Decals for British Railways Steam Locos

Gauge 1 (1:32) Jinty with early crests.

TT (3mm) 3F with later crests.

These decals are for the standard British Railways livery elements used on steam locos. Each set provides decals for a single loco, customised for a specific loco number, and can contain:

  • Cabside numbers
  • Cabside power class markings
  • Tender/tank crests
  • Smokebox door number
  • Shed plate
  • Overhead live wire warning labels

At least one spare of each different decal is also included. The crests and overhead labels are also available as standard sheets. Other options, such as the early "BRITISH RAILWAYS" lettering and tender number/capacity plates, are also in preparation and should be available shortly.

The cabside and smokebox numbers are implemented as complete, multi-digit decals, with the individual digits equally spaced; no more messing around getting the digits aligned and correctly spaced, and no ugly decal boundaries between adjacent digits. The power class markings are also provided in typical correct positions, centrally placed above the cabside numbers; it is then up to you whether you apply the number and class as a single decal, or apply them separately.

Two types of crest are available. The earlier type of crest ("Lion-on-wheel") is available in three different sizes and is supplied as a handed pair with the lion facing left and right. The later type is available in two sizes and either with the lion facing left only, or as a handed pair.

The crest sizes available are:

  • Early – 15, 9.5 and 5 scale inches high,
  • Later – 24 and 15 scale inches high.

The heights are measured across the outside diameter of the circle or wheel, as these dimensions are clearly defined and relatively easy to scale from prototype photos (given a key vertical dimension in the vicinity of the crest).

These decals can be supplied in a variety of scales, from 2mm to 16mm, come on white-backed waterslide decal paper, and are available with a selection of background colours that have been carefully matched to the Railmatch range of paints:

  • Rail Black R205
  • BR Standard Loco Green R300
  • BR Steam Loco Blue R321

The smokebox decals are always on a black background.

Sample Sheet

A sheet of samples of these decals is available, to help you assess their quality. This contains one of each of the types and sizes of crests and a sample cabside number with power class, repeated against each of the standard background colours, plus a sample smokebox number, shed code plate and overhead warning label.

Price: £1.50 per set.

Configure Your Decals

To order these decals, please specify the information requested below to configure your set to your precise requirements, then click on "confirm specification". A second page will then appear showing the details you've entered along with the overall price and a button that will allow you to add the set to your order. You will also have the opportunity to return to this page to make changes.

Note: If you navigate away from this page before you have clicked on the "Confirm Specification" button, you will lose any information you have entered.

Basic Configuration

The basic price is £20 for each set of a specific configuration. Selecting certain options may change this, as indicated below.

 

   

Cabside Details

Cabside details in Straw (top), Cream and White (bottom); 8in numerals in 10mm scale.

The standard BR cabside markings consist of a number with a smaller power classification code centred above it. The main excption to this was the ex-GWR locos, that retained their cast number plates; to cater for this, the standard cabside numbers can be omitted from the set, with a reduction in price of £5.

The standard numbers are also available in a selection of sizes (scale 6, 8, 9, or 10 inches high) and colours (cream, straw or white). The power classification is the same colour as the numbers, and should be specified exactly as it appears on your loco (e.g. 8F, 7P, 5MT, or just 5, etc.).

For ex-GWR types, the GWR-style coloured disc and letter markings may be specified instead (e.g. Yellow C, Double Red D, etc.), or even as well, to cover those BR standard classes allocated to the WR that carried both types.

 

Smokebox Details

The standard BR smokebox markings consist of cast plates giving the loco number shed allocation code. Decals for the contents of these plates can be optionally added to your set, for an additional £2.50. The decals are always supplied with white markings on a black background.

You will need to provide appropriate supporting "plates", fabricated from thin strip plastic or metal (in the larger scales at least – in the smaller scales you may be able to get away with applying the decals directly to the smokebox, especially the shed plate). The number plate is formatted to a scale size of 20 x 6 inches (with 4.5 inch numerals), and the shed plate is an oval of 8 x 5 inches.

 

Overhead Live Wire Warnings

As further option, you can add overhead live wire warning labels (applied to many locos later in the BR steam era) to your set for an additional £2.50. Decals for 12 labels of the early, single-flash design will be provided.

Once you have selected the appropriate options above to configure your set of decals, click on "Confirm Specification" below to proceed to the next stage of the ordering process. (This will also temporarily store the information you've entered should wish to navigate away to another page.) You will then be taken to another page showing the information you've entered and giving the overall price for your decal set. You will then be able to either add the set to your order, or return to this page to change your specification.

Decal Illustrations

The following pictures show sample decal sets at 10mm and 7mm (top); and 4, 3, and 2 mm (bottom) scales, all printed on plain paper with a loco green (7mm) or black background. Only one decal of each type is shown (except overhead labels and WR power class markings); each size of crest is also shown although only one size will be supplied in any set.: