey team has their team bus done, TV stations vehicles and even Real Estate agents get their cars done. I’ve even seen a VW Bug advertising “That 70’s Show” on it.
It’s been used on buses and other public transit for years and years. In adland it’s called a “bus wrap.” I doubt the graphics hold up to prolonged exposure to the weather though as any given transit ad campaign only lasts a few weeks.