Need some help block-reading some tiny text

[bbussey]

I could use some help deciphering this "Caution" text in the top paragraph on the side of the Flexi Flow hopper.  Ironically, I know what the content is of the lower smaller paragraph (bank trust statement).  Thanks.

[Sokramiketes]

Does Rapido have it showing on their initial artwork?

[bbussey]

Sadly no. They’re missing a lot of the smaller text, from the HO models as well. Hence the search for knowledge.

[Spades]

Not helping

I Googled. caution stencil on New York Central flexi flow hoppers.  The best example from you Bryan. https://www.esmc.com/1100/Item1103.html

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=514454  Shows a caution label in the middle of the car.  Does the placement of the stencil have any bearing of the label contents?

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=514456 Doesn't seem to have a caution stencil

Finally for those who would like a little more knowledge on the Flexi Flow.  https://nyc65.wordpress.com/2021/05/12/critical-cars-acf-flexi-flo-pd-3500/

[peteski]

Maybe you could use some sort of AI to sharpen the image?  They do that in TV crime dramas with fuzzy security camera footage all the time. Like magic! 

[MK]

Maybe you could use some sort of AI to sharpen the image?  They do that in TV crime dramas with fuzzy security camera footage all the time. Like magic! 

CSI: Railwire ?   

[Sokramiketes]

Need to find the source image for the Rapido announcement.  It's a little less blurry in their video announcement, but still not legible.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Is it possible that this Conrail version has that caution stencil?

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

There's one version of the caution text that reads
CAUTION
PRESSURE TANK
IN CAR MUST NOT
EXCEED 14.5 P S I
AT ANYTIME

But that doesn't line up with the blocks in your image so it must be another warning about hatches closing or something.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[bbussey]

Fully-repainted CR schemes didn’t have it as far as I know. I took a ton of photos of patched cars in Saugerties NY back in the 1980s/1990s. I’m going to review those slides to see if I was smart enough to get close-ups of the small printing.

[bbussey]

I went through my photo archives.  Back then, I usually took Kodachrome slides of the full subject and black & white close-up photos of the lettering.  I found some negatives for Flexi Flo cars, but all of the subjects did not have the Caution notice.  I did find two slides where the Caution notice should be legible if I get hi-rez scans.  These would be two of the cars I would want to model anyway, so scans would be required to capture all the data.  These lo-rez scans were posted on the ESM FB page in 2011.  These are from a trip to Saugerties NY in August 1990, when car usage was dwindling slightly and dozens could be found waiting for assignment. even then, half of them were patch-outs, over two decades after NYC ended.

[Sokramiketes]

This is the text block that looked like a similar shape to me.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[bbussey]

Looks different to me shape-wise than what's on the upper belt rail of the NYC scheme.  I can confirm that the lettering is missing from their HO model, as I have one.  The trust statement is missing as well.

This is the trust statement that is the smaller paragraph on the lower belt rail.  I have no memory of how I was able to get that 30 years ago and not get the larger text.

NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD
EQUIPMENT TRUST OF 1964
CHEMICAL BANK NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY
TRUSTEE AND LESSOR
TRUST NO. 283/96

I'm going to check with Ron Hawkins.  He may have snapped hi-rez photos of a few Flexi Flo hoppers back in the day.  He helped me out with microscopic text on the X65 and X72 boxcar schemes.

[chessie system fan]

Here's the builder's photo for sale on the NYCHS website for $5.

https://nycshsdigitalshop.nycshs.org/shop-all/archive/photograph-pb053?sku=PB055045

Let's hope the downloadable image has a high enough resolution to read all the lettering!

[bbussey]

My initial close-up photo up top is from the 3/4 angle of the physical 8x10 builder’s photo of this car that I acquired decades ago. I’ll keep this option in mind though.

[bbussey]

CAUTION:  DO NOT USE ??????? BOILING
WATER OR ?????? OR ????? TO CLEAN.
ENTER CAR WHEN ??????? ????? ????

[Sokramiketes]

Given the lining information above, the following makes some sense:

CAUTION:  DO NOT USE STEAM BOILING
WATER OR SHARP OBJECTS TO CLEAN.
ENTER CAR WHEN ??????? ????? ????

This is also a different stencil than the first one you show in original post.