To supplement my LGB D&S coaches, I thought that a few open excursion cars would be prototypical. Stan provided me with the excellent decals to reletter the letterboard on the cars. Thinking that it would be a simple mask off and spray black on the letterboard, I carried out my normal preparation. The original factory paint does not like to be oversprayed, causing the newly applied paint to pool up as if oil is on the surface (much like the paint used by Bachmann). The paint also softened the factory applied paint. Out with the thinners and the new paint was stripped and oversprayed. Learned my lesson - black will not cover up what lay beneath. Decals went on very easily.
OK, on with the other car. I masked off the roof and sanded the factory applied black and yellow paint on the letterboard, back to original silver finish. I then sealed the silver finish with a clear spray to seal the edges of the masking tape to prevent the paint from seeping under the edge of the tape. Area was then undercoated with a primer and tape removed immediately. Several hours later, the area was masked and finished with black gloss as a background for the decals. Before application of the black, the tape edges were sealed with the undercoat primer to stop the black seeping under the tape and feathering the edge. Tape was removed immediately after applying the black spray. Decals were then applied and clear coated next morning.
What I believed would be a simple task became a little involved. My next project is to reletter several yellow Chinese-made D&RGW coaches with the “Lake George & Boulder” roadname (also courtesy of Stan). This allows me to utilise the several Moguls that I have in that roadname. When it comes to overpainting and decalling, there are no shortcuts, especially when dealing with the chalky factory applied finish. Another project is to repaint a consist of LGB green Pennsylvania coaches as period pullman green D&RGW cars (one does grow tired of having only yellow Rio Grande coaching stock). This will not be a simple relettering, as the cars will need to be sanded back and painted from scratch. Why do we make our lives so difficult?
