That's not hand-painted, that's either computer-cut vinyl or made by the same way as a stencil and spray painted. Hand-painting something like that is essentially a lost art in an era when computer cutters can make it as perfect as a person could ever want.

I can’t speak to the Tyrone sign.....but hand painted gold leaf sign painting is alive and well here in Maine!
Scroll through some of the pages here: http://www.firegold.com/maine.html

Keith

Just saying, If one was inclined (and prosperous enough) to make a "as nearly accurate as possible" PRR station sign one could;

1) Acquire a 3D cad file (by scanning an original or redesign from original drawings) and scale it to account for the shrinkage associated with the metal casting process.

2) 3D print the file in plastic.

3) Procure the services of a "small/custom order" cast iron foundry (Windy Hill Foundry caters to Hobby type folks) using the plastic pattern to make some "as close as possible to the original" signs.

4) Paint the sign as done historically.

Other methods may fit other budgets, timeframes, desired outcomes. I suppose one could make a couple dozen extra's (with the word REPLICA cast in small print) until everyone that wanted a "replica" of an original PRR sign had a chance to steal one. Or make them so ugly and delicate that no one would be bothered to steal it....

(FYI, I have no association with Windy Hill Foundry, I have only seen their high quality work on the interweb).

Cheers, Kevin.

I could easily make a "copy" of these signs by using the original photo then making a scale drawing...cut a form out of wood. The wooden copy would then be taken to a foundry and used to make cast iron copies...JUST LIKE THEY WERE MADE ORIGINALLY!!! That's right...a "pattern maker" used those railroad drawings to make the forms in wood. The foundry then used the wood patterns to cast the originals.
And the beauty of wood is you do your best work and if you are not happy with the results you start over with little cost.
T7

Cattail Foundry near Lancaster, PA, has made quite a few cast iron signs, including new large Keystones with "ZOO" for Amtrak's Zoo Tower near 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.

I would like to get a repro of the sign from Jacks Tower - if anyone is making one.

Nice article in the upcoming PRR T&HS journal, "The Keystone" regarding this project.

Since these aren't really intended to be historically accurate replicas, but more along the lines of "heritage signage", like heritage units...

If you want them cheap, get them cut from sheet steel and cover them with vinyl. Heck, for a few bucks more you can get reflective (Scotchlite) yellow lettering.

If you want them to last forever, send the art out to an outfit that makes porcelain enamel signs.

If you want to have to repaint them every five years have them cast in iron. and

If you want to see them disappear overnight just let the tweakers hear that they are actually cast in aluminum.