North Staffordshire Railway

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.

The NSR Study Group at

may be a good place for contacts to ask.

There is an example of the NSR crest at

Cambridge Custom Transfers at MAY be able to help although this is not a service they normally offer.

Riddles

replying to Barbara Mitchell, Paul Round wrote: Barbara, Did you ever find a source for NSR transfers in 4mm scale? I want to build a NSR saloon

replying to Barbara Mitchell, Paul Round wrote: Barbara, Did you ever find a source for NSR transfers in 4mm scale? I want to build a NSR saloon