The Big Blue & Gauge RR car numbering and paint schemes

[ezdays]

The Big Blue & Gauge Railroad six-digit numbering system:

When we had our old forum we had "THE-GAUGE RAILROAD" and had a couple of tour cars that saw time on many of your layouts. We had a car numbering system in place then for anyone that wanted to decorate their own cars with this herald. When started up as Big Blue over two years ago, we wanted to keep the Gauge association, so we started the BIG BLUE & GAUGE RAILROAD. We revived our old numbering system and have put it to use on a few example cars. We will also be using this system and scheme on our tour cars and a few cars that we'll be making available to all member through a general auction. If you have any questions, feel free to ask here, if you want to make your own decals, we can supply you with artwork that will fit your scale.

BBG 1 2345 6

1 - the first digit represents the type of car:

• "1" for boxcar,"2" for covered hoppers,"3" for open hoppers, "4" for tank cars, "5" for reefers, "6" for flat cars, "7" for gondolas,"8" for stock cars, "9" for all others including cabooses and MOW equipment.

2345 - the middle four digits would be individual member's ID number with leading “0”’s - which can be found by hovering the mouse over a member’s name and noting the number at the bottom of your browser at the very end of the link. (It is the last 2, 3 or 4 digits after the “=” sign.)

6 - the last digit is for the car number for each individual, again allowing up to 10 of each type car for each individual. (0 through 9)

A few examples are:

• http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/memberlis...ofile&u=53 would be ngauger. His first tank car carrying the BB&G herald would have the number designation: BBG 400530http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2979 would be a future member with their third boxcar carrying the BB&G herald having the number: BBG 129792

We have no members with ID numbers 0010 through 0052, and so these are reserved for “company” cars; that is: any car made exclusively for Big Blue by anyone including members and staff. This can be tour cars, a car to be auctioned off by Big Blue management, a show car or any car used for any other Big Blue forum activities as approved by the administration. An example of that would be: BBG 200104. A list of these numbers will be maintained and issued as needed by the administrators and can be obtained by asking any member of the BB staff. Car numbers with the BB&G designation and herald that are made and used by individuals need to contain their member’s ID as described above and shall be their responsibility to keep track of these numbers. Artwork for the BB&G herald and other lettering is available upon request. Please contact ezdays and specify your scale. This artwork will be in color and suitable for use with inkjet printers.

Here are a few examples of how a BB&G car can be decorated. Note that we’ve chosen white for the sides to make it easy to use either a color inkjet or black laser (example #4) printer for reproducing the artwork. The color scheme includes Conrail Blue on the top and ends, and bright white on the sides of the car. Anyone with the ability to make white prints, such as with an Alps printer, can use color scheme #5. No hard and fast rules are set for other car types, but you can use these examples for ideas.

   

An N scale boxcar decorated in the anniversary scheme
   

[Gary S]

Very cool! You can bet that my layout will have a couple of these cars on it!

[AF350]

Cool sounds great, but I noticed that in the car type you skipped number 8 and the only other car type not listed is a stock car(live stock) 9 being a catch all is good.

How about we step it up a notch and come up with a numbering system for locomotives in case some one wants to go for it?

Like may be:

loco type:

1=Steam
2=Diesel
3=Electric

member # xxxx with leading zeros

personal loco number x= 0-9

example: 201101

kinda big for a loco number but just a thought

Great example art work by the way.

[ezdays]

Ya know, this is embarrassing, we tried to find out where the "8: got dropped and we can't. Ngauger copied the list from over at the old forums and neither one of us noticed if it was complete or not. We're not sure if the old list was that way and no one ever noticed in all the years it was posted, or if something got dropped when it was copied, but somehow, that thread now seems to be inaccessible there. Anyway, your suggestion is a good one so we will add "stock car" to the list. We thank you for picking that up.

As for engines, we are working on that and will let you know what we come up with. I agree, a six-digit loco number is a bit much, but we'll come up with something that works and looks reasonable.

[ezdays]

OK, it took a really lot of searching, but I found the post over in the old forums and guess what? The "8" was missing there as well. The thread was started back in 2005 and son-of-a-gun, no one noticed this in all these years. That goes to show you how engrossed we all are in what we're doing that we can let something like this slip by. That translates into a very good excuse to cover up our shortcomings. I'm grateful that AF350 picked it up this time so quickly.

[Gary S]

Actually Don, many of us noticed the 8 was missing years ago... but because of the outstanding integrity and wisdom that you and Mikey exhibit on this forum, no one ever thought to even question it. If Mikey and Don did it, then there must be a good reason, so be it!

[ezdays]

Actually Don, many of us noticed the 8 was missing years ago... but because of the outstanding integrity and wisdom that you and Mikey exhibit on this forum, no one ever thought to even question it. If Mikey and Don did it, then there must be a good reason, so be it!

Excellent thinking. Your good judgment and keen observation will get you ahead here. For one thing, we are considering giving you a key to our infamous executive washroom. I'm sorry though, we cannot reveal its exact location for security purposes.

[ngauger]

Don't start trusting "us"!!! you'll ruin our already questionable reputations!!!!

[Sumpter250]

The number 8, wasn't just missing.............it got "8" ! :o

[ezdays]

The number 8, wasn't just missing.............it got "8" ! :o

As in "86" ?

[rrinker]

Or, why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9.


--Randy

[Sumpter250]

As in "86" ?

Couldn't have been 6......there was only 2 left when I got there.....so, if I had 2 and someone else had 6, then they all got 8.

I'd have, more properly, said Eton, but we're not talking education here.

[eightyeightfan1]

A blast from the past...Complete with the old numbering system.
   



Now....A little road weary and needing new numbers. Maybe BBG?
   

[Sumpter250]

I still like that old logo.
That car looks like it was carrying what the old gauge was turned into by the "Shoe-heads" !!!
Yeah, clean it up and re-number it.

[Mr Fixit]

Could a car that filthy still be suitable for interchange?

Surely the last user would be charged for a proper cleaning job or did it take a roll in the dirt and no one is willing to admit that it was off the rails?

By the way BBG 100210 the 2nd and 10 year Anniversary Special boxcar is safely tied down on my EFRR layout.

Mark