# Good Bye Santa Fe, Hello B&O



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi all

Since purchasing my LGB 2-4-0 Santa Fe Steam Engine, I have wanted to re-letter it for the Baltimore & Ohio Rail Road. Being from Northern West Virginia, the B&O was the railroad I new. My grandfather and uncle both worked for the B&O. 

The first thing I did was to determine what color and style I wanted the lettering. While some B&O tenders had gold lettering, some also used white. I choose white for the contrast and because I wanted the lettering on the tender to match the numerals on the cab and boiler. 

I decided to use automotive brake fluid to remove the lettering in place of sand paper or other abrasive methods. I laid the tender on it's side on a newspaper. I then used a Q-tip to position the brake fluid just around the letters. After letting the brake fliuid set for about 30 minutes, I took the q-tip and started scrubbing the letters. It seemed like the outer surface of the white letters was harder than the rest. After scrubbing some the brake fluid would get milky and it didn't seem like the white paint was coming off. So I used a paper towel to wipe up the used brake fluid and applied new brake fluid to the area. With a new q-tip, the white paint would start coming off much quicker. Once all the white lettering was removed, I used a wet paper towl with a small amount of dish liquid to clean the brake fluid off. Then I used a clean wet paper towel to wash the soap off. Finally I used a clean dry paper towel to dry the area. I did all this without takeing the tender body off the frame. Doing so, I had to be very carefull not to let brake fluid or water get inside the tender, cab or boiler as this might damage the electronics or speaker. 

After everything had dried, the black painted area was stained from the brake fluid and although the white paint of the lettering was completely gone, you could still see the imprint of the lettering. The area was smooth when you rubbed your finger over the area. I believe this is caused by the lettering being heat stamped.

In order to prepare the stained areas before applying the vinyl lettering, I went out and bought a spay can of Krylon Flat Black. None of the fancy types of Krylon, just the standard Krylon spay paint. Mine can does have the new wide mist spray nozzle, which from experience years ago when another company used these type nozzles, make sure you turn the can upside down and press the button a coupkle seconds to clear the paint out of the nozzle or else it will easily clog. As for the Krylon Flat Black paint, it was a 95% match to the paint on the LGB 2-4-0. 










Original Santa Fe lettering









Relettered to the Baltimore and Ohio RailRoad









My Baltimore and Ohio Train. The hopper is a re-letterd MDC Erie 2 bay Hopper and the caboose is an Aristo Craft Bobber

I used polishing compound to remove the lettering on the hopper body as it was unpainted black plastic. But, just like the LGB loco above, you can still see the lettering of the ERIE RR even though the white paint is all gone.










My re-lettered MDC 2 Bay Coal Hopper









Before and after cars. The B&O Hopper was originally a ERIE RR Hopper.


I choose to use vinyl lettering from G-Scale Graphics in leu of decals for one big reason. You have to spray the piece with gloss paint for the decals to stick properly. Then you have to purchase a setting solution to help the decals to set properly. Then you have to spay a coat of clear over the decals to seal them. I guess I'm lazy but listening to others about the problems they had with tearing the decals and having them more after they thought they were positioned, led me to the vinyl lettering.The vinyl lettering didn't take 15 minutes to install on the Locmotive and Hopper combined. The vinyl is very thing and you can barely feel the edge. Also, If I wanted I could spray the letters with a clear sealer coat which I may or may not do. 

In the end, I am very happy with the end result.

Randy


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## Al McEvoy (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks Randy. I too am a B&O aficionado and have collected just about everything recently made (Aristo, USA, AML, LGB) with that marking. But I have some LGB Stainz engines, A Bachmann 2-8-0 Connie, a Climax, and some assorted LGB rolling stock which are all simply going to have to be remarked in B&O livery. I have read several descriptions of removing existing markings but your posted "mini-article" was very well written and provides the novice (me) with a bit more confidence to make it happen.


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Thanks for the mini lesson, as Al has already said.

I had no idea so much effort was involved with decals--the only experience I have with 'em dates from the fifties, on model airplanes. You just soaked 'em in water, wet the area they went onto, and slid 'em on. Then 'blew dried'.

Interesting piece.

Les


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## SlateCreek (Jan 2, 2008)

This engine has both Del Tapparo's vinyl graphics and "water slide" decals:










Both look quite good, I think. The decals aren't a huge deal ... and the overspraying isn't too hard either. The vinyl looks good too, but you may have some issues with rivets and grooves depending on your model. So, there's strentghs and challenges for both types.

Matthew (OV)


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Good Bye Santa Fe, Hello B&O*

If you got the 69232 sound tender, it would not have had any lettering on it, just comes with decals. TW ran a closeout on these and may have some left.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I redid an aristo Pacific into B&O. I found a very cheap pacific in black and repainted it using Badger "Royal Blue"











I kept a white stripe on the side, which the B&O did not use. The lettering is from Del. I think someday I'll paint over the blue stripe and redo the graphics in a lighter shade


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Thanks for the pic Matt. _When_ I can finally get to build, I'm going to go to Del and see what's what. I'm so out-of-date I creak.

Les


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Low,

That's one bee-yootiful paint job. I won't be able to run anything so big, but I can admire them.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Thank you! It looks better from 10 feet, even better from 15.

It runs on eight foot curves but looks too big. I like it a lot, but I suspect that as we evolve the railroad we'll end up with something a little smaller. I've sometimes been tempted to try to kitbash it into an Atlantic


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