Help with an obscure font identification

[The_Eric]

My friend is trying to make (replicate) something that requires a specific font. Problem is that he can't figure it out. The original builder is long since out of business with no records. Image searches and sifting through fonts haven't yielded what he's after.

Is there anyone that might know or anywhere that might have a lead? Imo, the letter "c" is the most unique and may help with the id..

 

[atikovi]

Shouldn't be too hard to reproduce with a 3D printer. How does knowing the font name help you if they haven't been made in 80 years?

 

[mrsilv04]

If nothing else, nearly all of the letters of the alphabet are already there...

 

[The_Eric]

That may have to be the avenue he goes down. This is to verify that it is in fact 100% correct as these are just replications of an original.

 

[tasch72]

I tossed the image into my Photoshop program and it brought up the following as close matches

• Modesto Initials Fill
• Modesto Expanded Regular
• Modesto Poster Regular

The first one is the closest, but the lowercase c's in Schenectady are very unique.

I wasn't able to get a good match on the font used for November

 

[Hall]

Believe it or not (actually, this should surprise no one), there are websites/forums that specialize in this kind of thing - ID'ing fonts.

I'm 100% confident that these are custom-made letters and you or your friend will never find a match. Look at the letter "C" - each one is different. The lettering in the lower section are skinnier but the same basic font otherwise.

 

[The_Eric]

Believe it or not (actually, this should surprise no one), there are websites/forums that specialize in this kind of thing - ID'ing fonts.

I'm 100% confident that these are custom-made letters and you or your friend will never find a match. Look at the letter "C" - each one is different. The lettering in the lower section are skinnier but the same basic font otherwise.

You could be right that it's custom... Wouldn't surprise me. I noticed the "c" is different and so is the aspect ratio??? of the font in the second row compared to the others - like they were trying to cram it in so they squished it vertically

What website or forum would you recommend?

 

[Variant_S]

Googling the phrase “American Locomotive Company builder’s plate” comes up with several examples and slight variations of this font in use back to the early 20th Century. I agree that it’s likely custom and hand-made.

I’ve tried matching fonts online by uploading an image. I’ve haven’t had much luck with any site.

 

[Astro14]

I very much doubt that a casting company in the 1940s used a standardized “font” of any kind.

They likely had their artist draw it up, got customer approval, then made the orginal mold, and cast all the nameplates from that mold.

It is simply unique. Drawn by hand.

 

[The_Eric]

Googling the phrase “American Locomotive Company builder’s plate” comes up with several examples and slight variations of this font in use back to the early 20th Century. I agree that it’s likely custom and hand-made.

I’ve tried matching fonts online by uploading an image. I’ve haven’t had much luck with any site.

He's tried several times, several ways of matching it too with about the same luck as you and tasch72.

Well, I figured I'd least ask... He really gets into the old steam loco stuff and also does number plates for the 800 series, the 3900 and 4000 series locos. All extremely detail oriented and extremely well finished. In fact, he's got plates out there on a restoration (forget the number, maybe 4017?), the UP steam shop and with a little luck, maybe the 4014 itself.

 

[The_Eric]

I very much doubt that a casting company in the 1940s used a standardized “font” of any kind.

They likely had their artist draw it up, got customer approval, then made the orginal mold, and cast all the nameplates from that mold.

It is simply unique. Drawn by hand.

You're quite possibly right - but the number plates he makes do in fact use a special font - and those were molded/cast in the same time period. That's why he is investigating this too.