Re: Iterum Disputandum Minutias . . .

dave2-8-0 Wrote:
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> Stathi P. did extensive research on the lettering de-
> sign, style and placement for engine 168. There are
> NO KNOWN photos of 425 anywhere. There are a
> number of them of 424, 423, and lots of 168.

If there is a good straight-on side view of #423's tender taken during the target era (circa 1920?), then why wasn't THAT used to design the numbering of engine 425?  The specs for the '4' and '2' would be exactly the same as on #425, and the size of the '5' and its kerning in relationship to the '2' would pretty much match those for the '3' since the "bowls" of the two numerals are almost identical.  Way closer than ANY of the digits '1', '6' or '8', for sure — whether properly kerned or not.

Chris Walker Wrote (approximately):
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> Again, to me it is apparent that the Numerals have
> a consistent spacing (non-constipated), start at the
> rear Brake hangers of the Tender front truck, and
> end above the rear trucks leading axle journalbox.
> That seems to have been the standard, regardless
> of "painter digression". This is shown in many his-
> tœrical photos, and even with the "visually" short
> slope-back tank of the 450's, there was NO con-
> stipating of the Numerals.

A textbook mentioned by Roosso (see [ngdiscussion.net], above) led me to a highly relevant quote that ends with an analogy that is especially appropriate here:  "Typographic letters are made legible not only by their forms and by the color of the ink that prints them but also by the sculpted empty space between and around them . . .  It is very easy for a designer or compositor with no regard for letters to squish them into cattle trains and ship them to the slaughter." — Robert Bringhurst - 'The Elements of Typographic Style', p 35.

> . . .  Worse still . . . an awful lot of people are
> going to be convinced that the renditions are
> accurate, portrayed at the "Living Museum".
>
> "It's easier to fool people than to convince them they've been fooled." - Mark Twain


But . . .  But . . .  Chris -

The "constipated" numbering is an almost foolproof way to 'watermark' Phraud-O-Graphs as being just that, no matter how expert their producers may be at using Photoshop.*

OTOH, as Sam Clemens pointed out 150 years ago and, thanks to (anti-)social media even more true today, it IS easy to fool people — so maybe it won't make too much difference to a majority of the resident phoamers phraud-o-grapher wanna-be's in the long run.

- Sincerely, Willie  (Wm. Claude Johnson-Barr III, Esq.)  
          "Not All Who Have Cell-Phones Do Twitter **
          "Not All Those Who Ponder Can Think . . . "

          ** Only TWITS Twitter!

*  See [ngdiscussion.net] and [ngdiscussion.net].



Edited 12 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2021 12:02AM by Johnson Barr.