Janet and Nick Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 Our first post on RMweb! We have two narrowboats for the Wye Navigation at Archenfield Wharf and Wilton Deep Lock - but we can't find any suitable figures to man them. Please could someone make a suggestion? 00 "scale". Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted February 13, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 13, 2023 What period? Working class clothing changed over the years, Boatmen developed their own distinct styles, but this was more apparent among their wives, with distinctive bonnets and aprons. Langley miniatures do a set of Victorian/Edwardian Working Class figures and two sets of Working Figures, some of which might suit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AY Mod Posted February 13, 2023 Moderators Share Posted February 13, 2023 As Pete says the period is important although bargees didn't tend to be fashion followers. There are plenty of working folk suitable for boatmen and their families in the Modelu range https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product-category/finescale-figures/ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 The canal and river trust have loads of photos of canal folk on their site, which might help with choosing figures. https://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw197.4.1.1.10 https://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw197.4.1.1.25 https://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw197.4.1.1.32 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet and Nick Posted February 17, 2023 Author Share Posted February 17, 2023 Many thanks for the responses. The period is "about 100 years ago". We have not yet plucked up courage to paint a Modelu figure! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted February 17, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 17, 2023 (edited) Other options include Andrew Stadden's Edwardian workmen https://www.acstadden.co.uk/product-page/oo6-edwardian-workmen - 10 pewter figures for £12 and the Scale 3D range has individuals that you might find appropriate. This one is 3D printed resin at £1.99. https://www.scale3d.co.uk/collections/trade-services/products/mm545-grandad-with-brush-1940s-style . Although it says 1940s style he is a pretty ageless type. Shirts, trousers and to some extent jackets were pretty well universal clothing until WW1. Waistcoats and braces were frequently worn as well. Both can be painted on over shirts to add variety. Hats are the things that identify workmen's clothing, as much as anything. You rarely see anyone outdoors with out a hat pre-WW1. Different grades or trades often had distinctive hats - bowlers, caps, in various styles and materials, and even boaters. As you can see, both these manufacturers are priced lower than Modelu, but have as much detail. I have examples of both. Even the venerable Airfix/Dapol set has some useful general purpose workers, although they can be seen in hundreds of model railway layouts. Edited February 18, 2023 by phil_sutters Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 17, 2023 Share Posted February 17, 2023 On 13/02/2023 at 22:02, AY Mod said: As Pete says the period is important although bargees didn't tend to be fashion followers. There are plenty of working folk suitable for boatmen and their families in the Modelu range https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product-category/finescale-figures/ Regarding the period. Mama Wag from the ragged Victorians would not have been out of place right up to the end in the early 1960s. I know from personal experience, as with a colleague. we had to pull a bargewoman and her baby out of the canal circa 1963. The baby had fallen in. The woman jumped in to rescue it and while she was able to put the baby on the bank and stand in the shallow water, she did not hve the strength to climb out due to her waterlogged long clothing. We could not pull her out without actually getting into the water. Don't forget that the man usually had a bike to enable him to ride ahead to the next lock to prepare it for when the boat arrived. The woman would be controlling the barge. for a lot of the time. Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted February 18, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 18, 2023 17 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said: Don't forget that the man usually had a bike to enable him to ride ahead to the next lock to prepare it for when the boat arrived. The woman would be controlling the barge. for a lot of the time. Bernard As motor boats normally worked with a butty boat you'd need someone to steer the butty. On husband and wife crewed boats quite young children could manage this. Alternatively they would hire a 'mate' to steer the butty and take a share of the lockwheeling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 3 hours ago, petethemole said: As motor boats normally worked with a butty boat you'd need someone to steer the butty. On husband and wife crewed boats quite young children could manage this. Alternatively they would hire a 'mate' to steer the butty and take a share of the lockwheeling. Round my way at the time I saw them they would lash the two boats together. The man went ahead on his bike and the woman steered. I would think that in the period that is of interest to the OP it woud have been horse power rather than motor, so a different procedure. Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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