I am modeling the Midland Valley, or at least using that road name. As few cars are available pre-lettered, I am having to use decals. Missing a few decades of MR magazine, I have little reference materials available. I was wondering if there was a way to make a decal not look like a decal?
decaling has always been a trick, there are dry transfers but they are also tricky in aligning and the final result if not done right will be off.
Most purchased models use screen printing.
For decals the trick is 2 things, Solvaset and flat paint finish (clear). Your best to invest in a good spray painting system if your going to get into decaling, if your going to decal, you may as well be ready to weather if your that serious about decaling, etc.
Solvaset helps to lay down the decal, get the decal film to firmly grip the surface and also clean it and rush away air bubbles and may help dissolve the decal film. When dry you lightly spray the decaled area or the whole model the flat finish, be sure your happy with the decal job before painting. This helps firm down the decal, mask the fact its a decal and wear wont bother it off.
Today’s thin film decals, while tricky to apply, look better and less like decals than ever before. A clean glossy surface is the first requirement. I advise two Kalmbach books by Jeff Wilson, “Basic Painting and Weathering for Model Railroaders” and “Modeler’s Guide to Realistic Painting and Finishing” which is not specifically model railroad oriented but is partly viewable on Google Books
One thing to keep in mind is that Accurail, http://www.accurail.com/accurail/
and perhaps other makes, offers their cars in “data only” paint schemes, which could help minimize the amount of decaling you’d have to do on any given car.
And if just the words “Midland Valley” and reporting marks would be added to a car, perhaps dry transfers could be used.
Yet another possibility is that Accurail offers a custom painting option – you provide the artwork and a minimum order of 48 cars, and they’ll decoarate them for you. Yes that is a lot of cars of the same kind, and pricey too. A friend of mine did this and used the cars he did not need on the layout as trade for other people’s custom cars.
Dave Nelson