As others have reported,
@Dirk Jan Blikkendaal offers some wonderful resin models of Santa Fe tank cars of the Tk-G to Tk-J class
https://atsfnscalemodels.com/projects/tankcars%20class%20tk-g%2C%20h%2C%20i%2C%20j.html But after reviewing quite a few decal options, I've yet to locate one with the correct elements for "the 7" ampersand era" are was seen on Santa Fe Flat cars & Tank cars till post war ... so is anyone interested to assist with refining a new decal sheet of use for on such?
All the available white Santa Fe Roman white lettering I've measured to date is N scale 9"+ plus (still useful as the 9" was applied to Boxcars and Stockcars of the era).
Microscale offers a tank car set (# 60-128) suitable for the late steam era - especially post 1938 Santa Fe tank cars (after discontinuation of the Ampersand, which this set doesn't include).
However, the reporting marks on this set are actually oversized for even the later 9" letter era. Several sources document the reporting mark lettering on tank cars of the ampersand era as smaller - 7" - and many photos exist showing this early lettering still in use mixed in on unit trains and even in interchange well past the end of WW2.
Now sure, I know what you are thinking. Is 2+ inches N scale that much of a difference? But here in lay the rub.... the prototypical 7" Ampersand lettering was also used on flat cars and some gondolas of the era. And several classes of prototypical Santa Fe Flat cars of the era used 8" & 10" side sills - which are just too narrow for the oversized decals to look right.
My guess? This is the same reason the Santa Fe opted to use the smaller 7" lettering on these cars, including early tank cars, where reporting marks where originally down on the side sill underframes.
Anyway, I've located a producer of waterslide decals considering making such a set available as part of his standard product offering, and I'm now to the point of rounding out the sheet to include additional elements that might be useful for cars in this class and era. DM me with your email if interested in the project and willing to review work in progress.
Cheers,
Jake
