alcazar Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Looking at pictures of models on here, it is often the figures that let them down. the locos are replete with every detail, painted superbly, lined and liveried to excellent levels, and weathered to within an exquisite bound, but the drivers, firemen, etc just scream, "MODEL!!!!!!!!" Why do we accept such poor quality figures, and spend so little time on them, when they detract from the finished model? And if military modellers can do it, why can't railway figures look lifelike? If the figures themselves detract from the model, surely the best thing to do is leave them off. Discuss. And before anyone jumps on me, I used to paint mexican moustaches, and goatees onto Subbuteo figures, plus lifelike team badges, different hairstyles, pony-tails, top-knots, hair colours etc etc, so it CAN be done. They were 1:72 figures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwrosebury2000 Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 I spend time on painting the people on my layout, I have put a tattoo on a truck driver, and other little things that would take you all day to spot. I think with most people it is the ammount of time vs how many people will see all the hard work, how many people studdy the people? having said that I do it because I know the tiny details are there. I must add at the moment I only have about 20 people on my layout with just over 200 stil to paint. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted March 6, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2010 I think there have been some good castings on the market at various times but they don't tend to remain available for ever and ever. I'm not sure if this figure is still made but he was one of a series of castings I ordered a few years ago - from Mainly Trains I think. I haven't painted him particularly well but the effect at normal viewing distance is very convincing. I also like the Gibson loco crew - they can get a bit repetitive if you are doing a lot of locos but the castings are excellent, and generally don't need much cleaning up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micklner Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Montys Models from Dart Castings are the best i have found. I have used their labourers as well etc as crew for some variation Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwit Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Barry Ten - I pretty certain yer man leaning out is from the Dart Castings range. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted March 6, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2010 Monty's models are particularly good because the facial features are realistic, which is one of the big problems with many 4mm figures these days. I've had som good fun modifying the Monty's figures to suit period etc (see blog link below for examples), but I also very much agree with the OP that it really is time for someone to make a high quality "RTR" range of 4mm figures. As mentioned above, the wargamers have an amazing level of detail in their figures, and they're not that much bigger than 4mm figures. But I guess the market is just so much larger for wargaming manufacturers? AFAIK, plastic is pretty expensive to invest in as a manufacturer, compared to eg whitemetal? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted March 6, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2010 Barry Ten - I pretty certain yer man leaning out is from the Dart Castings range. Thanks, Paul! I have a few of these figures in my 56XX and pannier tanks; must see about sourcing some more. I just couldn't recall who'd made them. I was worried they might be "obsolete units" (geddit?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 6, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2010 Monty's models are particularly good because the facial features are realistic, which is one of the big problems with many 4mm figures these days. I've had som good fun modifying the Monty's figures to suit period etc (see blog link below for examples), but I also very much agree with the OP that it really is time for someone to make a high quality "RTR" range of 4mm figures. As mentioned above, the wargamers have an amazing level of detail in their figures, and they're not that much bigger than 4mm figures. But I guess the market is just so much larger for wargaming manufacturers? AFAIK, plastic is pretty expensive to invest in as a manufacturer, compared to eg whitemetal? Mikkel I quite agree but speaking to Aidan Campbell at Warley he suggested railway modellers wouldn't pay for decent high quality figures.How much would you pay for a RTR Edwardian driver ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcazar Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 I quite agree but speaking to Aidan Campbell at Warley he suggested railway modellers wouldn't pay for decent high quality figures.How much would you pay for a RTR Edwardian driver ? Nothing...........since he'd look out of place in one of my 7mm diesels, or my 7mm Peppercorn A1. But £10 for a REALLY good figure for either of the above, considering what we pay for ONE wheelset, wouldn't be amiss. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted March 6, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2010 I quite agree but speaking to Aidan Campbell at Warley he suggested railway modellers wouldn't pay for decent high quality figures.How much would you pay for a RTR Edwardian driver ? Robin I suppose it depends a bit on "who" the figure is. For a driver and fireman I'd pay more, since they are very visible an enhance the loco. Aidan Campbell charges 1.95 for driver and fireman, and Monty's are 2.40 for such a pair. I don't have a large modelling budget, but I'd happily pay twice that for a pair if the quality was improved further. An HO Preiser driver is 3.00 for a single figure. These are OK quality, although nothing like the really good stuff available in 7mm scale. And some of that is actually the same price as Preiser, eg a 7mm figure from Heroes of the Footplate is just 3.00 which is not bad at all given the quality. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 I have used figures from a variety of sources, but my favourites at the moment are from Falcon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 7, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2010 I have used figures from a variety of sources, but my favourites at the moment are from Falcon. Me too and they come ready painted which is great for lazy b*****s like me !Like Mikkel I would pay a bit more for quality as you only need one crew per engine.Passengers is another thing though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted March 7, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2010 Me too and they come ready painted which is great for lazy b*****s like me !Like Mikkel I would pay a bit more for quality as you only need one crew per engine.Passengers is another thing though. Having just batch painted six sets of loco crew, I'd gladly pay a bit more for painted figures (of the Gibson/Monty's standard). It was one of those boring jobs I put off for ever, until I finally decided that far too many of my locos were being operated by ghosts... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted March 8, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2010 I have used figures from a variety of sources, but my favourites at the moment are from Falcon. I have been trying to get a look a these/source them, but so far without luck. The 7mm ones are sold by Tower Models, but the 4mm ones seem only to be available from the Falcon stand at exhibitions, unless anyone knows better? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyC Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 The quality of figures compared to those for wargamers has been mentioned, but I think the point there is that for wargamers the figure IS the model, for railway modellers its usually just an accessory to the loco / coach etc. A problem I have with most of the engine crew figures available is the pose. The manufacturers seem to think all steam locomotives were driven standing up and with the fireman busy shovelling. Usually the driver seems to be posed for RH drive as well. As someone who models Gresley pacifics I'd like some figures with the driver [and possibly the fireman as well] sitting down. A pose I'd really like to do is one shown in a photo of an A3 on the Waverley route, driver leaning comfortably out of the cab side window, while the fireman stands slumped and exhausted over the cab doors! Jeremy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 LOL! Know it well, in Neil Caplan's book IIRC! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 8, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2010 I have been trying to get a look a these/source them, but so far without luck. The 7mm ones are sold by Tower Models, but the 4mm ones seem only to be available from the Falcon stand at exhibitions, unless anyone knows better? Falcon figures are stocked by Rural Railways of Worcester although they don't have a website.You can buy them direct from Falcon at this address. Mr M.R Hill 20 Millvale Meadows Milland Liphook Hampshire GU30 7LZ 01428 741426 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted March 8, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2010 Many thanks Robin, very much appreciated Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted March 8, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2010 Martin Hill (Falcon Figures) is our railway club chairman, so if anyone is interested I can get a list of exhibitions he is planning to attend for 2010. They are very impressive models, however I don't seem to be able to convince him to move down a scale to N gauge! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Does anyone recognise these 2 characters? whitemetal and I think they come already painted, they look ok in a model, the colours seemed right for ready to plonk on a footplate, im not a fan of the larger more cartoonish looking ones. and its been a few years since this topic was posted so whats the best about nowadays? Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
009matt Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 The guy on the left has very short legs, or he is wearing them like most of the teenagers do today! I have painted figures for Pendon, and these were the Monty's range and very good, but as has been said above the Falcon figures are great too. My Quahog lumber (ex layout) used some of his new North American figures which were a delight to paint. I agree that figures are overlooked on layouts. Great care and effort goes into detailing locos and stock and then a blob painted figure gets stuck in the cab. With regard to passengers - apart from a really bustling large station, does your layout need thousands of badly painted figures, or would a small number of highly detailed ones have a lot more impact? Just my 2p matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted May 2, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 2, 2013 Barry Ten - I pretty certain yer man leaning out is from the Dart Castings range. Yup. also available in O gauge photo copyright Chris Nevard, and as published in Model Rail 182 - used with thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfsboy Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Mike Pett figures have some early type driver figures . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Does anyone recognise these 2 characters? whitemetal and I think they come already painted, they look ok in a model, the colours seemed right for ready to plonk on a footplate Mike Look to me like Springside. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Does anyone recognise these 2 characters? whitemetal and I think they come already painted, they look ok in a model, the colours seemed right for ready to plonk on a footplate, im not a fan of the larger more cartoonish looking ones. PICT0240.JPG and its been a few years since this topic was posted so whats the best about nowadays? Mike Those two just epitomise everything that is wrong with Railway Modelling figures: poor proportions, shapeless blobs for faces, poorly posed... Just have a look at some of the 1:35 figures available for military stuff, from the likes of Tamiya. On some my lad had, for the 88mm gun crew, you could pick out individual decorations on their uniforms. And the faces had expressions, not just features. Yes, they are an accessory to the main model, but then, so are the couplings and vac pipes, yet we strive for realism there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.