N&W station signs

[nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org]

Jim

Since I have not seen anything posted to regards of what you asked, 
I'll give it a shot. Your question is not a short answer, however.  
There is a standard station sign drawing, No. L-136, originally issued 
October 18, 1905, with a revised version dated November 27, 1933, 
should be in the Standards Book. That is for a standard sign board, 
which was for first class stations. I am not sure what determined which 
station got a sign board, or was simply painted on the end boards. The 
revised drawing specified stations in Petersburg, Lynchburg, Roanoke, 
Bristol and Bluefield to be painted with gold leaf with black smalt 
(flat sand finish) background

Signs varied over time in color, the actual letters were several 
different styles, all hand lettered and depended on where and when the 
sign was painted.  I have developed a standard font from my actual 
signs, Glade Spring, Portsmouth, North Fork, Narrows, Christiansburg, 
Blacksburg, these all match the drawing in the standard book, if you 
don't have one, post an email, I'll be glad to send you a copy of the 
drawing. I also have signs from Glasgow, Radford, Boones Mill, and 
Hanging Rock, Virginia that are a completely different style and 
design.

Generally, signs at all stations other than the ones specified on 
L-136, were white background with black lettering, usually a flat 
black, However, when I was restoring one of the North Fork signs, both 
white with black letters, I sanded each layer off, and found a layer 
with black background and dulux gold letters. At least 3 layers with 
black on white above that however. The Portsmouth sign is a gold leaf 
on the textured black smalt surface.

I lettered the replica depot at Matewan with a type face I developed 
from numerous photos and a single drawing, those too were all hand 
lettered, and vary in letter style and design, depending on who was 
doing the lettering. It is a flat black on the board, going across 
battens as necessary. I did hand cut stencils to make Matewan 
consistant and it took me almost ten hours to letter both ends of the 
place.

I also know that Williamson was a completely different style than the 
others, somewhat of an art deco font, and it seems that I recall at 
least least one other that was similar, but I cannot remember where.

With remodeling Roanoke, Radford and Lynchburg, newer style signs were 
done for those places, of which my Radford is an example of.

Just to add to your confusion at this point, there is also a standard 
drawing L-129 for a station sign for use where there is no station 
building, issued July 8, 1902, which shows a black letter on white 
board, with two posts. I know these were used in a variety of places, 
and their letter style is like my Hanging Rock.

Sufficiently confused yet?

Ken Miller
On Feb 12, 2006, at 8:20 AM, nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org wrote:


> List

>

>  I have a friend working on an HO layout in Chillicothe, Ohio who 

> needs to know what a N&W station sign looked like circa 1930. Most 

> photos I've seen show the name of the station painted on the structure 

> with a block style of lettering-I presume to be black. Others show a 

> separate sign board which seems to vary-some white and some dark. Any 

> help would be appreciated.

>

>  Jim Kehn________________________________________

> NW-Modeling-List at nwhs.org

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