RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2015 Most fully grown specimens I've come across vary from about four to six feet tall, with Friesians and Holsteins being two of the larger breeds - some of them can look me in the eye - and Jerseys & Dexters two of the smaller breeds I'm familiar with. Standing next to a fully grown Charlie bull (Charolais) at about 6' at his shoulders and Holsteins look like calves. If you model a bull in one of the larger scales, don't forget a nosering. Once put some noserings in bulls noses, they're not too keen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
orford Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 DCC Sound? Nah..................You need 'moo-d' music. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold wenlock Posted October 12, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2015 Standing next to a fully grown Charlie bull (Charolais) at about 6' at his shoulders and Holsteins look like. Blast! I'd more or less decided to paint them as Charolais and then I read that they didn't arrive in the country until the 1950s! 50 years too late for Sherton Abbas, ho hum back to the drawing board. Still I'm enjoying the posts, who would have thought cows could be so entertaining! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted October 12, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2015 Blast! I'd more or less decided to paint them as Charolais and then I read that they didn't arrive in the country until the 1950s! 50 years too late for Sherton Abbas, ho hum back to the drawing board. Still I'm enjoying the posts, who would have thought cows could be so entertaining! As most model railways are freelance how about a freelance breed? Could be anything you like then! Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I know i shouldn't but Ah, forget it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted October 12, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 12, 2015 Blast! I'd more or less decided to paint them as Charolais and then I read that they didn't arrive in the country until the 1950s! 50 years too late for Sherton Abbas, ho hum back to the drawing board. Still I'm enjoying the posts, who would have thought cows could be so entertaining! Hi Wenlock Thanks for starting this thread, we need more like this. We all try to get our locomotives and rolling stock correct for our chosen region/railway and time period so why not the supporting cast. Farm animal breeds can be quite regional and popular at different time periods so getting them right, even if for our own satisfaction we have things correct is as important. Says me who is building three urban layouts. Even then one layout I am making is set in Sheffield in the 1960s so my people need to be dressed in their working daily clothes as worn at the time. Sorry cannot help too much with cattle, except what a stockman told me one day while I was out walking my dogs. “If the dogs get in with the cows, get yourself out the field. The animals will sort themselves out. If you stay in the field the dog will try and hide behind you and the cows with go through you to get the dog." The following day the dogs were off the lead and ahead of me, I came around the corner to see Gus face to face with a bull..............................my legs remembered what the stockman said. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedders Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 My main experience with bovines is fetch cricket balls from fields with beef cattle in them and I'd say they look about right. Do a Google image search for British Short Horn and the adult ones look to be shoulder height to the taller people in the photos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted October 13, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 Perhaps this will give a definitive answer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold wenlock Posted October 13, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 Perhaps this will give a definitive answer. I'd completely forgotten about the Wonder Stuff and can't believe its nearly 25 years ago! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold wenlock Posted October 13, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 Hi Wenlock Thanks for starting this thread, we need more like this. We all try to get our locomotives and rolling stock correct for our chosen region/railway and time period so why not the supporting cast. Farm animal breeds can be quite regional and popular at different time periods so getting them right, even if for our own satisfaction we have things correct is as important. Says me who is building three urban layouts. Even then one layout I am making is set in Sheffield in the 1960s so my people need to be dressed in their working daily clothes as worn at the time. Sorry cannot help too much with cattle, except what a stockman told me one day while I was out walking my dogs. “If the dogs get in with the cows, get yourself out the field. The animals will sort themselves out. If you stay in the field the dog will try and hide behind you and the cows with go through you to get the dog." The following day the dogs were off the lead and ahead of me, I came around the corner to see Gus face to face with a bull..............................my legs remembered what the stockman said. Hi Clive, glad you're enjoying the thread and it's good to hear I'm not alone in wanting to get more than just the stock right on the layout! I guess I'm becoming the equivalent of a bovine rivet counter Lol I'm glad you heeded the stockman's advice and made a hasty exit, cows can be a bit "frisky" at times! Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold wenlock Posted October 13, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 As most model railways are freelance how about a freelance breed? Could be anything you like then! Keith Hi Keith, I sometimes think that going down the freelance route would have been much easier! My project is firmly set in the Edwardian period, circa 1905. I'm trying to capture the feel of a rural GWR branchline terminus that although fictitious closely follows prototype period practice. I think my next project will be freelance narrow gauge! :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Sidelines Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Hi Dave You won't catch me walking round the back of any cows! .. I'd be thrilled if you could pop out and sneak behind one with a tape measure! :-) However I have added few dimensions to the picture. They are young cattle so I have added views of some 'Mums' with a 'Daddy' from a few years back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivegreen Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Hi Dave You won't catch me walking round the back of any cows! However I have added few dimensions to the picture. Isn't the weathering a bit overdone in the second photo? You don't see that at the Royal Highland or the Bath and West! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Isn't the weathering a bit overdone in the second photo? You don't see that at the Royal Highland or the Bath and West! It's only going to end up on eBay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold wenlock Posted October 13, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 Hi Dave You won't catch me walking round the back of any cows! However I have added few dimensions to the picture. They are young cattle so I have added views of some 'Mums' with a 'Daddy' from a few years back. Hi Ray, you're probably right, walking behind cows with a tape measure isn't a very good plan! My word the daddy in the second picture is a sturdy chap, definitely not one I'd attempt to measure!! Thanks for the pics Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold wenlock Posted October 13, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 Here's a very impressive looking chap! I'll need to buy some more Milliput to do him justice! :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Probably the most common breed of dairy or dual purpose cow in the Edwardian period was the Dairy Shorthorn (see http://www.rbst.org.uk/Rare-and-Native-Breeds/Cattle/Dairy-Shorthorn-Original-Population)particularly in GWR-land. In those days they all had horns – if short ones! Good luck painting the roan variety though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted October 13, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'd completely forgotten about the Wonder Stuff Luckily I had too until then Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold wenlock Posted October 13, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 Probably the most common breed of dairy or dual purpose cow in the Edwardian period was the Dairy Shorthorn (see http://www.rbst.org.uk/Rare-and-Native-Breeds/Cattle/Dairy-Shorthorn-Original-Population)particularly in GWR-land. In those days they all had horns – if short ones! Good luck painting the roan variety though... Hi wagonman, I take it this is the kind of "cow livery" you're talking about! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Here's a very impressive looking chap! I'll need to buy some more Milliput to do him justice! :-) Beef Shorthorn.jpg Holy cow! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chimer Posted October 13, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 13, 2015 Most of my painting turns out like that cow - even on interior walls! The management has stood me down permanently from that element of D-i-Y....... what a shame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted October 13, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 I know i shouldn't but Beat me to it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 At the opposite end of the scale to those portrayed are the 'Dexter', a dual-purpose milk/beef breed. These were sometimes known as 'Cottager's Cows'; I don't think this was an indication of the sexual proclivities of their owners, more that they were ideal for a smallholding. The ones I've seen were about 4' tall, and sturdy- there was a farm in the Alkham Valley, near Dover, who used to keep them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devo63 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'm very lazy when it comes to painting livestock. My last rural layout in 4mm scale featured about 20 cattle done up as the Welsh Black variety. They are one of the oldest British breeds and only required a nice and simple paint scheme. I did them with a slight glossy sheen to the finish on their hides. I used a mix of white metal animals and the old Airfix farm animals set. All of them were fitted with wire horns filed and bent to shape (I got the method from a RM article from the early 70's). By using models from a variety of sources I ended up with a good, natural mix of sizes and poses. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted October 13, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2015 Hi all I need some cows to put in my layout's http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1131-wenlocks-blog/ cattle dock. I picked up these rather nice castings from Duncan models at a show recently. Now I've assembled them and put them next to some figures they look a bit on the large size to me. They are supposed to be 7mm scale and are 35mm tall to the shoulder and 60mm from nose to tail. Scaled up this works out as a cow that's 5 foot to the shoulder tall and about 8 foot 6 inches from nose to tail. A search on the web provides lots of information about cows weight, but nothing much on the size of prototype cattle! Here are a couple of pics of the beasts in question! IMG_0992a.jpg IMG_0993a.jpg I'd appreciate any advice regarding the size of these animals, before I spend time painting them. Thanks in anticipation Dave I would say that they are on the small side but, obviously, size varies enormously between breeds. I find that they look a lot bigger when a herd of them is chasing you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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