Isn't it convenient when Micro-Trains Line knows exactly what you're thinking? Well, perhaps I exaggerate. But their release of a PRR heavyweight observation car named "Joel Chandler Harris" gave me a way to honor a man who had great positive influence on my high school years. It was an easy project, and I'll tell you all about it, including tips on a simple way to remove unwanted lettering with minimal impact to the model.
Joe Chandler served as director (a role similar to principal) at my high school for many years, and recently retired. He's a man rarely seen without a smile, and has always got a kind word to spare for students, former students, and colleagues. He must have been doing one fabulous job in his duties, too, because the school ran very smoothly for all the years my family had something to do with it. Most of all, I remember Mr. Chandler for his amazingly funny Christmas Poems, a yearly lighthearted look at the school population, which started with a hearty but humorous "Ho. *pause* Ho. *pause* Ho." He's pictured above in the act of cracking up the whole auditorium with his hat and poem, in a photo taken by Mr. Terry Decker.
Despite how much I enjoyed those years, I don't have many reminders of the people and activities that made high school a delight. Well, thanks to Micro-Trains and a little careful hobby knife work, I have such a reminder now. I took a "Joel Chandler Harris" car and subtracted the "L" and "HARRIS" from both sides.
My technique for doing so was simple and quick, involving scratching the lettering off with a hobby knife. Remember that a sharp knife is always better than a dull one, so following my own advice, I changed the blade before doing this delicate work. I simply drew the knife tip back and forth across the unwanted letters with a minimal amount of pressure. As the yellow paint flaked off and gave me a better view of my knife tip's precise location, I pressed a bit harder to loosen remaining scraps of paint from around rivet details. I use this technique often when re-lettering models, although depending on the paint style, you may need to patch up the model's background color when you're done. I may do so on this model if I can match the PRR Tuscan Red close enough.
I'm very pleased with the results and am glad to put the "Joe Chandler" on the end of any PRR passenger train, or even in modern times as a privately-owned car on the tail end of an Amtrak train. It's arguably my first model that spans both my railroad's eras and gets used regularly in both. I bet it spreads cheer, holiday humor, and life lessons wherever it roams, much like its namesake.
-Steven Goehring
Model Railroad News Associate Editor
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