Where do the fonts come from?
Sometimes I base the lettering fonts on photographs, other times I work from company lettering diagrams or stencils. The artwork fonts are even more varied, sometimes they are done freehand, other times I use several photographs for reference. Each font is a fascinating research project, whether it’s learning how many different “o”‘s C&O used, looking at details on steam engines, or researching old rail artwork. Q: Do you know the names (and/or publishers) of the original fonts that a given railroad used for it’s various locomotive & passenger car graphics? Do you know if the originals are available anywhere? A: Even in the days of streamliners, the railroads hand lettered their cars. The painters would use lettering diagrams to produce “pounce patterns” (pin hole traces of the desired lettering), use the patterns and chalk to outline the lettering, and finally fill in the outlines with paint. Of course, for lower priority equipment such as boxcars, they simply used stencils. As such,
