N&W Neon Signs

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Sat May 29 19:07:09 EDT 2021


>From what I found, the Roanoke Star is normally white, with red/white/blue colors used for special occasions. 

Here’s the source I found:

Roanoke Star | Roanoke, VA (roanokeva.gov) <https://www.roanokeva.gov/1329/Roanoke-Star> 

The Roanoke Star - Roanoke Parks and Recreation (playroanoke.com) <https://www.playroanoke.com/the-roanoke-star/#:~:text=The%20Roanoke%20Star%20is%20currently%20white%20year-round%2C%20with,white%20and%20blue%20to%20demonstrate%20the%20region%E2%80%99s%20patriotism.> 

 

Regarding the N&W Shops sign, here’s a link to a photo from late 1968, that appears to be the steam era sign. Looks all red to me. I don’t know when it shifted to just “NW” in the logo. Perhaps after 1971 when they shifted their paint scheme? 

RailPictures.Net Photo: NKP 759 Nickel Plate Road Steam 2-8-4 at Roanoke, Virginia by John Dziobko www.godfatherrails.com <https://railpictures.net/photo/344061/> 

 

This link shows the  “NW” sign in late 1986, in daytime. It again looks all red to me. I’m surprised the NS sign isn’t up on the building yet in this shot. I thought by 1986 it was up along with the NW sign. I’ll have to dig through my photos when I remember both signs being up. 

RailPictures.Net Photo: N <https://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=667113> &W 611 Norfolk Southern Steam 4-8-4 at Roanoke, Virginia by Steve Hutchison 

 

I agree that Miller may have taken some license on the design to make them more interesting to those he’s trying to sell to. I can’t blame him for that. I want to find some sort of clear or translucent red paint I could apply to the sign I got to make it all red. 

 

Phil Miller

 

From: NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> On Behalf Of NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List
Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2021 3:32 AM
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Cc: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: N&W Neon Signs

 

NHWS correspondence in 2008 shows that this subject raises its head now and then.

 <http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-modeling-list/Week-of-Mon-20080414/002742.html> "http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-modeling-list/Week-of-Mon-20080414/002742.html"

When I addressed the matter of the Diesel Neon sign it was released to market six to nine months later. I had previously (like many others) written to Miller Engineering and sent the Railpictures photo of the diesel Neon sign sign to them. Together with my own dimensions of the mounting frames feet locations on the respective building roof - which incidentally can still be viewed (and measured) on Google Earth. The Neon signs footings (8) are on a grid of two rows by four approximately 18' deep by 40' width. I still have the files I sent Miller at the time.

Unlike yourselves I never received a reply from Miller Eng' but saw via their next newsletter that the product had been released.

"One thing about their earlier production of the 'NW' sign was it had red letters but a yellow border. From what I'd seen, the entire sign was red, no yellow. I don?t know if they would consider modifying it to all red like the signs, if that?s indeed what it was, it would be nice. I?d asked them about it back when, but they didn't seem pleased to have that point raised. 

Phil Miller"

A mute point, I always thought it was all red, the photo I sent Miller seemed that way, perhaps there was some modelling interpretation here? Remember Miller prides itself in making Neon signs that are automated in their colour sequences and may therefore have decided to go interpret their own version in order to appeal to a wider market? Personally I would like this issue of colour confirmed as I am currently designing a Gauge 3 (64mm gauge 1:22.5 scale) version of the Diesel Neon sign and would like to get the details correct. My large scale version (like my Roanoke Star) is intended to use Electroluminescence Wire. As a by the way, does anybody know the cut-off date of the Steam to Diesel Neon sign changeover AND The colour pattern(s) of the Roanoke Star after September 12th 2011





-- 
Yours Sincerely.
 
Robert 'Doddy' Sumsion
Abingdon-on-Thames
Oxfordshire
United Kingdom
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