Loco crew for Hornby J15

[spikey]

I am currently despairing of my inability to find a suitable crew for my Hornby J15.  The problem is the way that the big splashers/seats encroach on the floor space, thereby ruling out both a seated driver and anyone leaning out the cab side.  It's also difficult to envisage the fireman standing on whatever the correct term is for the bit of the footplate that's on the tender.

 

I can see which Modelu figures I'd need if the loco was going to spend most of its time stationary, but it's not and I'm stumped.  If anybody's solved the problem, I'd love to know what figures they used and how they're positioned.

[31A]

This is how I did it on one of my J15s:

 

 

 

Fireman seated on left hand splasher box - the figure is from the set of loco crew once sold by Replica Railways.  A pity these are no longer available, as I have found them very adaptable for many locos.  But seated figures are available from other suppliers.   The driver standing between the splasher boxes with his right hand on the regulator - I think he is from one of the Monty's Models sets sold by Dart Castings.

 

I agree, I always find it difficult to find crews for engines with splasher boxes in the cabs - the same goes for D16, B12 and B17 - and almost impossible to replicate what you often see in pictures of real engines, with the crew leaning on the cab side cutout or window.  I think part of the problem is that the splasher boxes are almost inevitably too wide on 00 models, due to the wheels being closer together than in reality (due to the narrow gauge), the splasher boxes themselves being made from a thicker than scale material, and the wheels having greater side-to-side clearance than in real life.  To be fair, I think this only becomes noticeable on the J15 when you try to squeeze in a crew!

 

Quite often I have put the fireman standing on the front of the tender with his hand on the hand brake or side sheet. 

 

[Metr0Land]

Falcon Figures/Masterpiece Models do crew in packs of 2, some generic and some for specific locos.  Packs FF102 and FF103 are painted crews for J15.  He does unpainted but I never seem to get round to painting them so always but painted these days which IIRC are £10 per pair.

 

He's not on the web it's all by phone or mail order.  He used to attend shows in the SE but as I now live in West Wales and never get to see him.

 

Address is 28 Chiltley Lane, Liphook, Hants, GU30 7HJ  phone 01428 727 341 - vey nice chap, absolute pleasure to deal with.

 

(Sorry can't remember which crew I used)

 

 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

White metal figures may give you a better opportunity to re-pose. Either shaping, filing or cutting body parts or placing in hot water for a short time so you can gently bend arms/legs.

 

Monty Models from Dart Castings have a good range. 

 

Disclaimer; no links to the owners etc just a very satisfied customer.

 

Edit; to add picture example;

Edited May 2, 2019 by No46

[spikey]

Thank you very much gentlemen.  I hadn't thought of having the fireman seated as in 31A's pictures, but I reckon that's the way forward.  That, and with fireman standing on front of tender on my second J15!  (Would that there were more steam outline locos that run like the J15 does on DC, but that's another matter!)

 

FWIW I tried Falcon/Masterpiece when they were recommended in response to a previous general question of mine about loco crews but TBH I'm wasn't impressed with them.  I hadn't heard of Monty Models and I'll certainly check them out, but they'll have to be good to persuade me away from ModelU ...

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Spikey, they are decent models but as with everything it comes down to personal preferences and different media have specific pros and cons.

 

Have a gander at Mikkel's thread. He certainly weaves some magic with various figures from all types of suppliers;

 

[micklner]

Andrew Stadden figures are superb .

 

[31A]

Here's my second J15, 65390, with its crew:

 

 

 

Not quite so happy with this one, but it shows the fireman standing on the front of the tender - he's another from the Replica Railways set - with his shovel removed, his left hand comes close to the hand brake handle.

 

The driver is from Pete Goss's range (Set PD11 I think).

 

https://petegossrailwaymodelling.bigcartel.com/category/1940-s-1960-s-period-figures-oo-gauge-4mm-em-p4-1-76

 

 His left hand is on the regulator but not sure what his right is supposed to be doing!

 

I try to aim for less active poses; as you say, the locos spend a lot of their time not moving.  Quite agree about the J15's running, I think they must be the best I've got and I wish more were like them!

 

 

 

[31A]

4 hours ago, Metr0Land said:

Falcon Figures/Masterpiece Models do crew in packs of 2, some generic and some for specific locos.  Packs FF102 and FF103 are painted crews for J15.  He does unpainted but I never seem to get round to painting them so always but painted these days which IIRC are £10 per pair.

 

He's not on the web it's all by phone or mail order.  He used to attend shows in the SE but as I now live in West Wales and never get to see him.

 

Address is 28 Chiltley Lane, Liphook, Hants, GU30 7HJ  phone 01428 727 341 - vey nice chap, absolute pleasure to deal with.

 

(Sorry can't remember which crew I used)

 

 

 

They look good on your J15!  As they have no web site, do you know if images of these figures appear anywhere else on line?  I'm wondering whether it might be possible to assess whether they would be suitable for locos they weren't intended for, before ordering?

[Metr0Land]

3 minutes ago, 31A said:

 

They look good on your J15!  As they have no web site, do you know if images of these figures appear anywhere else on line?  I'm wondering whether it might be possible to assess whether they would be suitable for locos they weren't intended for, before ordering?

 

Thanks. AFAIK they're not generally visible online.  However he does (or did) have a catalogue of sorts.  Also he's an officer and gentleman and used to offer to send packets on approval.  Suggest you give him a ring.  He does pairs of some items like the leaning out fireman, of which I use quite a few, as these fit pretty much any loco:

 

 

[31A]

Thanks, I'll give it a try!

[spikey]

11 hours ago, Metr0Land said:

 

... he's an officer and gentleman and used to offer to send packets on approval.

 

 

He still does, or at least he did earlier this year, and he's both enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his products.  But as No46 said above, it all comes down to personal preference.  Having sampled Falcon, I tried ModelU and found them to be much more to my liking.  Having said that though, Monty's Models certainly look to be worth a try ...