what are the most realistic o scale workers

Usually I suggest Arttista 1st, but for the specifics, I'll suggest that you look at:

http://www.scalefigures.com/O/Oscale.htm

If you cheap out on the figures, that will drag down the rest of the scenes.

I agree with MVB on this one..they have a lot of "interesting" figures from vintage to more recent. I have quite a few.

Also, forum sponsor "SCENIC EXPRESS" carries a line of figures that may fit your specific era and vignette.

Donald

For great detailing at a reasonable price: Woodland Scenics. Generally, you get what you pay for. 

Thanks for the replies. MWB & 3RAIL2 & JOE HOHMANN

  I agree I don't want to cheapen the entire layout with low grade figures I am interested in purchasing quite a few logging and train workers so I wanted the best ones available. Thanks for your knowledge it is very much  appreciated 

The man applying the bill is an Arttista figure.  I agree with MWB.  I don't think you can beat the quality, accuracy of scale or selection of what Arttista offers.  John in Lansing, ILL

Don’t cut yourself short on the figures. 

I remember years back when I built my first O-Scale layout. A friend of mine came over and looked at my layout and said well this looks way to perfect. There is no crime.

That being I had a bunch of basic cheap O-Scale figures on the layout doing nothing but standing around doing nothing but looking like a bunch of cheap O-Scale figures. On today’s layout that’s a much different story.  Woodland Scenic, Arttista and Preiser really have some nice stuff but they are not cheap.

MTH also has some decent figures. With the people you have to have the animals & the birds as well so yes it gets expensive but it’s worth it in the end.

FMC Thanks for the post I never thought of the birds and animals great idea. I have time and will start slowly collecting

martyb

RATTLER21

Thanks, That is a great job, very realistic, nicely done

martyb

I only use Arttista.

They are the tops. Please click on picture to enlarge. Don

A general concept for thought was made to me by master builder Al Judy who helped me design and build my layout is "consistency of level of detail".  If you have very detailed figures and then place a crude or much less detailed figure in proximity it will really drag the whole scene down and the viewers eye will mentally make a negative assessment if not verbalized.   I might suggest that if you do mix and match,  try to separate the levels of detail as much as possible.

For my layout I wanted a more realistic layout but did not want to lose the whimsy and great operating accessories that Lionel offers.  I chose the Woodland Scenics Built up Buildings as a standard of detail for my town and buildings and matched that level by using their lit up vehicles and figures.  I have installed and wired the buildings and vehicles.  I have purchased but have yet to place the figures.

I used the Lionel accessories and less detailed buildings and accessories in my yard area and separated it from the rest of my layout with a small mountain/large hill.  Thus the difference in detail level is not as obvious. Here are representative photos of the separation.  The yard is separated by the hill in between. This helps minimize the clash of the detail levels.

The top 2 picture are the less detail yard and the bottom is the more detailed town separated by the hill in the third picture down.

I still have to place all of my figures.  

Thanks for asking about figures it is making me think about them also.

Mike

I think the Preiser figures are quite good and are more affordable than Arttista if you are coming up with a large number of workers.  Arttista are definitely more unique if you want to use a couple in a specific scene at the front of your layout.

scale rail

WOW what a wonderful and admirable job I wish I had your talent and imagination 

Thank you very much for the pictures. I will purchase Arttista products

crocodile train store

I love the layout and use of the Lionel accessory's, Great idea of the use of a hill for separation of detail 

I do have operating accessories that I will be using 

Thank you so much for the information and pictures

martyb

Thanks to all the OGR FORUM MEMBERS for all the feedback. It brings up another question about mixing scale in my layout

For perspective I was planing on o scale in the foreground and s and ho  mix 

EmpireBuilderDave posted:

I think the Preiser figures are quite good and are more affordable than Arttista if you are coming up with a large number of workers.  Arttista are definitely more unique if you want to use a couple in a specific scene at the front of your layout.

 

Aren't Preisers 1/43 and larger then Artistas? Seems a lot of manufactured figures aren't exactly 1/48 or look bulky.

martyb posted:

I am building a 1930s era o scale logging town, I'am interested in people that are more realistic looking for my layout, not to-expensive with some detail. Any information will help.  

martyb

Buffalo Landing makes exactly what you are looking for. I believe the company is in Australia but Coronado Scale Models used to carry them.

They have about 20 different figures modeled from pictures taken of the Westside Lumber Company. These are just a few.

Pete

Thanks Pete I have been truing to find these but can't locate any.

Your right they would be perfect for my layout. Any more information on how to find some for sale?

Have you tried contacting Coronado? (602) 254-9656  I'll ask my Narrow minded friends. They put me on to these.

Pete

At $3 to $7 per figure, scenes like these are not affordable. I use inexpensive bulk figures from China.

Arttista makes some great figures. I have them scattered among Woodland Scenics ones (which can vary for quality but they're better than many O scale companies).

Arttista made the sitting figure (which is one of my favorites) and Woodland Scenics made the outer two.

Woodland Scenics and Artista

Seeing how your figures bring the layouts to life is getting me motivated to getting my figures installed.

Now I jut have to figure out what to put where.  The truck loading and the sleeping guy really tell a story

Thanks for starting this topic!

Mike

Crocodile Train Store posted:

Seeing how your figures bring the layouts to life is getting me motivated to getting my figures installed.

Now I jut have to figure out what to put where.  The truck loading and the sleeping guy really tell a story

Thanks for starting this topic!

Mike

Where to put figures is just as you state above - use them to tell stories in every scene.  Being static, telling those stories gives it all life

I have over 35 Artista Figures on my Layout!  They are the best in my opinion! Well worth the money !!  Have purchased them directly from Artista & Train Stores 

Fredstrains 

Some of my favorite workers(16) from Arttista and Kline.Too busy to show their face.

The detail of Artista people is some of the best but for me what really stands out is the flat paint they use. No shine like many small RR people. click to enlarge Don

Crocodile Train Store posted:

Seeing how your figures bring the layouts to life is getting me motivated to getting my figures installed.

Now I jut have to figure out what to put where.  The truck loading and the sleeping guy really tell a story

Placing them is more important than which ones you get, I think. For example, on the platform of my largest station (to the right in the shot below), each figure I think tells a story. I have asked people to look and tell me what they think, and all have told me almost exactly the same opinions of who they are and what they're doing there:

It was even more important to have the "old men holding court at the local store" scene on the layout. These are mostly WS figures, though:

I also have a couple of these (I can't for the life of me recall the name of the company who made them, I got them form England), I painted them with different Army branch colors on their hats and different shoulder patches and awards on their chests and placed on different parts of the layout. I also have an officer in a A-2 jacket as well as a 1930s-40s boy scout figure. They all came unpainted:

One suggestion above is for the Model Power figures from Nassau Hobby. We have over 200, primarily used inside structures. Outside we prefer Artista but given the limited visibility inside, they do an excellent job.

They are also easy to touch up if you want a different color. Our structures are lighted and the figures show up well both night and day.

I agree, Artista is the best.  Here are a two of mine...

However, those figures are expensive.  IMO, you have to use all your options to populate different scenes economically.  I'm hoping for more figures, with different poses, to be available in the near future.  Those Menard's buildings have figures that I haven't seen to purchase separately.

jerry

I don't know where these guys came from? But its the Demarco Brothers Roofing company finishing up on reroofing the Enginehouse.

Never been very impressed with Artista:  I have too much time invested in injection molded military figures that make Artista figs look like blobs.  Unfortunately, no one has seen fit to make the variety in 1/48 RRing that exists in 1/32-35 military modeling.

I really don't know the origin of those figures on the roof(above)are but they are certainly not poor quality "blobs". As regards the roll roofing material itself, that is another story--masking tape.

palallin posted:

I have too much time invested in injection molded military figures that make Artista figs look like blobs.  Unfortunately, no one has seen fit to make the variety in 1/48 RRing that exists in 1/32-35 military modeling.

You're never going to likely see the quality on model train figures as you do in military modelling. The market among model railroaders isn't as big and frankly, not as anal-retentive as military modelers can get (I know- I'm one of them, too).

Dewey Trogdon posted:

I really don't know the origin of those figures on the roof(above)are but they are certainly not poor quality "blobs". As regards the roll roofing material itself, that is another story--masking tape.

Hi Dewey, for some reason your pictures are not coming up for me.  But Arttista makes a nice roofing crew set.

Ron

p51 posted:

palallin posted:

I have too much time invested in injection molded military figures that make Artista figs look like blobs.  Unfortunately, no one has seen fit to make the variety in 1/48 RRing that exists in 1/32-35 military modeling.

You're never going to likely see the quality on model train figures as you do in military modelling. The market among model railroaders isn't as big and frankly, not as anal-retentive as military modelers can get (I know- I'm one of them, too).

I agree about the size, but I'm not so sure about the attitude--at least among the scale crowd.

I've seen military modelers spend days modifying single figures for the load bearing configurations of the weapons the were carrying (for example, I knew a guy who spent a week on a 1/35 scale German MG-34 gunner figure, getting all the gear corrected from the molded K98 rifleman it had been). Numerous magazine articles are out there about how to do this.

I've never even heard of a model railroader (myself included) do much more than re-paint a figure or change the positions of the arms.

Interesting post. I have been fascinated by the diorama "hobby ?". All the details and figures that make up the scene can be amazing to see, granted usually in a larger scale than 1/43". I am an Arttista  fan myself. Would not agree that they are " blob" but definitely in a different category than what is available in the larger scales. There are figures that can actually be animated ! It was interesting to discover that apparently that "hobby" along with RC toys, including drones ,is on a downward direction as far as sales and interest is concerned. Hasbro along with other toy companies have even filed for bankruptcy. Don't  know if this info is true or false? Came from THE JOE REPORT. Can google if interested.  

Why are we getting off subject. Military figures and equipment are the focus of the military diorama hobby not the train hobby. Trains are the focus for railroading. People brings the layout alive. As for Arttista looking like "blobs" I'm sorry but that's just wrong. They are hand painted with great detail. Also the stance of Arttista people is really life like. Don

SCALE RAIL   It's 2:30 EST.  Too late for your nap?  It's so easy to scroll past something you find objectional. I myself made no reference to military figures at all. Think I"ll take a nap.