Wobblinwheel Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 I just watched a YouTube video of the Warley Model Railway Show. Some of the layouts were impressive in their highly detailed locomotives, rolling stock and scenery. In many cases, a very realistic, weathered loco would go by, even with the fireman's tools propped beside the opening in the coal bunker. Only one thing..... NOBODY'S DRIVING, or shoveling coal!! For the sake of realism and detail, why is it not important to have peeps in the cab?? I guess it's the same "logic-with-holes" that is used by not supplying LAMPS with locos that would NOT be running the rails without them? In the last several years, at least MOST American manufacturers put people in the cabs, and lights on the locos. Was it common practice in the UK for steam trains to go from city to city UNOCCUPIED?? Did y'all have technology the rest of us don't know about? (I'll bet it cut down on labor costs)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitter Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Well W.W . , once again you are bearing witness to why the great british empire covered 2/5 of the globe . Unfortunately we cannot divulge the secret of how we ran unmanned locos as this a case of the highest security . Even President Frump (oops sorry) knows this and is more intent on building brick walls. Lego I would imagine. Seriously though, manufacturers let themselves down badly when it comes down to producing realistic products. (when can I expect the C.I.A. to ring my doorbell ) or is it the FBI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobblinwheel Posted December 4, 2016 Author Share Posted December 4, 2016 Obviously, the "situation" in UK and Europe must be much better than it is here, else there might be thoughts of some "Lego walls" in your neck of the woods... best of luck.... that could imply that no one really IS driving the train! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buz Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 Hi WoblinwheelAt one time Hornby provided a loco crew with steam loco's haven't bought a new one in ages.But apparently, they are available as an accessory but need painting.There are aftermarket crews available from other manufacturers so crewing them if you wish should not be a problem.Just remember Great Western loco's have the driver on the Right-hand side of the cab, Not the left.Not sure with steam I like the empty cab it looks odd, but nasty diesels I don't care you cant see them that well when the train is moving anyway.Lamps are more problematic given the different codes used to designate the train type. Can't have a loco with the wrong code for the train it's hauling so it would restrict the loco use.regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 To get the plastic (or whitemetal) train crew to stay upright on a moving footplate one has to apply glue. Immediately the purist collectors howl "That will devalue your model, don't do it!!" There is a way round it though, I glued the plastic driver and fireman on to a plastic sheet that sits beween the loco and tender, I have the driver looking forward (not seen here) and the fireman looking back, to see that the train is following safely. The loco is right hand drive. The sheet moves slightly as the loco moves too so the crew are slightly animated. To keep the sheet upright there is another piece if plastic that slots into the gap between the loco and tender glued underneath. The gauge O plastic crew figures by Slaters have been modified so that the driver and fireman's arm appears to be holding on to the cab side sheets. Better I think that a driver with his hand permanently on the regulator, and the fireman permanently poised with a shovelful of coal. /media/tinymce_upload/821ce7ab9395c0306f28a1248e48d56d.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted December 4, 2016 Share Posted December 4, 2016 I've been saying this on here for years WW. Beautiful scale models of railways right down to birds sitting on fences and passengers waiting for trains and not a single crew member on the locos. The very first thing I do when I unpack a new loco from its box is see if it runs, then I add the crew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fazy Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Trouble is if we crew all locos when we come to stable the loco. its stil got a crew in it. as for walls we don't need walls this is what the English Chanel is for a long with Atlantic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2e0dtoeric Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 I thought that Coco Chanel was French?! :-)The English Channel used to work just fine at keeping intruders out, but now there's that double-barreled tube - - - -and - a couple of the diesels I've got have drivers permanently installed in the cab - but both at the no 2 end, so they are always going backwards! 😮 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoFF03 Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 One other problem with installing loco crews is the limited numbers available. When i got into model railways I did try to fit figures, but as the collection grew it began to look like the attack of the clones as the duplicate figures appeared on the footplates. Then there's the often limit space in the loco cab to fit the available figures (unless you resort to plastic/white metal surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Locos often have people on the footplate on shed, cleaners, engineers to name but two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2e0dtoeric Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 And pyromaniacs - sorry fire-raisers! 😛 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slornie Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Trouble is if we crew all locos when we come to stable the loco. its stil got a crew in it. Same issue with carriages (Bachmann have just started selling them pre-populated with passengers); fine when they're running around but not when you want to treat them as empty stock! I suppose it's just one of those compromises we have to accept when modelling - everything will look wrong at some point or other. 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 A moving loco just looks wrong without a crew much the same as a figure that is supposed to be running looks wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 No matter what one does little figures can look silly in a layout because they remain stuck in one position, for ever! However by selecting some poses it is possible to disguise the fact that they never move. Little cameo scenes like a wedding photographer a bride, groom and group of guests might not look quite so bad. Then there are 'bus queues, or cinema queues (remember them?), passengers seated to wait for a train, train spotters sitting on a bridge parapet, man under car, jacked up, mending it, (only his boots show!) I think you get the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Almost all of my mini people are sitting or standing still ( well they would be). None are walking. Same with vehicles, on my last layout the vehicles were all in a queue at road works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 I was in a queue of traffic like that on Bishopthorpe Road lunchtime Sunday last, coming back from the Toy Fair at the Knavesmire! ☹️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordonvale Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 Work place regulations dictate that crews must be relieved after a certain number of hours on the footplate. So all you who have men glued to the spot are breaking the law. That knock on the door can't be too far away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 They are relieved regularly but unless you stare at the loco for hours you'll miss it. Much the same as when your locos take on coal and water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobblinwheel Posted December 6, 2016 Author Share Posted December 6, 2016 I've been saying this on here for years WW. Beautiful scale models of railways right down to birds sitting on fences and passengers waiting for trains and not a single crew member on the locos. The very first thing I do when I unpack a new loco from its box is see if it runs, then I add the crew. Well,there you go. What is it they say about "great minds"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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