Large Scale Central

What is out there for figures?

Modeling Figures
#1

From being away from the hobby for a while the only figure manufacturer I could remember was Just Plain Folk. I did place a order with them for some product and it arrived today, some of it is pretty decent, some of it just okay.
My biggest issue with their product (at least from years ago, not sure yet about the new stuff) was that it would just fade away, and, I also hate that many of the figures are different sizes.
But as long as you put like size people next to one another its not to bad.

So I probably should have asked this question before, but who else out there today is offering/making painted figures?
Just looking for ones that are painted, I lack the finese skills of painting…unless it is going to be one solid color!

Thanks,
Vinny

#2

Hi Vinny. I like woodland scenic. Regards,Ron

#3

Ron Tremblay said:

Hi Vinny. I like woodland scenic. Regards,Ron

Thanks, never even thought of them for G-scale figures. Used to have a bunch of stuff from them for my N-scale layout I used to have.

#4

Well, not cheap, but VERY well done are the Fine Folk figures from Warrior Run - the painting looks even better in person.

(http://www.warriorrunlocoworks.com/images/finefolk2.jpg)

(http://www.warriorrunlocoworks.com/images/finefolk.jpg)

http://www.warriorrunlocoworks.com/finefolk.php

#5

http://scalehumans.com is another one…

#6

Yes, indeed, Ken. I don’t know how I forgot them. Not painted, but they are very nicely done.

Here’s a bunch of the folks - all but the one on the left is from Scale Humans.

(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/RollingStock/PassengerCars/CoachProject/IMG_0727.JPG)

And some from Fine Folk, Scale Humans, and some others from somewhere…

(http://jbrr.com/Pics/RollingStock/PassengerCars/Camelia/IMG_8138.JPG)

#7

Wow, nice figures!
I don’t know if I have the patience for painting them myself right now, maybe I will try a few over the winter.
But at least I have some more choices to look at!

#8

Another option is http://www.slmonline.com/ Lots of range there as they cover several scales.

Boomer, I like your concise review! Well done.

#9

Thanks for the links, folks. I have used them and ordered some figures.

I need more WOMEN AND CHILDREN, though. The clothing era is after World War One and before World War Two. Unpainted, primed, or painted – no matter. I like to paint.

Any ideas for good rural women?

So far i have a Preiser “Rural People” set with one old seated woman (i need a rocking chair for her; she is not going to be a passenger) and i have bought, but not yet received, a set of standing Preiser passengers with suitcases, of whom only one woman is suitable (the other two are dressed in short-skirted 1950s-60s clothing).

Also thanks to your links above, i have just placed an order for the great little Fine Folk seated passenger lady in the slanted hat, named “Miss Jenny,” who appears in three of Bruce’s photos above.

Do any of you know of any other sources for large scale women? I particularly want a female cook in an apron. Plenty of male cooks and bakers can be found (or adapted from other generalized worker-types), but the large-scale world is short on motherly women

I know this is sounding more like a doll house job than a train layout, but the man she is making the coffee for is an SP brakeman who is about to start his first morning’s run, i swear!

#10

I just have to say this. I don’t agree with designating a scale for figures. People are all different sizes! So I would think any in the 1/20-1/32 range could be used for “Large Scale”.

#11

Lou,

Oh, i know what you mean about the size of people – i personally have had more than one husband, and they have ranged in size from 5’6" to 6’4" – while they have each had more than one wife, and we have ranged in size from 5’3" to 5’10".

Also, on some large layouts, you can play with perspective, grouping smaller buildings and smaller figures farther from the viewer’s standpoint to increase the sense of distance.

I am expecting to use 1:20.3 to 1:24 people. I don’t feel comfortable with 1:32, though.

#12

Cat,

Have you looked at the selection in 1:24 doll house figures?

Here’s your cook

www.minimumworld.com/dp244-cook-with-rolling-p-5467.html?cPath=1_215

#13

Nice cook, Hans-Jeorg! Thanks. This is my prototype:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyHulWOZBpk

Call board closeup at 0:35

Widest view of full set at 0:46 - 1:06

Closeup of the scene i am modelling at 1:50 - 1:54

#14

Nice going, Cat.

Are you animating the Jimmie Rogers figure or all three to have a “not so static” diorama?

PS forced perspective works best when the viewing angle is restricted e.g a shadow box.

#15

No, i am not animating the scene, just hoping to add sound, from a speaker in the building.

I have a Preiser old white-haired woman (she comes in the Preiser 45157 Rural People set and also solo, with fruits and flowers as Market Woman) who just needs a rocking chair and some glasses (painted on) and with a bit of touch-up, she will do for the seated woman in the film, even though she is not darning a sock.

She is in this set: (http://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/article_data/images/75/50028_b.jpg)

I am just trying to get the “look” – nothing super perfect.

#16

Years ago, I started making them myself from Chris Walas’ class over at MyLargeScale. Reasons? First, people seemed awful expensive. Second, they were all WAY too big for 1:29. Yes, there are a few people around who play professional basketball, but most of us aren’t that tall.

Got frustrated with it when I lost a whole tupper box stuffed full of my favorite hand-made people and just never got started making them again.

With the decrepit state of the mls web site, I don’t imagine you could find the class again.

No luck. “Articles” are still “Coming soon.” It says to view the archive, but that is “access denied.”

#17

At the 2006 Narrow Gauge Convention I bought about 40 figures from Allen Pollock (Missouri Locomotive Works) that had smoke damage from when his house burnt down. I called him today as I didn’t see any of his figures on the MLW website. I found out that he has them listed at http://www.scalefigures.com/G/large.htm. So here is another source for figures. He also has the molds that Steve Lillard Jr made for the crews for that Theo Berlyn used in the K-36’s and K-37’s. He is going to try to get some of these casting done soon.

#18

Rodney, thanks for the link to scalefigures.com – there is some very nice stuff there and i will certainly be purchasing some of these figures. The price does not seem outrageous to me, considering the limited production and hand-painting involved.

I do notice, however, that this site, like most others, displays a severe and strange lack of female figures over the age of 22, and a lack of steam-era clothed women in general. I am working in the 1920s era, and women just didn’t dress like that or get breast implants like those during that era. All of that took off in the 1980s.

Also, it’s funny how the current male body-modification fad for steroidal enhancement is NOT reflected in those figures – the men look pretty natural, with various body types and belonging to various clothing eras, and none of them are testosterone-patched or bulked up like today’s male poster-boys.

#19

Cat,

It’s the usual “sex discrimination” or whoever designs the figures has a few complexes. (http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif)(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif)

or both. (http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/phpBB2/images/smiles/ani_wink.gif)

#20

Tom Ruby said:

…

No luck. “Articles” are still “Coming soon.” It says to view the archive, but that is “access denied.”

Yes you can find those classe and the some! Just not on MLS!

http://4largescale.com/chris/c18.htm

BTW I printed out the whole shebang for “future” reference i.e. I have a few engineers and conductors who used to or still are working for the RhB. Along with some station masters, track workers etc.

Some day soon!

OOOOOOOPS that is linked to MLS, however …

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/mikereilley/Figure%20Class/Figure_Class_Ch1.pdf

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/mikereilley/Figure%20Class/Chapter%202%20Refiing%20the%20Basics.pdf

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/mikereilley/Figure%20Class/Chapter%203%20Various.pdf

Since they’re in PDF format it doesn’t take much space.