lettering for a modest fee. For an additional fee, they can also apply the graphics to your sign, though you could also do the application yourself. In my case, our museum has its own vinyl cutter that can work up to 24" wide. I created a PDF with my graphics and had volunteer (and professional signmaker) Jim Otto cut the lettering and do the application. The simple black graphics really stand out on the yellow background, and can be seen from a distance, helping guide our visitors into the Restoration Shop and around the corner to see our additional train displays. Total cost for materials was around $100, not counting the graphics.
Station Signs and Others We have a location on our railroad known
as “Switch 6,” because it is the sixth switch on our mainline. It is also the junction between our mainline and the spur that leads to the Restoration Shop and our display yard. This has become a very busy location during our public operating days, and so we assigned a switch tender here to speed up operations. We placed an old New York Central crossing guard shanty so the tender would have protection from the elements.
I wanted visitors and volunteers to both understand why this shanty was placed here, so I designed a station sign to hang from its eaves. I found pre-finished shelving at a home improvement store that was perfect for the job. You’ll find shelves 36" and 48" long are perfect for projects like these. I also picked up two sets of screw hooks to mount the sign. Once again, I designed some simple black graphics that identified the location as “SWITCH NO. 6” using a serif typeface called Collegiate (available for both PC and Mac at
www.keithbates.co.uk/collegiate). I like the look of it because it is bold and legible, and it also has a unique vintage character that makes it stand out and look “railroady.” When you’re designing your signs, you’ll want to make sure the lettering is between 5 and 8 inches tall. We cut the graphics in-house, I applied
them to the smooth white shelf, screwed in the hooks, and mounted the sign. The switch tender hangs the sign when he opens the shanty in the morning, and puts it away when he closes up at the end of the day to help preserve it. I used a similar technique to create some signs to hang in the eaves of our restored
passenger station to help visitors identify the location of the “ENTRANCE” and the “WAITING ROOM.” Additional signs will mark the entrance to the “GIFT SHOP” and the “BAGGAGE ROOM” (not open to the public).These simple sign projects took less than an hour to complete, and each one cost less than $20 in materials to build (not counting the vinyl graphics). What’s more, anything that helps guide your visitors makes your operation more user-friendly and professional.
What’s Your Sign?
I just described a couple of quick-and-dirty techniques to add signage that helps guide visitors as well as add atmosphere. What techniques do you use to help guests find their way around your facility? Please drop me a line at
otto@railfan.com and share your ideas with me.
Associate editor Otto M. Vondrak is a trustee at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum in Rochester, N.Y., and has been an active volunteer with many preservation groups throughout the Northeast.
LEFT: Volunteer Chris Playford is the designated switch tender at Switch 6 on June 18, 2016. His job is to throw the switch each time the train passes, and the former New York Central shanty offers shelter from the hot summer sun. The sign was made from pre-finished shelving purchased at a home improvement store, and helps identify the location while adding railroad atmosphere. BELOW LEFT: A close-up of one of the sandwich boards directing visitors around the corner to additional outdoor displays. These inexpensive signs are large enough to be seen from a distance, but light enough to be moved into storage easily. BELOW: Volunteer Dave Peet helped install the simple sign marking the entrance to our depot and museum. Six-inch tall letters are easy to read from a distance, mounted onto a 30” wide pre-finished shelf. Since the depot has multiple doors, this sign helps guide first-time visitors from the parking lot to our main entrance.
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