Detail Parts and Decal Companies Listing

[lars]

I thought it might be helpful to make a listing of all the current suppliers of detail parts and decals.  I would like this to be a living document that crowd sources everybody's knowledge to have a pretty comprehensive list.  

Here's what I have so far.  If you have something I missed (which I'm sure I did), please include the info in succeeding posts and I will periodically edit this post to bring it to the top.  When posting links, please provide the manufacturer's page, or if none is available a good retailer's site that lists everything a manufacturer offers.

Cannon and Company - Fans, hood doors, screens and cabs for EMDs. Freight car parts.

Details West – Headlights, bells, horns, plows, antennas and other fine detail parts. Freight car parts.

Detail Associates - Headlight, bells, horns, hoses and other diesel detail parts (link is to a google doc of known DA parts)

Tichy Train Group - Frieght car parts

Archer Transfers - Rivet, weld, treadplate and louver resin 3-D decals

Smokey Mountain Model Works – 3D printed draft gear

Plano Model Products - Etched metal parts including walkways, autrorack panels, locomotive grills and screen and vehicle parts

KV Models - Etched metal detail parts and kits for locomotives and passenger cars

Cal Scale and Cary - (Divisions of Bowser) – Diesel detail parts including horns, bells and hoses; freight car parts, steam detail parts.

Precision Scale Company - Plastic and brass detail parts for steam and diesel locomotives and freight and passenger cars.

Hi Tech Details - GE cabs, rubber air/MU hoses, locomotive and freight car detail parts

Yarmouth Model Works - Freight car parts

Bethlehem Car Works - Freight and passenger car parts and trucks

Custom Finishing Models - Steam and diesel detail parts including horns, bells, cab boxes, hatches

Palace Car Co - Passenger car interior kits

San Juan Details - Freight and passenger car details 

PPW - A-Line - Locomotive shells, etched metal detail parts, replacement parts for Athearn and others, repowering parts, vehicle parts

Black Cat Publishing - Etched metal parts including ladders and caboose parts

National Scale Car - Detail parts and kits for freight cars

Miniatures by Eric - Locomotive detail parts, Canadian parts

Plate C Model Prototypes - 3-D printed diesel and rolling stock details, trucks and more

Gotham Rail and Marine - 3-D printed diesel and rolling stock details

Bedarail - 3-D printed Canadian prototype kits and parts

Kaslo Shops - Locomotive kits, cabs and detail parts

3D Central Trains - A collection of manufacturers offering kits, detail parts and layout accessories

Island Model Works - Commuter and Subway models

Northwoods Models - Mostly SOO parts


Manufacturer Parts Pages for Replacement or Detailing


Tangent - Grab irons, lift bars, trucks and wheelsets also available

Rapido - Wheels, trucks and replacement parts

Moloco - Draft gear, air brake kits, roofs, wheels and trucks

Atlas - Navigate to "Parts" under HO Scale

Athearn - Locomotive and freight car parts

Accurail - Freight car detail parts

Kadee - Detail parts and trucks


Decal Sources

Microscale Decals

Highball Graphics

Herald King Decals

CMR Products

Circus City Decals

Mask Island Decals

Mt. Vernon Shops - Mostly PRR/PC/Conrail

NW Historical Society Shop

Wabash Custom Decals

ShellScale Decals - NS/NW/SOU mostly

K4 Decals

ICG Decals - Mostly midwestern roads and IC and predecessors

Curt Fortenberry Decals - Alaska, SE US roads and Milwaukee Road

Black Cat Publishing - Mostly Canadian Roads

Precision Design Company - Railroad and some trucking decals

Prime Mover Decals - Mostly Eastern Roads

Swtich Line Decals - Railroad, trucking, boat and airplane decals

Smokebox Graphics - Reflectors and modern decals, with some earlier era products

Penn Central Historical Society

Protocraft - Mostly freight car decals

Ann Arbor Historical Society

Chicago Link Decals

ReadyTrain Decals - Mostly Canadian decals

Chessie System Historical Society

[lars]

Also, if anyone has a good source that lists Detail Associates parts, can you please provide it?

[Christian]

Jan 27, 2021 11:15:11 GMT -8 lars said:

Also, if anyone has a good source that lists Detail Associates parts, can you please provide it?

Walthers has the most complete list since DA doesn't have a website. Includes HO and N scales as well as some decals. Only about half of the products are illustrated with photos or line drawings.

[ssw]

Circus City Decals needs to be on that list - some of the easiest decals I've ever worked with.

[690]

The link for Smokey Mountain Model works doesn't appear to be working, but otherwise, nice list, definitely a useful directory.

Here are a couple more:

Exactrail detail parts for freight cars exactrail.com/collections/ho-scale-detail-parts
Tangent detail parts for freight cars www.tangentscalemodels.com/product-category/unique-and-useful-parts/
Moloco detail parts for freight cars www.molocotrains.com/collections/parts

[edwardsutorik]

Bethlehem Car Works

bethlehemcarworks.com

Custom Finishing

www.customfinishingmodels.com

A-Line

ppw-aline.com

Palace Car Company

palacecarco.com

San Juan Details (old Grandtline)

sanjuandetails.com



Ed

[SOMECALLMETIM]

Mask Island decals
Jerry Glow decals - he's back in business

[edwardsutorik]

Is this to be only locomotives and rolling stock?

Are parts for buildings not included?

I can see the utility of having a separate list for each "subject".



Ed

[lars]

Thanks for the quick replies so far. I will chip away at them over the next few days.

I think I will have my hands full with locomotives and freight cars for now, although one for buildings is a good idea.

[12bridge]

Bill over at PDC makes the best decals I have ever used (far better then Circus City IMO). www.pdc.ca/rr/catalog

Walthers is likely the best source for DA anymore, and they get reasonably regular shipments in (although small runs that tend to leave just as fast as they come in).

[drsvelte]

Decal Vendors

I have purchased and used decals from all of the following vendors.

Curt Fortenberry
www.greatdecals.com/Curt.htm#Southeastern%20Roads
(Alaska RR, L&N, and Milwaukee)


Illinois Central Gulf Decals:
icgdecals.com/
(As you would expect, mostly IC/ICG/GM&O, but also a nice selection of Airslide hoppers. Numerous diagrams, proto information and often model photos to accompany each decal. Nice!)


K4 Decals
k4decals.com/
(Reasonable prices with free shipping and quantity discounts. All scales. Many road names. Also diagrams are included with each set. I like these decals.)


Mask Island/ Hubert Mask
www.maskislanddecals.com/
(Specializes on Rock Island and Southern but many other road offered as well. Diagrams included. Hubert is still turning out new offerings.)


Shell Scale
www.shellscale.com/index.html
(Specializes in alternative number board styles and Norfolk Southern/Norfolk & Western).


Wabash Custom Decals/ Mark Vaughan
wabashcustomdecals.com/
(Somewhat eclectic offerings, with focus on, well, Wabash. I found a set for a Clinchfield 60’ auto parts car here! However, I’m not sure if Mr. Vaughan is still producing decals; some for sale at Des Plaines Hobbies.)


Mt. Vernon Shops
www.mountvernonshops.com/
(Mostly PRR/PC/Conrail but some others as well. Informative descriptions and photos accompany each decal set. Nicely done!)


Norfolk & Western Historical Society Commissary
www.nwhs.org/commissary/decals.html
( All N&W and VGN all of the time. The decals done by Model Railroad Services are especially nice. Include diagrams.)


Oddballs Decals

(Oddballs is no longer in business and there is a long sordid story if anyone wants to investigate. But at one time a fairly large catalog was offered and many can still be found on eBay. If you model KCS covered hoppers, you want to look for Oddballs!)


One other Biggie from the past Is Herald King (Miller Advertising). I’ve probably used more Herald King decals than any other. It seems like Herald King disappeared for a while but now they are apparently being sold again here: heraldkingdecals.com/. I have not purchased any from this site and I don’t know if the catalog represents simply new old stock or actual new production.

Also, of course Champion Decal. Long gone, but new-old-stock decals can be found. Champ once had huge catalog of steam, diesel, freight, and passenger decals. 

[pboilermaker]

Circus City Decals

Switch Line Decals

[fr8kar]

Smokebox Graphics Decals

smokeboxgraphics.com/decals.html

[orangec]

Miniatures by Eric, CN, CV, CP, GT specific details, Cartier Plows, spark arrestors, SW & GP kits.


www.miniaturesbyeric.com

Penn Central Historical Society, PC, NYC, & PRR Decals.

pcrrhs.org

[cp6027]

Black Cat Decals/Publishing - focus on decals for Canadian roads, also have some photoetched parts
www.blackcatdecals.com/

National Scale Car - detail parts and mini-kits to convert modeler-supplied core freight car kits into different prototypes
nationalscalecar.com/

[ncrc5315]

Billy makes really nice decals, you can find them here:
www.pdc.ca/rr/catalog

[GP40P-2]

Prime Mover Decals
primemoverdecals.com/

Detail Associates also (sometimes) has decals for WP equipment.

National Scale Car picked up the Speedwitch Media decal line, but it is not on the web site yet (see Speedwitch):
nationalscalecar.com/
speedwitchmedia.com/decals/

[lars]

Jan 27, 2021 11:50:21 GMT -8 SOMECALLMETIM said:

Mask Island decals
Jerry Glow decals - he's back in business

The link for Jerry Glow is dead.  A couple sources say Tichy acquired them in 2016.

[SOMECALLMETIM]

Yes, Tichy acquired some of his decals. I emailed him directly for his past decals which when I ordered arrived a couple of weeks later. He pointed me to his site on Internet Archives website. So it looks like a direct contact, but he is producing them again and producing new ones - with enough decals ordered.

Jan 28, 2021 11:17:17 GMT -8 lars said:

Jan 27, 2021 11:50:21 GMT -8 SOMECALLMETIM said:

Mask Island decals
Jerry Glow decals - he's back in business

The link for Jerry Glow is dead.  A couple sources say Tichy acquired them in 2016.

[el3672]

Thanks Lars for providing this very useful thread and list, it's Super helpful!!

There's a number of these decal companies that I never heard of so thanks
to all shining light on them along with other detail business's out there.
Of special interest is K4decals, wow I'm amazed at so many great 40'-50' box car
decals both big and small lines. I plan on ordering a few tonight Wag, LV, D&H and ACY to
try them out. The car color references and placement illustrations are nice to see.

Prime mover decals has always been my excellent EL decal source for many years,
Paul Tupaczewski does a really great job with his line.

[loco8107]

Anyone know how good the CMR decals are for the standard Conrail locos from 76-early 90’s compared to Microscale? I know for NS locos, I would go with ShellScale over Microscale in a heartbeat.

[autocoach]

Protocraft has an HO scale decal line in addition to their O scale decals

[darkhorse]

greatdecals.com/Decals.html

[lars]

I'm mostly caught up. I would be glad to post wheel and truck sources if anyone has them. If there are 3-D printing sites outside of shapeways that may be good go add, too.

[Colin 't Hart]

Trucks: Tahoe Model Works, Moloco, ExactRail, Tangent, Athearn (Genesis), Accurail, Tichy, Bowser, Walthers, and of course Kadee all make trucks of a myriad different designs.

[jonklein611]

Feb 5, 2021 14:21:24 GMT -8 Colin 't Hart said:

Trucks: Tahoe Model Works, Moloco, ExactRail, Tangent, Athearn (Genesis), Accurail, Tichy, Bowser, Walthers, and of course Kadee all make trucks of a myriad different designs.

Rapido as well.

[tankcarsrule]

Tichy has a large selection of decals!

[SOMECALLMETIM]

Tichy’s decals do have some needed variety - particularly former Jerry Glow decals, but I won’t purchase them due to having too thick of ink.

Sept 4, 2021 14:26:42 GMT -8 tankcarsrule said:

Tichy has a large selection of decals!

[tankcarsrule]

OK!

Regards, Bobby

[atsfcf7]

Great listing! Surprised that American Scale Models has not been listed; they have been my go to source for some hard to find brass castings.