Category: Features

  • 02/04/18 Final Touches and Signwriting

    02/04/18 Final Touches and Signwriting

    The finishing line for B850498 is now in sight.
    Monday started with the forecasted rain so the final finishing touches were undertaken,  this was the fitting of chalkboards and vacuum hoses.

     

    With eyes to the sky, we set up a painting shack to keep the rain off me whilst I began signwriting the sole bar details.  This, however, turned out not to be required as blue sky and sunshine appeared.

    Paint shack

    I did say in my signwriting preparation post I would detail the technique I used to transfer the template design to the vehicle.

    First chalk is applied to the back of the template,  which is then positioned on the vehicle in the required position and drawn over.

     

    This leaves a chalk version of the design on the vehicle which can then be used as a guide to paint too.

     

    The final item, in this case, a re – wheeled plate detailing our work on this vehicle, once the paint has dried the chalk will be wiped off.

    Paint

    Other sole bar details included the wagon plate, which we are signwriting at this time as detailed in a previous post and a note regards the hand brakes, this is because the tank wagon chassis has no crossbar which allows the brake blocks on both sides of the vehicle to be applied from either side this is an unusual arrangement for a BR vehicle so the note highlights this oddity.

     

    So fingers are now crossed for a dry week, so the body lettering, shock stripes and Common user plates can be applied next weekend.

  • 29/03/18 Signwriting preparation

    29/03/18 Signwriting preparation

    Hopefully if the weather does hold B850498 will have a gloss coat this weekend.
    I have taken the time to prepare templates for the signwriting and will have them with me this weekend fingers crossed all goes well.

    BR had set lettering sizes for vehicles.  On Goods stock this was:

    3″ for Running Number
    3 1/2″ for Running Number Prefix
    2″ for Capacity, Tare and Wheelbase detail

    The best reference is always images of stock you are doing or at least vehicles from the same batch and lot.  It so happens we have an image of B850333.

    850333
    B850333 in 1957 ex works condition

    Image: FREIGHT WAGONS AND LOADS IN SERVICE ON THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY AND BRITISH RAIL, WESTERN REGION
    Author: J.H. Russell
    ISBN: 0860931552

    This image shows the vehicle in ex works condition in 1957,  so fresh out the paint shop that the signwriters chalk marks are still visible.

    In Photoshop I create a file that’s dimensions match precisely that of the vehicle I wish to sign write, with an image such as above and a little manipulation I can stretch and skew so the van side in the image is stored in digital form at full size.

    With that image I can then manipulate the lettering and confirm the BR sizing was used, which was confirmed, I then overlay the lettering I wish to apply and in the relevant style, this is a mixture of hand drawn and scanned templates, Photoshop draw typefaces and system fonts.

    With further research we know the vehicle was allocated to Bynea in Wales and that early BR vehicles allocated to the Western Region received GWR style lettering along with BR Style.

    This results in the below image which details my proposed placing of letters on the vehicle.

    Plan
    Proposed lettering styles and layout

    The areas of lettering can then be copied and saved as individual files although retaining there full sized dimensions and when printed create the templates.
    Sole bar plates are also sign written and in the fullness of time maybe cast in house as we are currently looking into the process.
    Templates
    When I begin the signwriting I will detail how these templates are then transferred to the vehicle.