HOW TO
A footplate crew adds the finishing touch to any model locomotive, so George Dent seats a suitable duo into the cab of his Class 48.
Back in the day, you felt blessed if a RTR diesel boasted any kind of cab interior moulding, hence why the likes of Mainline’s Class 56 – introduced in 1983 – stood out from the crowd. Heck, they even featured a painted driver figure!
Now we’re in the 2020s and we expect our new models to feature a much higher level of detail on the inside as well as the outside. Many of the latest releases oblige, including Heljan’s all-new Brush Type 4s and, as part of that production run, Heljan also produced the unique Class 48s, exclusively for Model Rail. The ‘48s’ feature the same high specification as Heljan’s Class 47, a full review of which can be found on page 76 of this issue.
EXTRA EFFORT
As the cab interiors are so well appointed, with lots of individually painted features, I felt compelled to put some extra effort into choosing a suitable footplate crew.
Often, I choose a driver and, if appropriate, a secondman primarily on the grounds of whether the figure’s pose fits within the framework of the cab. The style of uniform plays a part too, although a little trimming with a knife and judicious choice of paint shades can help manipulate things in your favour if necessary.
Helpfully, figure makers are now offering crew to suit specific locomotive types and periods, which makes the job of choosing little people easier. In this instance, however, I had a good rummage through my stash of spare figures, having set myself a specific criterion.
Our rendition of D1706 depicts the prototype with full yellow ends and sporting 41A (Tinsley) shedcodes, placing it in the 1968-1969 period (before it moved south to Stratford in October 1969). Accordingly, the common practice during the 1960s was for locomotive-hauled passenger and freight operations to be double-manned.
Therefore, a driver would be accompanied by a secondman, whose duties would be to attend to the steam heat bo
