Removing Lettering on Current (2020) Atlas Loco Production?

[C855B]

Anybody know how to remove lettering from current Atlas production with minimum damage to paint? I'd like to pick up a couple, but for my road the lettering is 5-10 years after my modeling era.

I have a handle on Kato, just not Atlas, especially not Atlas with their new production house.

[John]

I'd try 91-99% alcohol to start

[C855B]

I'm leaning toward the Solvaset with tissue method as a first try. Alcohol will likely work, but my experience to date is it's a challenge avoiding visible effects to paint.

Hopes are we don't have a BLI-level paint job where it takes a hammer and chisel. 

[John]

Solvaset is probably a good first try if you got it ..   as far as paint, if you mask the area it could protect the paint, and you will end up with some discoloration anyway when you put the new numbers on ..

[Spades]

This worked on an Athearn GP40-2 changed it from a SSW to SP unit.   In N scale I have only stripped and repaint.  90% alcohol until the paint blisters strips Atlas shells

[C855B]

This worked on an Athearn GP40-2 changed it from a SSW to SP unit.   In N scale I have only stripped and repaint.  90% alcohol until the paint blisters strips Atlas shells

Ha! That's the exact video I had in the deepest recesses of my mind! Thank you for the reminder/confirmation.

[C855B]

Success!:



Atlas' recent release is the 1976 scheme with "billboard' lettering and medallion on the cab. My era is ~1969, (much) smaller hood lettering with "Dependable Transportation" on the cab.

The technique outlined in the YouTube video was the basis, a controlled soak with Micro-Sol. Necessary refinements were to simply soak the tissue in the Micro-Sol before carefully placing, soak time of 20 minutes (not 10, not 15... 20), and toothbrush and toothpick to coax the stray fragments that didn't wipe away with the Q-tip. The special challenge was getting the large lettering off the hood without the Micro-Sol touching the stripe, 1/32" away. Found out the hard way on another shell that the stripe is very susceptible.

Last remaining back-date to do is remove the white on the grabs, which also wasn't standard practice until '76.

Only one sheet of TP was harmed in this process. Sheryl Crow would be proud. 

[learmoia]

Holy Crap!!!!... 

Cool!!!!!

~Ian

[Rivet Miscounter]

The technique outlined in the YouTube video was the basis, a controlled soak with Micro-Sol. Necessary refinements were to simply soak the tissue in the Micro-Sol before carefully placing, soak time of 20 minutes (not 10, not 15... 20), and toothbrush and toothpick to coax the stray fragments that didn't wipe away with the Q-tip. The special challenge was getting the large lettering off the hood without the Micro-Sol touching the stripe, 1/32" away. Found out the hard way on another shell that the stripe is very susceptible.

I didn't watch the video...there are a few videos showing that technique but one includes the use of scotch tape to remove the lettering.  NOTE: While it can't be pooling blobs of Micro-Sol on the surface, I find it works better if it's not completely dry.  (weird, I know...you woudn't think the tape would stick to something wet, but it works)   I've found that in many cases if you have the timing down, it will remove the entire lettering mess all at once, effectively giving you a decal if you can find a place to reapply it real quick.       (just kidding, I doubt it would reapply as it is stuck to the tape, but it looks cool anyway)     Anyway, all that to say....that's a good way of controlling what gets removed if you are trying to skirt around a stripe or other adjacent lettering.

[C855B]

Here's the end result (sort of):



No Dullcote yet, so I can't fault the results so far. I can see a smudge or two in the cab lettering. Which is OK, I wasn't completely happy with the decal print. I reviewed the steps I posted three years ago and was reminded I had neglected the resolution tuning to get better hairlines around the characters. Easy enough to remove and print again. Still need to strip the white off the rear grabs.

These decals are printed on my color laser, which work only because of the light background. On reaching into my stash of Microscale decals, I discovered that NONE of the sets I had for 1960s-era UP are correct for hood units, at least not the hood lettering. Frustrating, but thankfully I had another solution available, especially since it saves having to piece the road number a character at a time. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Awesome!

[C855B]

Thanks, Ed!

Unfortunately, we have created a monster here. Aside from two more GP30s to fix like this, there are at least a dozen Kato SD40s and SD45s from '90s production in the fleet. I picked up most of 'em at train shows for ridiculous prices after Kato upgraded to the DCC-compatible chassis. (Thank goodness for GP-CN!)

Anyway, lettering on those is so much crap. The temptation is "perfect COVID project!", but I have dozens of perfect lockdown projects already. Sort of the way I roll, I s'pose.

[...sigh...] 

[Steveruger45]

With a little filing those old non DCC ready Kato frames are pretty easy to fit in a lokpilot [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[JanesCustomTrain]

So far I always used alcohol to remove numbers on Kato models and scratched the numbers off Atlas models but I tried the tissue and Microscale Micro SOL (red bottle) trick on an Arnold Hornby U25C and the big yellow L&N on the long hood just came off as a whole in no time. Same with the numbers and red logos on the cab and nose. Amazing. I will use it again, thanks for the tip.

Jane