P4NewStreet - modelling Birmingham (UK) in the 1980's - 1:76 scale

[Gordon Ferguson]

Jim, fascinating work and great pics, about the only thing I can think that it might need is some litter between the track and the platform sides?

[jim s-w]

Thanks guys

I must admi people are worrying me as I need lots of them.  I will do some experimenting and ask for feedback before going ahead with them.  I'm hoping that a crowd of figures will draw people's attention from their general look.

Jim

[finescalerr]

No! Figures will destroy an otherwise convincing scene! They will look like frozen crude plastic painted objects rather than people. Besides, more than half the time the area would look exactly as it does now.

Suggestion: Leave the model as it is. If you want to add people, do it in a photo by pasting images of actual people into the scene (assuming you can find something appropriate and consistent with the lighting you have installed.

Russ

[BKLN]

Very often Preiser people will break the fine line from museum quality layout to train toy.

If you insist on people, I would try to only use "naturally frozen" postures, such as people sitting on a bench or leaning on a wall. Nothing is worse than the guy running after the train with his coat blowing in the wind.

[jim s-w]

Much as I'd like to agree with you Russ I'm afraid I can't.  You see New Street handles about 15,000 people per day and up to 80 arrivals or departures per hour.  With each platform handling sometimes 2 trains at a time it's actually much, much closer to say that the platforms are never empty.

I certainly won't be using any action poses though.

Jim

[BKLN]

I see your point, Jim.
The solution might be to use the most static / waiting poses possible. And to tone down the colors. Preiser people tend to be a little too colorful, but they might be less distracting if painted in muted colors.

[SandiaPaul]

I know I have spent some time virtually totally alone during off hours in what during the day are very busy NYC subway stations. (including getting a gun pulled on me when I was the only one on the platform at Canal St) So deserted is fine with me.

I agree with Russ and the others..figures usually wreck it for me. With that said I saw a picture of a model of a station platform with a huge number of Preiser figures, and it looked quite convincing. I looked for it online but can't find it...

Paul

[jim s-w]

Hi All

Added some thoughts on people to my workbench



I'm thinking that unlike the high contrast style that military modellers use a low contrast, low saturation approach is better for 4mm scale.  The above image is a mock up of our of the packet figures with the saturation of the picture halved.  For more and to compare the original picture go to http://www.p4newstreet.com/thoughts-on-the-little-people-part-2.html#comments

Cheers

Jim

[Gordon Ferguson]

It's an interesting experiment Jim. I am no artist .....if Andi is around he would be able to sort this out, but IMHO it works but you maybe should consider the season/weather. I would be tempted to go for winter/wet so that you could keep to a palette of subdued blacks/dark blues, dark browns & dark greens. If you place your figure over the lady in yellow the scene, to my eyes, looks a lot better ..... Bright clothing in Britain/rush hour/ winter is very much the exception.

As usual some good refs pics will be a great help , this was the first one that came up on my search

(Appreciate this is not taken in UK)

[jacq01]

  The figures settings used should tell all sorts of stories.

  I used on my large rural layout "Dreimühlentalbahn" only 2 figures in the station. The station chef and a traveller talking with each other.
  It is up to the observer to decide or the latter has just arrived or is waiting for his train.
  On the complete 48'0" layout the total of 12 figures have been used.

   Jacq

[lab-dad]

IMO;
Even removing the color the unrealistic shine gives it away.
The figures need to be dead flat to work in scale.
Reducing the image size helps a little (making the people similar in size to the reference photo.

[finescalerr]

I ain't changing my opinion. It looks more crowded with figures. It looked more credible before. -- Russ

[SandiaPaul]

I think the OOF ones on the rear platform look OK, even good. The foreground ones...not so much....

Paul

[Peter_T1958]

Hi there

First I want to say that I am very, very impressed about the high quality of the entire layout. Such high standard I know at least from some dioramas but not from an entire layout!
Although having difficulties in expressing myself in English I will try to to share my thoughts, as the whole discussion is very interesting.

I rather tend towards Russ' thoughts: Figures will destroy an otherwise convincing scene! For me the emptiness of that nightly station had expressive power. Jean-Bernard Andrés (JBA-Diorama) once wrote: "Tuez pour l'ambiance". If nothing shines from your diorama, you miss your point.

Here another picture from the web:



Althoug there are some bright spots on that picture, the overall impression is a very dull one or as Gordon wrote: a palette of subdued blacks/dark blues, dark browns & dark greens. That would help to unify the whole scene.
But if there should be people there, then I assume that a crowded platform with a huge number of dull painted figures would be more effective then an assortment of people... That's why the ones on the rear platform look much better.

[jim s-w]

Thanks for the thoughts all.  I agree about the dullness but these figures are as brought and haven't had anything done to them yet.

I do see what Russ is saying and I like the late night feel too but the problem is the layout is set in the day (making a shroud for something over 70 feet long to make it a night scene isn't an option I'm afraid) so its going to need people.

One of the problems of modelling a real (and well known) location is that sometimes you have to do thinks you might not want too.

Cheers

Jim