I'm not sure I like the idea proposed by one user that the coaches be lettered to represent the various railroads that have operated on the line throught its history. I guess I don't like the idea because the coaches in question were never owned by those railroads. I could see lettering them 'LACKAWANNA' for nostalgia's sake, for example, but not 'Tonawanda Valley & Cuba'.
But I wouldn't like to see the coaches retro-lettered to 'Lackawanna' or anything else, either, because, when finished, this will represent the first time that the name 'Arcade & Attica' has been rendered elegantly on them. Lately, of course, there were the garish 'circus' letters beneath the windows. Even during the 1970s when the 'circus' lettering was painted over in favor of red letterboards, the name of the railroad on those red letterboards was not rendered at all well. So I'm really looking forward to this.
One user suggested that the idea of lettering the tender of Engine No. 18 to read 'Boyne City Railroad' was likewise a bad idea because the locomotive has been owned by the A&A for much longer than it was ever owned by the Boyne City RR.
While I understand the concern, I think I would be inclined to reject the premise of that argument considering that it is not unheard of for excursion trains to be lettered and decorated to reflect their original ownership. A number of tourist railroads have either retained, from the beginning, the original lettering on their equipment or have reverted back to it for the sake of authenticity or nostalgia.
One might then object, however, that the tender, being proper to locomotive No. 14, never was owned by the Boyne City Railroad and therefore shouldn't be re-lettered to represent the Boyne City RR. If re-lettered at all, it should be for the Escanaba & Lake Superior RR, whence it came. I would counter, however, that such an argument is too scrupulous as tenders are merely auxiliary to locomotives and that the heritage of the locomotive entirely predominates that of whichever tender happens to be united to it at the moment. Tenders were often replaced.
I think it would be marvelous to see No. 18 and her current tender lettered to represent the Boyne City Railroad, if only for a time. And should they, then, restore the 'Arcade & Attica' to the tender when they have had enough of the Boyne City retro-lettering, I hope they will CENTER the 'Arcade & Attica', this time, and make use of a much worthier font.