Where are all the passengers?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

  It would be worse, at least to me, to have white people than no people.

Damn bro, that's racist! 

[cnw mike]

I think it's a great idea. The more detail the better.

[peteski]

I think it's a great idea. The more blobbydetail the better. 

Especially if that increases the price by oh, let's say $30. 

[CodyO]

I think I'd be cool if figures where modeled in
I've cut off the bottom 2/3s of the Chinese figures to put them in passenger cars though
Wasn't too hard a simple afternoon project I did while adding lighting to the kato cars.
They don't need to be highly detailed just give the look of people in the cars 

Hers to hoping this thread can carry on in a grown up manner with useful posts

[ntrakia]

gee--I thought it was model railroading we are into.  you can buy a product and have the option to customize it to your liking; ie, modeling.--or not.  a friend models in 0-scale and has populated his passenger cars:  but has randomly placed figures in the car-not filling every seat.  very eye-catching.  printed silhouettes on the windows?  why not go all out and bring back the treble-o electric quality stuff of the sixties.   

[rswinnerton]

Id rather not have to pay extra for something I can barely see. In a larger scale (O scale) maybe and possibly in a dome car, but otherwise, I'll pass. And the 60s-esque silhouettes being acceptable? Really? I can't believe I even saw that.

[cnw mike]

Especially if that increases the price by oh, let's say $30. 

If the detail was good and the price increase was marginal, why not? You got something against extra detail?

"Etched walkways and finescale wheelsets, but PEOPLE??? A bridge too far! Now, where did I put those printed car sides?"

[DKS]

If the detail was good and the price increase was marginal, why not? You got something against extra detail?

"Etched walkways and finescale wheelsets, but PEOPLE??? A bridge too far! Now, where did I put those printed car sides?"

Etched roofwalks are one thing; modeled people are entirely different. In addition to very likely being more costly than some folks like to think, the range of opinion as to what's considered "good" is significantly broader than that for typical details. I'm not opposed to extra detail, but I sure as heck would not want blobs "crude representations of people"--which I'd more than likely have to paint--permanently cast into the car interiors. Besides, we're talking about a detail that is perfectly fine to omit--it's not like leaving the doors off of the cars, for Pete's sake...

I think Puddy makes the most valid point--and being the rep of a respected manufacturer of passenger cars, more defensible than most: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31844.msg355763#msg355763

If the responses in this thread are any indication of the broader market (a risky assumption, I know), then there's a fairly solid majority opposed to including people. So, what's the solution? For those few people who want people, it sounds like a perfect aftermarket product. (Curiously, among the hundreds of requests I've received, this is something that no one has ever asked NZT to consider making.)

[Mark W]

Etched roofwalks are one thing; modeled people are entirely different. In addition to very likely being more costly than some folks like to think, the range of opinion as to what's considered "good" is significantly broader than that for typical details. I'm not opposed to extra detail, but I sure as heck would not want blobs "crude representations of people"--which I'd more than likely have to paint--permanently cast into the car interiors. Besides,

Exactly.  In fact, why are manufacturers including interiors at all?  There's no fine detail, they're unpainted, and how much is that blobby ghost interior adding to the final cost? We're talking about a detail that is perfectly fine to omit--it's not like leaving the doors off of the cars, for Pete's sake...

[peteski]

Exactly.  In fact, why are manufacturers including interiors at all?  There's no fine detail, they're unpainted, and how much is that blobby ghost interior adding to the final cost? We're talking about a detail that is perfectly fine to omit--it's not like leaving the doors off of the cars, for Pete's sake...

You know Mark: You are absolutely right!  We all should all start demanding fully-detailed and painted figures in those out-of-scale interiors. Why should we suffer with those empty small-and-shallow representations of the interiors in N scale?

We should also ask for either removable figures (so we can take them out when they disembark at the stations) or even full DCC-controlled animated figures. Why not?  It is just one more extra step in the manufacturing process.   I'll be more than willing to dish out $1800 for that kind of a model!  Um, I need 11 of those cars.  Small change!

I have an even better idea: make N scale models from true-scale thickness materials. That will allow the interiors to be also in scale. That way, the N scale people will actually fit into their seats without any amputations of the lower extremities.

Why are those interiors included?  Because it would be silly (especially7 in lit carws) to see the metal weight inside the car.  The interior makes the view slightly palatable.  You (as you stated) could take it further. But how far do you really want to take it? IMO, empty and out-of-scale interior is simply a workable compromise.


But getting back to being semi-serious (that is, IMO, as far as this thread can get at this point), have you actually tried placing N scale figures in N scale interiors?  As it has been already mentioned - they don't fit. Why? Because of the way out of scale thickness of the model's walls and floor, the interiors have to be modeled smaller than scale.  If manufacturers were to mold (and decorate) figures on their models, are you willing to live with out of scale figures inside your cars?

[wcfn100]

We should also ask for either removable figures (so we can take them out when they disembark at the stations)

They would have to be removable in order to get the correct ethnic mix for the region. 


Jason

[C855B]

I mostly don't see the point of "populating" car interiors. Based on my observation of 1:1, unless somebody is leaning against the window it is really tough to see anybody inside, except maybe folks walking in the aisle. And that's at night with interior lighting. Modern (including the streamliner era) RR passenger car glass is highly tinted. Also, the windows are located relatively high versus seated position, given that your elbow isn't going to particular enjoy the passing view. At best you're going to see a head and maybe a shoulder.

About the only car types I can see benefiting from figures are domes and maybe modern Viewliner lounges, both with lots of glass and a from-above view.

[VonRyan]

If the metal weight is a contributing factor to the out-of-scale proportions of the seats... then perhaps the manufactures need to get rid of the weights.
Besides, excess weight means that you can't pull proto-length trains with a proto-consist.

[peteski]

If the metal weight is a contributing factor to the out-of-scale proportions of the seats... then perhaps the manufactures need to get rid of the weights.
Besides, excess weight means that you can't pull proto-length trains with a proto-consist.

Unfortunately, the group modelers who seem to want to run their cars as light as possible seems to be a small minority (possibly even smaller than the crowd which wants figures included in the car interiors).    At least from my observations.

[DKS]

Well, if the seats (and optional passengers) were cast in metal...