Figures

[Don Gilham]

I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread for figures ?

So here's the first 8 (I like eights)

And then .....

A mixture of "Model Citizens"from http://www.slmonline.com < Link To www.slmonline.com (unpainted) and figures by Scott Bowers of RailRoad Avenue Models http://www.railroadavenue.com < Link To www.railroadavenue.com

 

[Tony]

There is a thread abouts this some where
i prefer to make my own

Tony

 

[yb281]

IMO Preiser make some of the best figures available. Some of their poses and details are pretty much unbeatable. The downside is that they are becoming ridiculously over-priced, often well over £10 per figure. However, bargains are available if you are patient. I recently got a very nice set of 3 passengers for £5 because they had been wrongly listed on ebay. Their full RRP is around £35!! Also Preiser's choice of model often seems pretty ridiculous. Quite why they spend so much time and effort on such things as vampires, popes (!!!!) and men in mankinis is beyond me - takes all sorts I suppose?
They also make some pretty silly errors (engaging rivet counter mode). Modelling a pair of golfers is a pretty sound idea, but surely they shouldn't BOTH be taking a shot? Wouldn't it be better if one of them was leaning on his/her club either admiring their partner's shot - or laughing at it if my golfing experiences are anything to go by.

I'm also a fan of Model Citizens, but as mentioned in another thread, they seem hard to come by in the UK these days.

IMO the best compromise are the Bachmann Scenecraft range. Some of these are every bit as good as Preiser, but for much less than half the price. The downside is that they seem to be made from some sort of resin rather than plastic and often become brittle when they've been outside for a while, in fact if you drop them they often shatter. The standard of painting and realism of poses can also be a bit variable.

There are also a few smaller producers around such as George Turner. Some of his figures are pretty good, although to my eyes many of them have legs which are too small in proportion to their bodies. If you can hide this though, they can look great. In fact the driver of my pannier tank is one of my all time favourites.

I'm afraid that using Playmobil people is not for me and I cannot for the life of me understand why Busybodies seem to have completely dominated in the live steam fraternity. To see a fantastically detailed live steam loco (with the correct number of rivets) with a couple of these "cartoon characters" looking out of the cab - it just gives me an emperor's new clothes moment. Once again, takes all sorts.

 

[Don Gilham]

Tony, you're farrrrrrrrrrr too clever for me (very nice they are too)

Mel I love those figures, but what scale do they come out as ? (I particularly like the bloke on the bench - I wonder if he'll trade places with me )

 

[yb281]

Tony, you're farrrrrrrrrrr too clever for me (very nice they are too)

Mel I love those figures, but what scale do they come out as ? (I particularly like the bloke on the bench - I wonder if he'll trade places with me )

All around the 1/22.5 mark Don. The bloke on the bench has been slightly modified - his head was lopped off and re-positioned, plus I added the ciggy in his right hand (did you notice it?). So maybe he's not been as lucky as you think??

 

[yb281]

Another idea - if they don't make what you're after, you could always try modification. These late 1960's period British Firemen were modified from Preiser German fire crew figures with a bit of surgery and some Miliput.

 

[Don Gilham]

Nicely done
Which one's Pugh ?

 

[3Valve]

I think the Prieser stuff is 2nd to none, but yes very pricey.
If Bachmann could sort out the fragility issue with their Scenecraft figures they'd almost be right up there with prieser (but probably cost a lot more too), so they're a good compromise, reasonably well detailed and painted but need to handled with care.

I also have some George Turner and share Mels concerns re: the short stumpy legs. Also his women are all rather buxom (but then we can't all be Prieser super models can we).

I also use Schleich, some modified (cut the stethoscope of the female vet figure and she's just some bird our for hike), but you gotta be careful not to position them too closely to your Prieser figures, as they look a little large (but then we all come in different shapes and sizes).

Top piccy here shows an assortment of LGB, Pola, Bachmann, Prieser and Schleich
Bottom piccy is all Bachmann Scenecraft

 

[Cyclone]

This is a topic I cant make my mind up on. My take on figures is to have them looking more cartoon like rather than realistic. Simply because I cant get static model figures to look realistic enough at the scales we are using. I therefore aim to model a miniature world inhabited by characters rather than scale model people. The problem is finding characters that your happy with. The busybody collection are OK but Im not completely taken with them, they look a bit wierd and scary. The others I found are from modeltown. Id love to make my own, in fact thats probably the best IMO, but Im not a good artist so I think they will look abominations.
Ive gotta take the plunge at some point and decide otherwise Ill be stuck with playmobil and mini-barbie type figures!

Edit: Just bought a couple of modeltown figures, will post pics.

 

[Tony]

This is a topic I cant make my mind up on. My take on figures is to have them looking more cartoon like rather than realistic. Simply because I cant get static model figures to look realistic enough at the scales we are using. I therefore aim to model a miniature world inhabited by characters rather than scale model people. The problem is finding characters that your happy with. The busybody collection are OK but Im not completely taken with them, they look a bit wierd and scary. The others I found are from modeltown. Id love to make my own, in fact thats probably the best IMO, but Im not a good artist so I think they will look abominations.
Ive gotta take the plunge at some point and decide otherwise Ill be stuck with playmobil and mini-barbie type figures!

Edit: Just bought a couple of modeltown figures, will post pics.

im no artist (yes i know you can tell) and mine look better when in situ than in the photos the first ones i did where pretty sad but now im getting quicker and a lot more confident i will do another batch soon and post a how to and you will see how easy it is to make your own, best of all its great fun
Tony

 

[Cyclone]

Look forward to your tutorial, its doing hats and clothes that I dont think I can create.

 

[bobg]

Look forward to your tutorial, its doing hats and clothes that I dont think I can create.

So do 'em without clothes Ed. Nice beach scene perhaps!

 

[Don Gilham]

This thread wasn't started as a criticism of any figures, more really to display what's available and hopefully give hints/links etc etc..

Never forget - i all things, Rule 8 applies

 

[Don Gilham]

I don't mind the thought of nudies at all Ed......

......................as long as they have HUGE MAZOOMAS !!!!!

Sorry....sorry...time for mi' pills

 

[C&S]

My local population is a mixture of LGB, Preiser, Woodland Scenics, unknown makes (both in plastic and white metal)and some home-made by a friend. I do have some spare heads and have swapped a few of these around on some of the well-known figures, which makes an interesting difference. In some cases I've re-posed arms or legs - sometimes making new limbs with a wire armature covered in Milliput or filler.

For instance - the weedy looking young man with a long-handled shovel (LGB) became the driver of a Gn15 loco. I re-posed his arms and possibly the legs so he could lean on the engine's rear railing. He got a new head and I made a grease-top cap with a blob of Milliput worked into shape; the peak was made from thin card and was mounted into a groove sawn into his forehead.

Two other Gn15 drivers came from a couple of figures I picked up in a boot sale. Although the right height they were somewhere between Star Trek and Dan Dare and must have been space cadets, or something. However after the heavy belts and ray-blasters had been removed with a sharp knife and files they turned out quite well, particularly as they were articulated at the shoulder, hips and knees, which made them easy to fit into the locos' cabs. One had overalls of thin Milliput and paint added.

The other was turned out wearing flannel trousers, and a sweater with one of those ex-Tank Corps WW2 leather jerkins that I remember people wearing in the 1950s, which was the layout's time period.

 

[beavercreek]

They have real character Tony! Your collection must be quite vast now

I use many makes Preiser, Pola, Woodland scenics, Rairoad Avenue, Just Plain folf, Lifelike, Scliech, Lemax and more.
They are all different scale but can be mixed convincingly and also used to emphasise perspective by using smaller figues farther away with smaller buildings etc.

 

[Tony]

Look forward to your tutorial, its doing hats and clothes that I dont think I can create.

So do 'em without clothes Ed. Nice beach scene perhaps!

LOl skin is the most differcult as it should be smooth to look right where as clothing has crease's
Tony

 

[yb281]

Love that scene of the cattle being loaded Mike.

 

[trammayo]

Some wonderful scenes in the above posts I use (mainly) Modeltown figures - I think the paint is wearing a bit thin! Also some of the Chinese 1:24 figures and some Preiser farm animals - plus cheapo plastic bags of animals (select those that are near scale and throw the monsters away!

 

[CoggesRailway]

I have normally been a bit not sure on figures. but seeing mike and mels pictures has made me change my mind. I think they have to be done well to work basically. I'm with mel on playmobil, not keen. Having small boys however they are frequent passangers, and occasional saboteurs around here!