renumbering locos

[TalyllynJon]

Anybody got any advice on how best to renumber locos? I've got a small collection of GWR and LMS engines that I would like to renumber, but I'm nervous of making a mess of them. The numbers are so small that I suspect it will be a right faff getting them perfect (and, ironically the quality of models these days is so high that any shonky details will stick out like a sore thumb!)

[Dr Al]

GWR is easy - all had cast brass numberplates in real life, so in model form you can just place etched numberplates (from Fox transfers for example) on top of the original printed numbers.

LMS will be a more standard thing of removing the original numbers carefully (depends on the exact models which technique is most applicable) and applying fresh decal numbers in their place.

Cheers,
Alan

[Stevie DC]

As Alan says, there are a range of techniques that can be used to remove numbers/crests from locomotives. All have an element of danger to them as it is quite easy to go too far and damage the underlying paint.

Nearly all of my own renumbering efforts have been on Dapol's LNER green A3s. For these I tend to use a wet 2000 grit sanding stick to, very gently, remove the numbers. Anywhere where I've managed to rub through the paint, I patch paint back in using a roughly 50/50 mix of Precision gloss and matt LNER Doncaster Green paint - a close but not perfect match.

Other methods include using the tip of a scalpel blade, very gently rubbing back and forth over the number. Tee-Cut is also another method I've heard of people using but it isn't one I've had much success with.

My best advice would be to look out for some cheap, second-hand bodies to practice on. That way, you can experiment with various techniques and decide which works best for you before letting loose on an actual model.

[TalyllynJon]

Thanks guys. Getting something cheap to practice on sounds like very good advice. (Funnily enough last year someone was telling me about the P4 layout he was planning, based on the Midland Railway in the late 1800s. He'd been collecting kits of suitable stock and showed me pics of an engine he'd built. It was beautifully executed, including the ornate Midland Railway livery - only it wasn't a Midland locomotive! I thought he'd lost the plot, but he explained he'd bought the kit cheap as something to practice on - I think he'd assembled it and dismantled it about 3 times by that stage, learning from his mistakes each time. I think he was going to rebuild it one more time before he felt he'd learned enough to confidently tackle his 'real' fleet!)