Re: D&RGW font - The 'tail' (or 'TopKnot') of the '5' . . .

Russo Loco Wrote:
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> . . . Note that in all cases I used the numeral '5'
> of the Clarendon font, which matches the font
> used for the 'Scenic Line of the West', etc., as I
> don't have a good illustration of the numeral '5'
> as used by the D&RGW on their locomotives.
> The '5' on all of these examples probably needs
> to be modified somewhat . . .

Johnson Barr Wrote:
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> What you mean-um "probably", Kemo Sabé?
>
> Bonefish must have been reading your mind —
> see the photo he posted at [ngdiscussion.net],
> which shows that your '5' needs a LOT of work.
> Of course there's the question of whether to follow
> the style used on the spot plate or the headlight.
> And I'm willing to bet the '5' on the cab was at least
> a little different from either of those.  Does any-
> one have a photo to post so Roosso can get
> something right (for a change)??


Thanks for the vote of confidence, Willie -

Your nit-picking about the shape of the '5' reminds me of all the fuss about the shape of the schnoz of a D&RGW '4' a few years ago (see [ngdiscussion.net] through [ngdiscussion.net] — especially [ngdiscussion.net]).  While there were probably almost undoubtedly official stencils sent out from Burnham to the various paint shops, these eventually got damaged or lost and the crews repainted the numbers with at least a bit of variation — the noses of the numeral '4' on the cabs being present on all 45 of the K-27s, -28s, -36s and -37s prior to any of them being sold or scrapped offered the greatest opportunity for "artistic license".  Since so many engines also had a '5' in their numbers (ten of the K-27s plus one each of the other classes), there was probably a bit of variation in the painting of these as well — especially toward the end of narrow gauge operations.   In any event, the coarseness of lettering on embroidered patches and shirts is probably enough to hide any slight variation from the "official" D&RGW font, but it's an entirely different situation in the case of a (roughly) two-foot diameter 200 dpi logo should the decorating of a K-36 tender to honor the 50th Anniversary of the C&TS be desired . . .

Since I'm lacking a high-res (or even a low-res) copy of the official D&RGW (Railroad Roman?) typeface, here's a quick-and-dirty first cut at an acceptable modification of a Clarendon '5' at the lower right, below:


- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y Verdes,
aka Der Grossväterlich DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHabender

p.s.  It looks like the Clarendon '7', though close – especially for the smaller lettering on a badge or shirt – needs to be fancied up a bit as well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2020 07:52PM by Russo Loco.