Hi
I am trying to find a manufacturer of water slide transfers who can supply
me with 4mm scale transfers for the North Staffordshire Railway locomotives
Can anybody help please? Many thanks Roger.
Are there any custom-transfer printers in the UK? There are some over
here, search on "custom decals for model railroads". They'll make up
slide transfers for you, ata surprisingly reasonable price, considering.
You'll have to supply the art work, or good clear photos from which they
can develop it (at additional cost, of course). Extras could be sold or
traded to other modellers.
Failing that, are there transfers whose typography is close enough that
with some cutting and rearrangement you can produce a credible stand-in?
Fact is that decal/transfer manufacturing has declined steeply in the
last 5 years or so, along with kit-building. Small runs of transfers for
lines that few people model isn't cost-effective (1). People just expect
more custom-printed ready-to-run rolling stock, and with the advent of
cheap computerised printing, that's become cheap enough that the premium
on (say) offering a selection of half a dozen or more numbers of the the
same car (waggon) is gladly paid by people who neither trust their
skills nor want to spend the time.
HTH & Good luck,
Wolf K.
(1) Data point: A few years ago, a major mfr here produced some decals
for the Algoma Central Railway. A customer of mine wanted 55 sets to
make a run of custom-decorated coaches, but by the time he'd decided
that, the run was sold out, and they've been on "back-order" ever since.
The decals have not been re-run, as there hasn't been enough demand for
them. In the meantime, the need for them has pretty well disappeared, as
correctly liveried coaches have been made.
The North Staffordshire Railway, in common with most British railways,
used a crest on its locomotives. To be honest, it's probably unlikely
that any mainstream transfer producers would carry them.
As for textual transfers, they may have used a standard style, I'm not
familiar enough with the company to comment. The only surviving North
Staffordshire locomotive, an 0-6-2T sold into colliery service, can be
seen at Locomotion in Shildon. The last time I saw it the transfers on
it were a bit tatty.
There are a number of Societies dedicated to Pre-Grouping companies,
it's possible that there's one for the North Staffordshire. They'd
probably be the best persons for Barbara to ask. A cursorary Google
search for North Staffordshire Railway brings up some possible leads
but I can't comment on quality - more of an NER man myself.
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