Brian Daniels
Western Thunderer
The headcode font is called "Headcode"!
7mm Heljan Western up-grade
- Thread starter Brian Daniels
- Start date
richard carr
Western Thunderer
Someone has subsequently produced a "font" for this, its not a recognized font, it is available on the web to download and is a reasonable representation of the headcode lettering.
BR switched from Gil Sans to Rail Alphabet in about 1965 when the blue livery was introduced. Rail Alphabet is a recognised font and can be purchased I would have done until I saw the price of £1,000 ! for a full copy.
Richard
BR switched from Gil Sans to Rail Alphabet in about 1965 when the blue livery was introduced. Rail Alphabet is a recognised font and can be purchased I would have done until I saw the price of £1,000 ! for a full copy.
Richard
Brian Daniels
Western Thunderer
I just googled Rail Alphabet free download and got this site http://www.dafont.com/arctik.font so I downloaded it, looks ok on first impressions.
D816Foxhound
Western Thunderer
Brian,
Very nice detailing, and it is definitely an improvement on the Heljan Western.
Your first photo at the start of the thread shows the ATC earthing brush on the inner axle of a Western's "B" bogie.
See this thread where bogie detail has been previously discussed:- http://www.westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?threads/western-speedo-drive.3158/#post-82208
All Westerns had ATC earthing brushes from new until withdrawal.
There is only one earthing brush per loco. On Westerns it is always at "B" end on the inner axle on the secondman's side.
You say you have seen pictures of some locos with the ATC earthing brush, and some without the ATC earthing brush.
Those photos of locos "without the earthing brush" are infact showing "A" end bogie and not "B" end. The inner axle on the secondman's side at "A" end does not have any equipment attached to it, and never did.
As far as I know all the preserved Westerns no longer have their ATC earthing brushes. Certainly D1013 and D1062 do not have their earthing brushes now.
Roger
Very nice detailing, and it is definitely an improvement on the Heljan Western.
Your first photo at the start of the thread shows the ATC earthing brush on the inner axle of a Western's "B" bogie.
See this thread where bogie detail has been previously discussed:- http://www.westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?threads/western-speedo-drive.3158/#post-82208
All Westerns had ATC earthing brushes from new until withdrawal.
There is only one earthing brush per loco. On Westerns it is always at "B" end on the inner axle on the secondman's side.
You say you have seen pictures of some locos with the ATC earthing brush, and some without the ATC earthing brush.
Those photos of locos "without the earthing brush" are infact showing "A" end bogie and not "B" end. The inner axle on the secondman's side at "A" end does not have any equipment attached to it, and never did.
As far as I know all the preserved Westerns no longer have their ATC earthing brushes. Certainly D1013 and D1062 do not have their earthing brushes now.
Roger
ZiderHead
Western Thunderer
Light and Dark weights of someones version of Rail Alphabet avavilable for download from the other place:
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/8826-br-corporate-rail-alphabet-fonts/?p=92020
The light looks pretty spot on to me, although the spacing needs increasing for everything Ive tried.
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/8826-br-corporate-rail-alphabet-fonts/?p=92020
The light looks pretty spot on to me, although the spacing needs increasing for everything Ive tried.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
Jon
Thanks for that, they are pretty good , more than good enough for me, the Arctik isn't bad either, but neither of them are genuine Rail Alphabet and will be different somewhere in the font.
Richard
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
With my former designer and typoholic head on, headcode lettering is a modified form of Gill Sans, which was the adopted corporate typeface of the British Railways Board. It was used for documents, signage, wagon, carriage and loco numbering and lettering until the new look was introduced in the mid-1960s. Even then, until headcodes went out of use, they remained the Gill variant.
Brian has a font called "Headcode", which replicates it pretty accurately. I will look out for a copy of that, though I suspect I could happily bodge the standard Gill Sans to suit. These new-fangled compooter gizmos are good at that.
Brian has a font called "Headcode", which replicates it pretty accurately. I will look out for a copy of that, though I suspect I could happily bodge the standard Gill Sans to suit. These new-fangled compooter gizmos are good at that.
ZiderHead
Western Thunderer
I'd avoid Arctik because the glyphs don't look properly drawn to me, but the most obvious problem with it jumps out at you when you type "British Rail" - the dot over the i is round and not square as it should be!
Heather I think you might be right about the headcode font being a modified Gill Sans, but very heavily modified - the tails on 6 and 9 are straight not curved, the middle stroke on M is much lower, the 8 isn't symmetrical etc.
The good thing for modellers is that the head code font doesn't seem to be very standard across regions and over time, so some variation is ok. Compare the 8 below:
Toton 1974 and Stoke 1973
Heather I think you might be right about the headcode font being a modified Gill Sans, but very heavily modified - the tails on 6 and 9 are straight not curved, the middle stroke on M is much lower, the 8 isn't symmetrical etc.
The good thing for modellers is that the head code font doesn't seem to be very standard across regions and over time, so some variation is ok. Compare the 8 below:
Toton 1974 and Stoke 1973
lancer1027
Western Thunderer
Hi Brian,
Some great work.
. Going by the Headcode panel the loco's identity is D1028 Western Hussar. Although if this is the case Brian then she wouldn't have had the headboard clips on either end.
Rob
Some great work.
. Going by the Headcode panel the loco's identity is D1028 Western Hussar. Although if this is the case Brian then she wouldn't have had the headboard clips on either end.Rob
Brian Daniels
Western Thunderer
I still haven't sorted what one it is Rob, just playing around and noticed that 28 had the grill.
Interesting stuff on fonts!
Interesting stuff on fonts!
lancer1027
Western Thunderer
Very interesting stuff on the fonts.
If you need the measurements of those front vents I have them written down, if you choose to do one with the square vents.
I will be doing D1039 Western King which has the rectangle vent as opposed to the square vent.
Looking forward to the next progress pics of this beauty, whichever one you decide on.
Rob
If you need the measurements of those front vents I have them written down, if you choose to do one with the square vents.
I will be doing D1039 Western King which has the rectangle vent as opposed to the square vent.
Looking forward to the next progress pics of this beauty, whichever one you decide on.
Rob
Andrew Thompson
Western Thunderer
Rob
Come on Rob don't be mean share and share alike .
Seriously I would be interested in the measurements as still got Western Sultan to finish .
Andrew
Come on Rob don't be mean share and share alike .
Seriously I would be interested in the measurements as still got Western Sultan to finish .
Andrew
lancer1027
Western Thunderer
OK Andrew, i have just fetched my notes of the measurements and they are
9.5 inch x 8.5 inch x 1 inch depth. These are the same for D1056 and D1071. I would also guess that D1012 and D1028 would be the same.
D1039 is a rectangle but dont have those measurements so if anyone could help with that , that would be great.
Rob
9.5 inch x 8.5 inch x 1 inch depth. These are the same for D1056 and D1071. I would also guess that D1012 and D1028 would be the same.
D1039 is a rectangle but dont have those measurements so if anyone could help with that , that would be great.
Rob
lancer1027
Western Thunderer
Andrew,
I would love to see some pics of Sultan and how you are/have done your grill.
Rob
I would love to see some pics of Sultan and how you are/have done your grill.
Rob
Brian Daniels
Western Thunderer
Thanks for those measurements Rob I will pass them on to Pete Harvey so he can do an etch of some description. I could have sworn they were square!
You haven't got a decent picture for Pete to work from I suppose?
You haven't got a decent picture for Pete to work from I suppose?
lancer1027
Western Thunderer
There you go Brian
Brian Daniels
Western Thunderer
Your a star Rob.
Phill Dyson
Western Thunderer
Anymore bits of Westerns at your gaff?
Phill
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
Anymore bits of Westerns at your gaff?
so does Mr. Lancer have a personal "cond yard" at the end of the garden?
