Seeking RR Xing road decals or transfers

[nkalanaga]

If you want to try stencils, or to cut your own from Microscale "Trim Film", here is a good place to start:
https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/ghawkins/MUTCD-History.htm  or
http://www.trafficsign.us/oldmutcd.html

Find the year you need, and the PDF files should contain the appropriate markings, ready to print out.  As an example, the 1971 issue, that I need, has the RR Xing markings on page 203, which is page 27 of the "Markings" PDF file.

http://www.trafficsign.us/oldmutcd/1971/3-markings.pdf

The entire marking, two lines across the lane and the RXR, is 50 feet long...

[mcjaco]

Not ink. Paint. Dip the stamp in the paint, then blot it to a paper towel. Kind of like dry brushing, but with a stamp. (dry stamping?)

Hmm, wonder if I could have her make up a one off stamp......

[SkipGear]

I've tried decals for road striping and it never looked quite right. It was hard to hide the smooth sheen of the decal on an otherwise coarse surface. I have had pretty good luck with dry transfers but they are harder to work with. The fact that they break up a little actually helps in my opinion.

The SSH stencils are the way to go in my opinion. When I get to that point myself, I will probably just use my cutter to make vinyl paint mask stencils and airbrush the markings on the road.

[Philip H]

The SSH stencils are the way to go in my opinion. When I get to that point myself, I will probably just use my cutter to make vinyl paint mask stencils and airbrush the markings on the road.

Or run 'em in 0.020 styrene and sell in a two pack for $3.99.  little effort on your part; many  's satisfied.

[SkipGear]

I could do just the same with the vinyl paint mask. The mask is lo-tac and could be used multiple times. I could cut a 7x10 sheet that would probably contain 20 stencils for $5. They vary the distortion of the stencil relative to the speed of the road I believe. I haven't looked through the MUTCD yet for details.

http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/

[GimpLizard]

Hmm, wonder if I could have her make up a one off stamp......

Make your own.

Go to the nearest office supply store and buy a rubber 'block' eraser. Then get out our trusty Exacto knife and CAREFULLY whittle away everything that does not look like RR crossing markings.

(Did I emphasize CAREFULLY enough? Don't be slicing off any fingers. Or any other kind of injury, for that matter.)

[peteski]

BTW, these markings are generally not located right at the crossing. In most cases, they're located around 100 feet from the crossing; there are no markings at the crossing itself.

There is a prototype for everything.    There are couple of crossings I go through regularly where the markings are about 40 feet from the track.  Perfect distance for N scale layout.  Here is one of them.

[mmagliaro]

There is one of those near my house too, Peteski.   If the roadway speed is lower, or if there is a short stretch of road between the preceding turn or corner and the tracks, they seem to place the "X"'s closer to the tracks.

Yours also looks odd in that the legs of the "X" look thicker to me than on other examples.
Another plus in your case is that the "X" isn't as elongated, so almost-normal letter "R" decals or transfers
would do.

I actually ended up just carefully drawing out the "X" on masking tape, and cutting out a stencil with a steel straight edge and
a sharp Xacto knife.  Tape the stencil down, and paint the X in white paint.  I did the same thing for the stop lines
at the tracks.  Then I got some large "R" decals that came in that decal set I mentioned at the start of this thread.
(I didn't use their "X", just the big "R"'s).

The proportions ain't perfect, but it's good enough for me.  Oh, and the decal "R"'s had no trouble settling onto the uneven
road surface.  The key is Solvaset.  And after it's fixed in place, do 2 or 3 more applications of Solvaset.  No shine, no film.
It's great stuff.  ( I know people have had it eat their decals, but it's always worked great for me).

[nkalanaga]

For your (apparent) era, with the old cars and steam loco, road markings weren't as standardized as today.  It looks fine from here.

[mmagliaro]

For your (apparent) era, with the old cars and steam loco, road markings weren't as standardized as today.  It looks fine from here.

Someone else posed that same question.  I wonder when these pavement markings even began to be used?  Were they
even around in the 1950s (my era).  I don't even know.

[SkipGear]

For your (apparent) era, with the old cars and steam loco, road markings weren't as standardized as today.  It looks fine from here.

Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices 1942 -
https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/ghawkins/MUTCD-History_files/1942%20MUTCD.pdf

See Page 212


Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices 1948 -
https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/ghawkins/MUTCD-History_files/1948%20MUTCD/1948-Pt2_Markings.pdf

See page 11.

[mmagliaro]

Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices 1942 -
https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/ghawkins/MUTCD-History_files/1942%20MUTCD.pdf

See Page 212


Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices 1948 -
https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/ghawkins/MUTCD-History_files/1948%20MUTCD/1948-Pt2_Markings.pdf

See page 11.

Wow, Tony.  Those are cool!  And that same guy has so many interesting papers on his website about the history of
traffic control and the MUTCD.  Thank you!

[Blazeman]

Just ordered stencil from Walthers on sale for $3.98