New run of Exactrail Trinity 6275 50 Boxcar “FBOX”

[oakcreekco]

I only have one FBOX from their 1st run. The paint was nice, and the print/graphics were very good.

Based on your pics, the paint is a step backwards, and the graphics look like my first decal project.

I'll take a hard pass. They've got work to do to open my wallet.

[MetroRedLine]

NOTE TO SELF: Cover up lopsided lettering with graffiti.

[sundowner]

FYI, The new ESN .553 wheels solve the roll issue.

[RockGp40]

So, dumb question here. Do the prototype for each of the models have crooked lettering? I only ask because as I have read this thread, it got me thinking about GATX tank cars. The reporting marks and car specific details on real freight cars isn't always straight, especially on the ends of the cars. I'll try to remember to look next time I'm on a PC at prototype photos.

[ridinshotgun]

So, dumb question here. Do the prototype for each of the models have crooked lettering? I only ask because as I have read this thread, it got me thinking about GATX tank cars. The reporting marks and car specific details on real freight cars isn't always straight, especially on the ends of the cars. I'll try to remember to look next time I'm on a PC at prototype photos.

None that I can find.  The ones that Exactrail produced that have available pictures in rrpictures archive do not have crooked printing that I can find.

here is one they produced with no crooked printing:

[tehachapifan]

Over the past number of years, I've noticed what seems like a few steps backwards in lettering quality on some cars and locos. There have been a few somewhat recent loco releases that had wonky flank lettering. The lettering was crisp and opaque, but in both loco cases there was kind of a swoopiness to the flank lettering like it was applied following a gentle curve vs. a straight edge. In the case of one loco, the flank lettering was fine in earlier releases but was really curved with the last release (I don't want to draw attention to what locos I'm referring to as I don't want someone to not be able to unsee it if it isn't bothering them now). I get the feeling that manufacturers went to a different technology for applying logos and lettering but don't know for sure.

[dem34]

It is worth mentioning, that while we have many companies with distinctly different engineering regimens and chosen models. A lot of the stuff gets made in the same factories. So not impossible a large firm might just be having issues with a wonky tampo.

[peteski]

I get the feeling that manufacturers went to a different technology for applying logos and lettering but don't know for sure.

2 main technologies are usually at play.  The old reliable pad-printing  (Tampo). When done well it is very crisp and sharp.  Then there is the new technique of using direct-to-substrate ink jet printing.  That (depending on the type of printer used) can result is slightly fuzzy graphics, and colors are made up from tiny dots of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks.

Micro trains currently uses ink jet decoration (often of the entire car side), but they have the process perfected and use printers with high enough resolution that an average modeler will not notice that the ink jet process was used.  MTL does still Tampo-print some very small lettering where ink jet would not do a good job.

Kato dabbled with ink jet printing, but they used a lower resolution printer, and the ink was also thicker and shinier than what MTL uses.  I have not noticed ink jet printing used by any other maker of American prototype model (but I also don't have very model ever produced).

[ridinshotgun]

NOTE TO SELF: Cover up lopsided lettering with graffiti.

You know I thought of this but then looked through a lot of pictures and in almost 99.99% of the proto pictures there is no graffiti above the second horizontal rib.  Kind of why TTX went to that paint scheme to beat graffiti.  There is an odd car here or there that have graffiti above that rib but none that I could find covering the lettering that is crooked.

I may order some of the GATX cars,  No TBOX though. 

[cfritschle]

I have not noticed ink jet printing used by any other maker of American prototype model (but I also don't have very model ever produced).

Pete,

I think Athearn has used ink jet printing on some of their 28-ft trailers.  The Yellow "Kansas" trailer shown here is an example:  https://nscalevehicles.org/vehicle_of_year/2006.php

They also made a Roadway "Time Critical" trailer that also appeared to be ink jet printed rather tampo printed.  Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of the Roadway trailer handy.

[peteski]

Pete,

I think Athearn has used ink jet printing on some of their 28-ft trailers.  The Yellow "Kansas" trailer shown here is an example:  https://nscalevehicles.org/vehicle_of_year/2006.php

They also made a Roadway "Time Critical" trailer that also appeared to be ink jet printed rather tampo printed.  Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of the Roadway trailer handy.

Interesting.  I would have thought that 2006 would be a bit early for any model railroad manufacturer to use this technology for decorating models.  Micro Trains jumped on the ink jet decoration bandwagon around 2012 nad Kato also used it, but that was even later.  Nowadays even more companies use ink jet decoration.

However if you have the model in hand, and can see under magnification that those images consist of tiny dots, then that confirms that they used this method back in 2006.  Also, in the thread I liked to above DKS mentions that "Eishindo of Japan has been using inkjet to decorate their T Gauge products (including rolling stock and even figures, where the dots are almost as big as their heads) since the early 2000s, and it looks very similar.", so it seems feasible that Athearn used the technology in 2006.

[cfritschle]

Interesting.  I would have thought that 2006 would be a bit early for any model railroad manufacturer to use this technology for decorating models.  Micro Trains jumped on the ink jet decoration bandwagon around 2012 nad Kato also used it, but that was even later.  Nowadays even more companies use ink jet decoration.

However if you have the model in hand, and can see under magnification that those images consist of tiny dots, then that confirms that they used this method back in 2006.  Also, in the thread I liked to above DKS mentions that "Eishindo of Japan has been using inkjet to decorate their T Gauge products (including rolling stock and even figures, where the dots are almost as big as their heads) since the early 2000s, and it looks very similar.", so it seems feasible that Athearn used the technology in 2006.

Here is a closeup photo of the Athearn trailer.

[peteski]

Thanks Carter. Interesting. . .
That does not look like Tampo print, but for ink jet I would also expect a different type of color gradients.  Whatever printer  was used for decorating this trailer used standard halftone screen method (where there is a distinct color ink pattern visible).  When ink jet printers are used, a "scatter" technique used where the ink dots are randomly scattered.  But I suppose that an ink jet printer could be set up to use a standard halftone printing.  Whatever the printer was, the result is inferior to what is being done today, but since these were made several years ago, that is not unexpected.

[sd75i]

  I just picked some up from exactrail for over half off retail, 17.99!

[mu26aeh]

As of 230pm est, nothing is showing on the N scale section of ExactRail website.  I snuck in an order this morning of 7 more 6275 in case the reading between the lines is true and they are folding into ST