SP-UPFE Reefer stencil

[Teditor]

I am trying to identify some stencilling for these reefers, I have a decal sheet (Microscale I think, no ID) there is some very small text - five lines, it is Indecipherable, just looks like little blobs, anyone know what the writing says (I'm assuming some sort of safety/operation information).
Ted (Teditor) Freeman
From the Land Down Under

[Ed Kapuscinski]

UPFE:

I'm never gonna give you up.
I'm never gonna let you down.

Just to mess with future modelers. lol.

In all seriousness, this type of stuff can drive ya crazy! Good luck.

[dem34]

Tiny stuff like that I just concede to get the text blobs to look close.

[C855B]

It must be leasing or trust company information that was typically placed on the sill, lower left, next to the equipment bay. From my research - hardly comprehensive - it's only on the one side. I think it would only appear on SP-owned cars; the "Bankers Trust" lease-back program was an SP thing:



(Pinterest hotlink. Don't know how long it's going to last.)

[Teditor]

Tiny stuff like that I just concede to get the text blobs to look close.

By the look of it that's what is on this decal sheet - blobs.

[mu26aeh]

Have you tried using flashlight against the back of paper shining thru ?  Helps sometimes

[peteski]

If you really want to find out, you could always seek out larger scale version of the decal (H0 or 0), and then the blobs will likely be legible text.

[tehachapifan]

I would try peteski's idea first as that usually works for me in these situations. If that fails and at least a part of the problem is not being able to see white or light-colored lettering on light backing paper, I believe you can swipe a black Sharpie (once) across the back of the decal sheet behind the lettering in question. The sharpie will darken the backing paper and make the white (or perhaps any light color) lettering more visible due to the contrast. The Sharpie may bleed through some too.

It's been a while since I tried this, so proceed at your own risk. Best to experiment on an old or unneeded part of a decal sheet first. You may also need to use the decals you do this to right away, as I don't know if it will damage the decals over time.

[Teditor]

I think Peteskis suggestion of maybe readable text on larger scale sheets may be the way to go, it's not the colour, these are black but just blobs, maybe someone can scan a larger scale decal set or larger scale model with said lettering.

The information is just a bit harder to get here down under.

Teditor

[peteski]

If these are Microscale decals, they have scans of them on their website.  Maybe those would be readable?

[C855B]

If these are Microscale decals, they have scans of them on their website.  Maybe those would be readable?

Not even close. Microscale is very careful to not have enough resolution on their site images for them to be usable as either direct JPGs or screen captures, regardless of scale.

[PJPickard]

"Microscale is very careful to not have enough resolution on their site images for them to be usable"

Or even to determine if it is the sheet you need. Then there is their great search feature.