# Road Numbers?



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

I've seen people buy some of the same items with different road numbers. Can someone explain to me the purpose of having all the road numbers for the same item?


----------



## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

That's the way real train car consists are done...Well in real train cars you never have 2 cars with the same numbers! It's kind of a rivet counters thing to need a lot of differnt car #'s.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

NIMT said:


> That's the way real train car consists are done...Well in real train cars you never have 2 cars with the same numbers! It's kind of a rivet counters thing to need a lot of differnt car #'s.



So does it work the same for locomotives as it does for rolling stock?


----------



## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Yes it is the same. I have 3 & 1/2 steemers all with the same number. I did not care with DC. When I convert them to DCC I will renumber them. That way I can keep them stright when i want to drive them.


----------



## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

4 and 1/2 steamers? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


----------



## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Must be fun running that half steamer! 
Bob


----------



## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

Hmmm steamers








With a bowl of chowda and a few cold ones


----------



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

YYEEEOOOOWWWWWWW! Ipswitch clams! I'd kill you for a plate of those steamers. Ha! Pete


----------



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Amazing how a thread can turn here...:thumbsup:

Crawfish anyone?


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

JackC said:


> Hmmm steamers
> 
> 
> 
> ...





norgale said:


> YYEEEOOOOWWWWWWW! Ipswitch clams! I'd kill you for a plate of those steamers. Ha! Pete


good god..I am drooling

being a transplanted new englander I love me some ipswich clams..

also because I went to school in RI I miss the following

Iggy Dough Boys
Dells Lemonade
NY System Hot Dogs
Wes' Rib House

and who could forget the best breakfast in RI Leggs n Eggs


----------



## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

Anyone up for a case of crabs?


----------



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Ha! Now Blue shell crabs I can get. Used to go trolling for them along the banks of the Marco Island Airport. Then one day a small alligator grabed my bait and almost pulled me into the water. Now I buy them at the seafood market. Much safer that way. Pete


----------



## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

brylerjunction said:


> good god..I am drooling
> 
> being a transplanted new englander I love me some ipswich clams..
> 
> ...


Iggy's, about a mile from me here in Warwick. They opened a second place "down in Pt Judy, yup"
Dells, can't swing a dead cat without it landing on one of their stands
Harry's NY system closed on Elmwood years ago and moved to Post Road. That one just closed. Not sure of the one they opened by Garden City. 
Olneyville is still going strong.
Rather go to Sticky Fingers then Wes's. Better chance of your car being there when you come out.

No comment on Leggs and Eggs


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

JackC said:


> Hmmm steamers
> 
> 
> 
> ...


what the hell ?


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

JackC said:


> Iggy's, about a mile from me here in Warwick. They opened a second place "down in Pt Judy, yup"
> Dells, can't swing a dead cat without it landing on one of their stands
> Harry's NY system closed on Elmwood years ago and moved to Post Road. That one just closed. Not sure of the one they opened by Garden City.
> Olneyville is still going strong.
> ...


I think I went to Sticky Fingers too when I was in College do they serve lamb or bull "fries"..what was that place that would open at night in front of city hall it was a trailer...I worked at The Strand when I was in college and we would eat there after a concert...

I really need to make a trip to see how much they have redone to the Johnson and Wales campus


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

JackC said:


> Anyone up for a case of crabs?



I got a few cases back in my college days


----------



## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

Haven Bros. Parked right beside city hall. No longer use horses to pull the outfit. Rumor is they, the horses, went in the chili.....

J&W has turned a lot of property in Providence into school resturants and shops. Along with Brown and PC they are sucking up city services with little to no tax payments. J&W has turned Fields Point into a massive campus, again with little to no tax payments for services. Providence is hurting.

My city of Warwick isn't far behind. I paid the same amount of personal property tax on my now 7 year old truck as I did the first year I owned it. Figure that one out.


----------



## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

jjb727 said:


> So does it work the same for locomotives as it does for rolling stock?


Yes. Locomotives can and do move between railroads all the time in run-through or power pooling agreements, leasing/renting, and horsepower-hour repayment so they're identified just like freight cars are.

Every piece of railway equipment has a unique combination of reporting mark + number to identify it.

On your model, if you just "run trains" and don't do any switching [by car number] or just use some sort of system where you switch a certain amount of a certain car type without regard to the actual cars themselves then it doesn't matter, but if you're trying to do switching and operations using car cards or a switchlist using car numbers, like the prototype you really cannot have two cars with the same car number or it just doesn't work.


----------



## Lee_R (May 30, 2012)

shaygetz said:


> Amazing how a thread can turn here...:thumbsup:
> 
> Crawfish anyone?


Whoooooo-WEE! Dem shore look good, ah gair-on-TEE!

Wif coan ahn dee cob, fahr-roastid sweet taters, hush puppies, 'n a big ole bowl a gumbo 'n rahss!!

(translation for all you "non-Southerners": Boy, those really look delicious. Especially with corn on the cob, fire roasted sweet potatoes, hush puppies [does not translate], and a large bowl of gumbo [does not translate] and rice.)

Shay, now you've REALLY gone and made me miss my father's Aunt Stella! That lady could cook up a pot of gumbo that would make a statue drool! :laugh:


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

more seafood? my god.....lol


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

cv_acr said:


> Yes. Locomotives can and do move between railroads all the time in run-through or power pooling agreements, leasing/renting, and horsepower-hour repayment so they're identified just like freight cars are.
> 
> Every piece of railway equipment has a unique combination of reporting mark + number to identify it.
> 
> On your model, if you just "run trains" and don't do any switching [by car number] or just use some sort of system where you switch a certain amount of a certain car type without regard to the actual cars themselves then it doesn't matter, but if you're trying to do switching and operations using car cards or a switchlist using car numbers, like the prototype you really cannot have two cars with the same car number or it just doesn't work.


Good thing you said that because I have two life-like SF high hood engines with the same number (I didn't know that was gonna happen either). So I just run one of them and switch between the two every time I run them to give them an equal amount of run time. If I could somehow erase the number from one of them and re-number it, then I can run both together but since I don't know how, Ill probably have to wait a while.


----------



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Lee_R said:


> Shay, now you've REALLY gone and made me miss my father's Aunt Stella! That lady could cook up a pot of gumbo that would make a statue drool! :laugh:


.
My Aunt Stella was from Joisey...

You ever get too homesick for it and find yourself in Swamp People country, just let me know, my beloved cooks a mean gumbo...and a crawfish ettoufe'...and a jambolia...then there's this slammin' boudin nearby...ahEEEE, you got me hungry...:laugh:


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

is this a mixed food/model railroad thread or something?  lol


----------



## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

JackC said:


> Hmmm steamers
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Holy Crap!! I can't show this to my wife (A New Hampshirite).....she's dieing for a quart or two........you just can't find good steamers here in Northern VA! :

Jim


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

jesus christ...more food!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> jesus christ...more food!


What is the number?

Maybe a fine tipped Sharpie marker would make a 1 into a 7?
They come in all different colors.

What numbers are you working with?
Are they decal-ed on?

I have the same CNJ box cars with the same number and when it is rolling around the rail you can't read them anyway.

But a rivet counter would frown upon me.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

3560, no decals, the number is painted on with yellow. Want a pic?


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> 3560, no decals, the number is painted on with yellow. Want a pic?



Maybe a fine tipped yellow Sharpie pen could make the 3 into an 8?

Though a rivet counter might not agree with me.

Pictures are always nice.
But no more food please I have to watch my weight.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

lol but i wasn't the one to incorporate FOOD into this thread. It all started when someone mentioned "steamers" and got the WRONG idea! lol


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> lol but i wasn't the one to incorporate FOOD into this thread. It all started when someone mentioned "steamers" and got the WRONG idea! lol


I always liked Cheery stones steamed clams better then the steamers.
I wonder why a picture of a steaming plate of Lobsters didn't make it into your thread.

That happens a lot on threads, but eventually it gets back on track.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

i dont like clams lol


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> i dont like clams lol


I am gaining weight just by looking at the pictures and thinking of eating them smothered in butter.

I'm drooling now stop it!

What do you think? 
Can you make the 3 into an 8 with a yellow fine tipped Sharpie?


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

when i buy the sharpie, yeah


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> when i buy the sharpie, yeah


Look for fine tipped and they might sell different yellows, but they probably be in different packs.
Staples just had a sale on them I don't know if it is still going on.



http://www.staples.com/office/suppl...utocompletesearchkey=sharpie+ultra+fine+point


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Its gotta be sharpies that have that thick of an edge.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> Its gotta be sharpies that have that thick of an edge.



Hmmm it is going to take a steady hand and the way the numbers are I don't know if it would look right.
The 6 into an 8 is another option but my remarks above would also pertain to that.

How about just adding an A and B, maybe on the nose sides with a decal?
I don't think there is enough room by the number to add anything.

Just don't make it too big or too small, that way you could run them together and they would be different by the A & B?

Rivet counters would not like that either.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

why does everything have to be approved by "Rivet"?


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> why does everything have to be approved by "Rivet"?



Because the rivet counters that would say YOU ARE WRONG for doing it.
Me? It wouldn't bother me.
They are spitting on me now, I can feel it.

Another option you might get satisfaction from is stripping them down and painting them up with your favorite road name.
Unless that is your favorite name.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

big ed said:


> Because the rivet counters that would say YOU ARE WRONG for doing it.
> Me? It wouldn't bother me.
> They are spitting on me now, I can feel it.
> 
> ...


Its one of them. I have many favorite road names ! And they DON'T have to be approved by Rivet either! :laugh:


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

I just want to change the number, nothing more complicated than that. Maybe I could weather one of them heavily to where the road number is barely readable? lol. That or use some sort of masking tape with a new # on it or just 4 "?" marks lol.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> I just want to change the number, nothing more complicated than that. Maybe I could weather one of them heavily to where the road number is barely readable? lol. That or use some sort of masking tape with a new # on it or just 4 "?" marks lol.


Can you squeeze an A & B decal after the number you think?


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Perhaps, but I need a marker that would allow me to make the letters as thick as the size of the numbers.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> Perhaps, but I need a marker that would allow me to make the letters as thick as the size of the numbers.


A DECAL? 

Not hard to place a decal on.

The A & B (DECAL) would not have to be the same size as the numbers.

It could be smaller and it would make the engines though with the same number, different.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Well, I find those model train decals to be a pain in the butt to place. I gotta dip it in water and then somehow fit it in there perfectly? why can't they make normal decals like stickers? that'll work A LOT EASIER!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> Well, I find those model train decals to be a pain in the butt to place. I gotta dip it in water and then somehow fit it in there perfectly? why can't they make normal decals like stickers? that'll work A LOT EASIER!


You could find some sticky decals also, I think the T man has used them.

They have a dry transfer that you just rub the letter/number and it transfers on you know?

The tender here is dry transfer, you just place the sheet over and rub the letter/number off and it transfers to the piece your lettering.

I don't like the job I did on this and most likely I will do it over.

But these are Dry Transfer Decals.








That is from this thread,
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=7467


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

those look easier to use.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> those look easier to use.


They come in all different colors and sizes.
Here is a site there are plenty more sites that have them,



http://www.hobbylinc.com/model_railroad_decals

I use a dull pencil to rub them off the sheet, but they sell a tool too.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

thank you!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> thank you!


OK But I just have to add this now too.:thumbsup:









YOUR THREAD MADE ME HUNGRY!


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

big ed said:


> Because the rivet counters that would say YOU ARE WRONG for doing it.
> Me? It wouldn't bother me.
> They are spitting on me now, I can feel it.
> 
> ...


to me I like all my stuff to have a different road number, but I ain't no rivit counter, the only reason I like different road numbers is thats how I track my invintory of what I have. I have a few BN box cars that are the same number 10024 or somethign like that, so I need to one day just get them renumbered, so I can invintory them as running units


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

big ed said:


> OK But I just have to add this now too.:thumbsup:
> 
> View attachment 19462
> 
> ...


where's the lemon pepper salmon?


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

aaahhhhhh, i see now!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> aaahhhhhh, i see now!


Lemon pepper salmon.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

replace those leaves with rice and It'll be good to go!


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> replace those leaves with rice and It'll be good to go!


You will have to pick the rabbit food off yourself,
with rice,


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

lol rabbit food. Ill just tell them to give me the rice and no cole slaw lol


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

jjb727 said:


> lol rabbit food. Ill just tell them to give me the rice and no cole slaw lol


I like all food, I don't discriminate.
Rabbit food is good for you, now eat your vegetables.

About the only thing I don't like that I know of is Rhubarb.
Yuck...too sour!:thumbsdown:


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Im a simple minded man. Rice, salmon/chicken and mashed potatoes is all I need! lol


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

jjb727 said:


> Well, I find those model train decals to be a pain in the butt to place. I gotta dip it in water and then somehow fit it in there perfectly? why can't they make normal decals like stickers? that'll work A LOT EASIER!


You can experiment with plastic sheets and run them through your printer.


----------



## Lee_R (May 30, 2012)

You know, jj, if you're going to go through the trouble of putting an "A" and "B" decal on, wouldn't it be just as easy to get a decal with a number like 3508, or any other number for that matter, and slap it over the numbers on one of the locos? I've been doing a lot of train watching lately (considering they come by three or four times, and that's during the daylight hours!) and some of the UP engines that have gone by, most definitely look like someone took a broad brush and slapped on some "almost-UP yellow", and then stencil-painted the engine number. If I had a good enough camera, I'd get a picture of it for you.

Also, in trying to identify the "type" of engine it is, I've gotten the engine number off the side and looked it up online, only to find that A.) the photographed engine is NOT the engine that I saw go by [photo taken over 10 years ago]; or B.) the photo listing specifically states that from 19xx to 19xx, this engine number was used for an SD-40-2, in 19xx that engine was scrapped and the number applied to an AC4400. Or something to that effect, the years and loco types changing accordingly.

The point is, road numbers "do" change, and sometimes when they do the maintenance shops occasionally do "less than stellar" (aka "pretty darn sloppy") jobs at painting them on.


----------



## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

Lee_R said:


> Also, in trying to identify the "type" of engine it is, I've gotten the engine number off the side and looked it up online, only to find that A.) the photographed engine is NOT the engine that I saw go by [photo taken over 10 years ago]; or B.) the photo listing specifically states that from 19xx to 19xx, this engine number was used for an SD-40-2, in 19xx that engine was scrapped and the number applied to an AC4400. Or something to that effect, the years and loco types changing accordingly.


The other caveat is that on some older train-set/entry-level stuff like these Life-Like GP38s the road numbers may not be remotely accurate in the first place, or the model may be of a type that the railroad never owned, or in a paint scheme that was never on that type of engine. (These Santa Fe GP38s are actually a good case in point for the latter - AT&SF didn't roster high-nose GP38s like this, and at any rate the red and silver was not in use when GP38s were built, and previous to that it has been a passenger only scheme on F-units. It got resurrected again as a freight scheme on GP60s and newer. But it's a really flashy scheme so of course trainsets were offered in it.)


----------



## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

jjb727 said:


> Well, I find those model train decals to be a pain in the butt to place. I gotta dip it in water and then somehow fit it in there perfectly? why can't they make normal decals like stickers? that'll work A LOT EASIER!


Because stickers have thickness so they'll obscure details and it's VERY obvious that you've stuck a sticker on the side of the engine. Plus you'd have to match the background of the sticker exactly, and even if you did it'd still be noticeable.

If done right, decals go right down flat and conform to the surface and once clear coated will pretty much look printed or painted on. Anyone doing serious custom painting or relettering of models wouldn't touch a sticker with a 10' pole.

It might be easier to apply, but it's impossible to make it look right.


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

i won't even touch a st...,st............sti.................sticker.......eeew......with a 2,000 ft pole....sorry they just dont look right on trains IMO ive seen them, only time I use one is if I want to quickly renumber a train and I want it to look like it was quick hurry it into service type of look (ie it was owned by one road and quickly bought by another or something like that)...and even then i still am picky about them on my trains...


----------



## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

cv_acr said:


> Because stickers have thickness so they'll obscure details and it's VERY obvious that you've stuck a sticker on the side of the engine. Plus you'd have to match the background of the sticker exactly, and even if you did it'd still be noticeable.
> 
> If done right, decals go right down flat and conform to the surface and once clear coated will pretty much look printed or painted on. Anyone doing serious custom painting or relettering of models wouldn't touch a sticker with a 10' pole.
> 
> It might be easier to apply, but it's impossible to make it look right.


Here's a question - how was the lettering on this done?










Jim


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

most likely its either decals or painted on at the factory.


----------



## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

New Berlin RR said:


> most likely its either decals or painted on at the factory.


Well I guess you can say you're half correct, the custom black was sprayed on, then vinyl letters put in place then the custom tan was sprayed on, the vinyl was removed, then masked and the custom black was applied. The only decals on the whole engine are the numbers on the number board as it's really hard to cut vinyl numbers that small. I can cut vinyl letters/numbers from 1/8" and up depending on the font.


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

hey half right is better then half wrong  LOL!!!


----------



## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

UPBigBoy: nice job. Of course that is masked and painted. I'm sure you wouldn't consider leaving the vinyl lettering on there!


----------

