Class card scanning

Classification Card Scanning/Processing

The "1942" book from the B&MRRHS

Dating the book

This book is dated as 1942. Several pages are marked "Correct to 12-1-41", and it includes the 73000 series box cars (built in 1942)
However it also includes box car 69999, which was rebuilt in 1943, so I'm thinking it should really be dated "1943".

Originals

For the "1942" book, the "originals" consisted of blueprints (white lines on blue background), with notations in pencil, black ink, and other.

Scanning and "webitization" process

Scanned on Canon CanoScan 8800F at 600 DPI using "Color picture" setting.
In addition, I set the page size to fixed at "letter" (8.5 x 11") so no auto-cropping was done.
(Note originals approx. 4.5" x 9")
In the Canon "MP Navigator EX" software, pages were rotated and cropped *near* the actual boundary.
(final cropping to be done later in GIMP, after pages squared up)
Files were saved as JPG (typically 3-6 MB file size), TIF (31-45 MB), and (all pages for one book) a single PDF (90 MB)
As the TIF files exceed the file size limit for Squarespace, further processing was done per below in GIMP and Microsoft Paint
1. File renamed as appropriate ["car type"_"first number"_Classification_Card_"year of book".TIF]
2. TIF file opened in GIMP
3. Tools→Measure used to measure the angle of the lines in the top and bottom borders
4. "Average" of those 2 lines used to rotate the image (as best possible) to "square"
5. If needed, image was cropped to *paper* size
6. File was saved as .XCF file
7. "Export As" was used to save JPG at "full" resolution (so if viewers want, they can see all the gory details...)
  While JPG may not be the best format for technical drawings, it did compress the files "just enough" to fit in Squarespace file size limits.
  JPG Export settings:
  - Quality: Set to 100% [note: if resultant JPG greater than 20 MB, tried 99%, then 98%, etc. until JPG under 20 MB]
  - Save exif data: off
  - Save XMP data: off
  - Save IPTC data: off
  - Save thumbnail: off
  - Save Color Profile: on
  - "Advanced options" left at defaults
8. Save XCF file as "*_bw.xcf" (i..e. same name with "_bw" suffix, for "black & white" image)
9. Crop off holes (and page number) on left side of page (keep any other text)
10. Colors→Invert (so now it is a "black on white" image)
  NOTE: for "back side of previous page" images, colors were NOT inverted
11. Colors→Threshhold - move slider to catch all text possible
12. Save XCF
13. "Export As" was used to save B&W PNG image
  (this will be displayed "in-line" on the class page, so I want it relatively small, so it displays "quickly")
  PNG Export settings:
  - Interlacing: off
  - Save background color: off
  - Save Gamma: off
  - Save layer offset: off
  - Save Resolution: on
  - Save Creation Time: on
  - Save Comment: off
  - Save color values from transparent pixels: On (why???)
  - Save exif data: off
  - Save XMP data: off
  - Save IPTC data: off
  - Save thumbnail: off
  - Save Color Profile: on
Final cleanup of PNG file done in (old) Microsoft "Paint"
- Cleanup of "noise" pixels
- Add any "lost" annotation (lettering that did not survive the above process) in red
- If any text was unclear, note that in red

The "1952" book from Scott Whitney (NMRO)

Dating the book

The book's cover states "correct to 12-11-52", and I didn't notice any dates after that

Originals

For the "1952" book, the "originals" consisted of PDF file (scanned, black markings on white background).

Scanning and "webitization" process

Scanned PDF page (already B&W) imported into GIMP at 100 DPI
Original image [rotated, if needed], cropped; border added where cropped off, some other cleanup done
"Export As" was used to save PNG image
PNG Export settings:
- Interlacing: off
- Save background color: off
- Save Gamma: off
- Save layer offset: off
- Save Resolution: on
- Save Creation Time: on
- Save Comment: off
- Save color values from transparent pixels: ?
- Save exif data: off
- Save XMP data: off
- Save IPTC data: off
- Save thumbnail: on?
- Save Color Profile: off
Final cleanup of PNG file done in (old) Microsoft "Paint"
- Cleanup of "noise" pixels
- Add any "lost" annotation (lettering that did not survive the above process) in red
- If any text was unclear, note that in red

The "1955" book from the B&MRRHS

Dating the book

This book is dated to 1955. On the inside cover is the text "Correct to 9-20-55".
Note individual pages may have other dates, but I didn't notice any after 1955.
After comapring to the "1952" book above, it appears this book is (almost?) entirely the "retired/scrapped" cars.
The only 5 car series in common with the 1952 book are

70000 series bix cars (retired from ORER by 10/1955)
13100 series reefers (retired from ORER by 10/1951)
27500 series stock cars (returned to box cars or comapny service by 7/1956)
9100 series gondolas (retired from ORER by 7/1955)
GEX 2000 series well hole flat cars

In my opinion, the B&M made a new "classification" book in 1955[ish] and all the "retired" car series put put in the book the B&MRRHS has.
The "active" car series were put in another book, which (to my knowledge) does not exist...(sigh...)

Originals

For the "1955" book, the "originals" consisted of "Onionskin" paper (black markings on white background), with (for the index pages) the "rulings" done in black on the *back* of the page.
Additional comments written (mostly) in pencil.
Strike-outs done in ink (some on the back-side of the pages), and pencil (on "front" side of page), so in the scans, these tend to show up as "grey" background.

Scanning and "webitization" process

Scanned on Canon CanoScan 8800F at 600 DPI using "Color picture" setting.
In addition, I set the page size to fixed at "letter" (8.5 x 11") so no auto-cropping was done.
(Note originals approx. 4.5" x 9")
In the Canon "MP Navigator EX" software, pages were rotated and cropped *near* the actual boundary.
(final cropping to be done later in GIMP, after pages squared up)
Files were saved as JPG (typically 3-6 MB file size), TIF (31-45 MB), and (all pages for one book) a single PDF (70 MB)
As the TIF files exceed the file size limit for Squarespace, further processing was done per below in GIMP and Microsoft Paint
1. File renamed as appropriate ["car type"_"first number"_Classification_Card_"year of book".TIF]
2. TIF file opened in GIMP
3. Tools→Measure used to measure the angle of the lines in the top and bottom borders
4. "Average" of those 2 lines used to rotate the image (as best possible) to "square"
5. If needed, image was cropped to *paper* size
6. File was saved as .XCF file
7. "Export As" was used to save JPG at "full" resolution (so if viewers want, they can see all the gory details...)
  While JPG may not be the best format for technical drawings, it did compress the files "just enough" to fit in Squarespace file size limits.
  JPG Export settings:
  - Quality: Set to 100%
  - Save exif data: off
  - Save XMP data: off
  - Save IPTC data: off
  - Save thumbnail: off
  - Save Color Profile: on
  - "Advanced options" left at defaults
8. Save XCF file as "*_bw.xcf" (i..e. same name with "_bw" suffix, for "black & white" image)
9. Crop off holes (and page number) on left side of page (keep any other text)
10. Colors→Threshhold - move slider to catch all text possible
11. Save XCF
12. "Export As" was used to save B&W PNG image
  (this will be displayed "in-line" on the class page, so I want it relatively small, so it displays "quickly")
  PNG Export settings:
  - Interlacing: off
  - Save background color: off
  - Save Gamma: off
  - Save layer offset: off
  - Save Resolution: on
  - Save Creation Time: on
  - Save Comment: off
  - Save color values from transparent pixels: On (why???)
  - Save exif data: off
  - Save XMP data: off
  - Save IPTC data: off
  - Save thumbnail: off
  - Save Color Profile: on
Final cleanup of PNG file done in (old) Microsoft "Paint"
- Cleanup of "noise" pixels
- Add any "lost" annotation (lettering that did not survive the above process) in red
- If any text was unclear, note that in red

Revision History

File History for THIS page
Date	Who	Description
17-Nov-2020	KG Akerboom	First version