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Thanks for visiting!

John Sing
California, USA
Visit John Sing's ATSF_Arizona home page

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You can do this entire procedure without removing the shell.  However, it can be much easier to to handle the shell with minor disassembly, so here is my tip below for gently removing the shell for many N scale diesel locomotives. 

*Please* make sure you read your the locomotive's instruction/parts sheet *first* to make sure this is the way the shell comes off:  it works for most Atlas and Kato split frame N scale diesels.   Note that this method will *not* work for N scale LifeLike SD7/9s, Kato F/E/PA units, and many others.   Please  read your instructions and be careful!





Below, we see our goal.   On the left is a as-delivered early 1990s N scale Kato U30C, without number boards (or without the number board area painted yellow as it should be).  On the right is the 'after' picture, using numberboards printed on adhesive mailing labels.  The time to install these number boards can probably be done in a half hour or so.  :-)



For our tutorial example, we will do the rear number boards on Santa Fe U23C number 7519 on the left:




Making the spreadsheet, selecting fonts and font sizes:  

First, what we do is create the number boards themselves on a Microsoft Excel (or equivalent) spreadsheet.   Click here to download an example numberboards MS Excel copy.

Using the spreadsheet, we then type in the numberboards that we want;  selecting the font and type size that works for your locomotive and scale.  

I found that for the N scale Atlas/Kato U30C / U23C above, that Arial font, type size 4, is perfect for this locomotive.    Note that the Microsoft Excel type/font size drop down menu does not give you an option for size 4;  however, you can just over-type in '4' as a font size (or '3.5', or '4.5', or whatever size you need, down to 1 decimal point).    Type in several spare numberboards, as I've found it's very normal to use some of the spares when applying them.  Type in a bunch of different numbersboards for all the locomotives that you think you will need to do, to reduce wasting the sheet;  you will probably be able to print on one sheet, all the numberboards you need for your entire fleet!

Other suggested fonts (thanks to SW Chief on the Atlas Forum for these tips) may include the following.  Please email me if you have good font suggestions for other roads:

• Trebuchet MS bold font for D&RGW numberboards. They may have used other fonts too, but this one seems to work best for the Tunnel Motors and the GP60's.
• Santa Fe used a variety of fonts, depending on the year/paint/model. The Trebuchet MS bold font works in some cases, the Arial bold font works in others.
• For the Union Pacific, the Gill Sans MT bold font appears to be a great match to their font, although the TW Cent MT bold font and even the Century Gothic bold font will work well too.
• For the Southern Pacfic, the Century bold font was an excellent choice.
  

Here is an example of two different fonts.  The key here is - experiment!



After building the spreadsheet and getting acceptable fonts, I experimented with both inkjet and laser printers;  in my case, I found my laser printer produces a much tighter appearance;  my particular inkjet printer could not produce adequate quality in a size 4 font.   I went with my laser printer.  Next, let's discuss three options for what to print the numberboards on.


Choices for Print Stock - Decal Paper or Adhesive Mailing Labels

For print stock, you can use any of the following:

• #1:  Decal paper:    Probably the best to use if you are after the ultimate in model quality, as decal paper is thinner than adhesive mailing labels.   Probably will take more time to find, order, and use;  cost per sheet of the decal paper is slightly higher than for adhesive labels and significantly higher than regular printer paper  (the cost by Micro-Mark for five sheets of decal paper is about $6 to $8, at the time I did this web page).   You can find decal paper online by doing a Google search on "decal paper";  click here to link to Micro-Mark's information page on decal paper.   Note that you'll use different types of decal paper depending on whether you use a inkjet or a laser printer;  also, read the decal paper instructions to find out if you need to buy a clear coat to seal the decal paper - to avoid smearing numbers when the decal paper is wetted during application.    I suggest to *not* use clear decal paper.  The reason is....  numberboards on a clear background, on a clear bezel, get washed out by a LED headlight.   If you already have clear decal paper, you may remedy that by removing the bezel, painting it, allow it to dry, and re-installing it - however, in that case, the LED light may not show through as well through the paint.
  

• #2 Regular copier / laser printer paper, with or without a clear Scotch tape overlay:   I found this combination to give surprisingly good results, and for most, recommend you try this option first, as you probably have everything right now that you need if you already have a good PC printer.  I will do either this option #2 or option #3 below, depending on which one happens to be easiest logistically at the moment.  The slight  thickness of the printer paper compared to decal paper did not cause a problem for me, as the bezels when installed on the locomotive, can absorb the small height difference.    The super easy availability of printer paper is a big plus.  The cost per sheet is the lowest of any of these 3 options, and the time to apply was only a bit longer than option #3 below, and significantly faster than option #1 above.  The extra time compared to option #3 below is spent in some additional time for positioning, and potentially a finer need to get the cut just right.   I recommend using white paper, and printing the numbers with the desired background (i.e. if printing white numbers on black background, use the MS Excel spreadsheet to turn the number color white and turn the cell background to black - the downloadable sample MS Excel worksheet already has this done for you)).   Prior to cutting out the printed numberboard, I recommend overlaying it with clear Scotch tape, which gives the printed paper more stability and ruggedness, and nicely simulates the glass of the numberboard.    See below for more step-by-steps.
  

• #3: Adhesive mailing labels, with or without a clear Scotch tape overlay:   This is my favorite method, if I happen to have the adhesive mailing labels already in hand.   The slight additional thickness of the mailing labels (compared to decal paper) did not cause a problem for me, as the bezels when installed on the locomotive, can absorb the small height difference.   The advantages of the adhesive mailing labels compared to decal paper for me were:  they're  readily available at any office supply store (decal paper is harder to find); and the cost per sheet is slightly lower than for same sheet of decal paper.   The time to apply was the fastest of these three options, but only a little bit faster than #2 above.   I like the adhesive mailing labels because the adhesive on the back allows me the easiest, fastest fine positioning of the little label - if using regular paper option #2, it took me longer to position the label and cut the label just big right to get a press fit, or to put on a glue.   For adhesive mailing labels, I suggest a ten-pack of white Avery #5263 laser printer adhesive mailing labels - this is a bigger size label and therefore has less perforation lines.  The cost per sheet for the ten-pack worked out to about $1 per sheet.   In either case, I recommend white paper labels, and print the numbers with the desired background ((i.e. if printing white numbers on black background, use the MS Excel spreadsheet to turn the number color white and turn the cell background to black - the downloadable sample MS Excel worksheet already has this done for you).  Prior to cutting out the printed numberboard, you have the option of overlaying it with clear Scotch tape, which gives the printed label more stability and ruggedness, and nicely simulates the glass of the numberboard.  I recommend using the white paper label (rather than clear labels) because ....  numberboards printed on a clear background, on a clear bezel, get washed out by the LED headlight.   (If you already have clear labels, you can remedy this by removing the bezel, painting it, allow it to dry, and re-installing it - however, in that case, the LED light may not show through as well through the paint).

• In summary, the procedure with paper or adhesive mailing labels is basically:

1. Laser print the numberboards
2. Optionally overlay with clear scotch tape (not matte or frost, that doesn't look good)
   
3. Cut out to fit, position via the mailing label's adhesive, or in the case of plain paper - press fit or hold it temporay in place with removable glue
   
4. Coat with MicroScale Gloss to seal

Example: The Printed Output

Here is what the Microsoft Excel numberboard laser printed output looks like (example shown is the adhesive mailing label).   As shown below, it's a really good idea to have several spare copies of your desired numberboard.  Expect that when cutting out paper or adhesive mailing label numberboards, you will have some tries that just don't fit or look right, due to the cuts to be a little off.  With many spares, you just easily start over, and it is so easy to make the spares.   As we will see, the application process goes fast enough that this is not a problem.

 


Numberboards - Black Numbers on White Background

Here is a close-up of printed output for numberboards with black numbers on a white background  (I've been using it, as you can tell).  We're going to use the "7519"  on the left two columns, which are type size 4.  The two right columns are type size 5 for comparison - they proved to be too big for the space.



Above are black numbers on a white background, which is prototypical for the Santa Fe U23C, B23-7,  and many other late 60s/early 70s Santa Fe U-Boats.

Numberboards - White Numbers on Black Background

If you need white numbers on black background, just tell MS Excel to make the font 'white' and put the 'fill' in the cell to be black - click here to get a sample downloadable MS Excel worksheet.   Below is the result, and works quite satisfactorily.   Click here to jump to the bottom of this web page to see what these numberboards look like when lit up at dusk.   You'll be able to jump back to this point.

Note:  when using black background with white numbers on your numberboard, depending on how well you can cut your label or decal to fit the numberboard opening, you might need to remove the bezel and paint the edges of the bezel black, to avoid 'light leakage' around the edges.   In my case, using the template and careful cutting as described below, I was able to avoid this problem.



Cutting Out the Printed Numberboards:

At this point I'm assuming you are using either paper or adhesive mailing labels.

You have the option of putting clear scotch tape over the number board, and I recommend you do this - it serves to keep the label together while cutting, and later on serves as the appearance of glass.

After applying the clear scotch tape, you can eye-ball the cutting-out of the number boards - after a little practice and a try or two, you will get the idea of how much to cut.

You can also make a template to make sure the cut accurately fits the numberboard opening the first time.  I got the idea from an old Scale Replicas template (they sold N scale number boards using exactly this adhesive label technique, back in early 1990's).   To do that, measure the size of the numberboard(s) and then make a template to match;  I show a template example below. 

Regardless of whether you use a template or not, let's proceed. 

In the following picture of the template, note the 'angle cut' in the corners of the numberboard (where it says "Cut" in the following photo).  That's important for appearance sake for the rounded corners of the numberboard, so plan on doing that.  



First, you have option of applying at this point,  the clear scotch tape over the label.   Next, use a sharp X-Acto knife as shown below.  The space between the edge and the numbers will vary, of course, depending on your final font size.  For the N scale locos shown in this web site using Arial font size 4, I needed to cut right at the edge of the numbers.  Experimentation and a couple of tries will quickly teach you what your spacing will need to be:



Then, if you have a template, place it over the number board.   Note I have two example pictures below, look at both before proceeding.

Next, I recommend you do the angle cuts before the vertical cuts.   (if you do the vertical cut first, it may be more difficult to get the correct little angle cut to be clean).  The clear scotch tape overlay really helps at this point to get very fine cuts to be made, while still keeping the rest of the numberboard together).

Then do the vertical cuts.  




Here's the close-up example.  As I said before, I suggest doing  the angle cuts before you do the vertical cuts.   (otherwise, there may some difficulties in getting the angle cut to hold, due to the small size and amount of label that you're trying to cut):




Applying the Numberboard:

Now, with tweezers, place the cut-out label in the proper place.  If you are using adhesive mailing labels, the adhesive allows you to easily and very quickly position and move the numberboard until you get it where you want it.   If you are using regular paper, you can try cutting it for a press fit, or tack it in place with a easily-removable glue - takes a little longer to position than with adhesive mailing label, but not much..    In either case, if your cut was a little off and the numberboard doesn't quite fit correctly, it's a simple matter to just go back, cut out another numberboard from your printed sheet, and try again:



I recommend to do the numberboard application with the numberboard bezels on the locomotive as shown.  I experimented with applying the labels with the bezels off, and then place the bezels/numberboard back into the locomotive, but the results were always worse - the label would too often be slightly off kilter, or would get knocked out of position somehow.

I've gotten so that I can do the cut with or without the template, but it was good to start with a template, to teach myself to get the cut right.  

I used tweezers to apply the numberboard directly onto the locomotive bezel in place and position it.  If using adhesive mailing labels - this is a snap and takes almost no time at all - the adhesive holds your label in position yet still lets you nudge it around easily.     If using plain paper, you get to put some removable glue on the bezel, or cut the label to a press fit size, to position it - either way works, but does take a bit longer and perhaps some more tries. 

To get the the numberboard where you want it, use a toothpick (the wood is softer than a screwdriver) and position/press the label into place.  Here's where the mailing label adhesive is very useful - it's loose enough that you can move the label, but strong enough to be pressed and holds the numberboard in place when you get it where you want it.  Use the edge of the Xacto knife to gently press excess label into the crevice if necessary.

Regardless of which option you choose, if you mess up the label while applying, or something doesn't work / line up properly..... you can easily remove the label, and try again with another of the spare numberboard labels which were suggested to be made.    



Final step:

The label is now ready for permanent fixing by applying a clear coat directly onto the label/bezel area. 

I would recommend repeating and doing the other side as well, before doing any clear-coating: 




Clear coating: 

When both sides are done, I applied a clear coat (in my case, I used MicroScale Gloss) using a 00 brush, and applied it over the number board label, enough to protect it from ever falling out by covering it and bonding it in place.  The small 00 brush allows me to control the MicroScale Gloss clear coat application nicely.  I did not have any problem with the MicroScale Gloss causing the laser print to run or undesired reaction with the clear scotch tape..

If you had used the clear scotch tape overlay, do a good job of pressing the tape on flat, so as to not have any 'air bubbles' visible under the tape.    This is the one downside of the clear scotch tape.... if you are not careful, you could get some trapped air bubbles under the clear scotch tape overlay.   If you did not use clear scotch tape, of course there is no overlay to trap air bubbles.

Finished results:

In this photo below, you can see the non-clear-coated label on the left, and a MicroScale Gloss clear coated number board with weathered shell on the right:



So, this is my humble tutorial.  

A final shot of before and after on the other end of the locomotive as well:

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Adhesive Mailing Label Numberboards - Appearance When Lit at Dusk

Below are a couple of shots of how these N scale adhesive mailing label numberboards appear when lit at dusk:



Return back to 'Numberboards - White Numbers on Black Background'

And here are white numbers on a black background:



Return back to 'Numberboards - White Numbers on Black Background'

With a little bit of practice, I hope that your results are as good as or better than mine!

Thank you to the many who went before me and gave me the inspiration to document what I learned, in this little web page. 

Enjoy.

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Thank you for visiting!

If you liked what you saw here, feel free to visit the rest of my model railroading web pages below: 

Visit John Sing's ATSF_Arizona home page

Comments, suggestions for improvements all welcome to John Sing.

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John Sing
California, USA

Modeling the Santa Fe's Peavine Line (Ash Fork -> Phoenix, Arizona) in the 1950s and 60s - in N scale