This is the third figure in a series of three resin railroad workers released by Ireland's LZ Models, this time the coal loader/fireman.
kit contents
Inside a Ziploc baggie with a color hang tag is:
5 pieces of cream- and gray-colored resin
A length of wire for a shovel handle
the review
Unlike the other two figures in the series, this fellow seems hard at work shoveling coal. I suppose he could be adapted to be shoveling just about anything, including inside a stable, but given the poor level of crewing available for 1/35th trains, I imagine he's going to find himself working inside some of the Trumpeter locomotives out there.
The casting is crisp with a minimum of "hairy" bits. I also like the nobs at the end of each arm that fits into a "socket" on the body of the figure. This not only insures a snug fit, but decreases the chance of inadvertently gluing the arm on crooked.
Other than that, there's not a lot of say about the figure that its photos don't tell you.
conclusion
This series is a real triumph for railroad armor modelers. The casting is excellent, the detailing outstanding, and the poses, while not the most artistic, are very workable in a variety of contexts.
Thanks to LZ Models for providing this review sample. Be sure to mention you saw it reviewed here on Armorama when ordering.
SUMMARY
Highs: Highly detailed, and includes coal shovel and metal handle.Lows: None really.Verdict: Highly recommended for railroad dioramas.
Our Thanks to LZ Models! This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.
Good review Bill. The actual figure looks better than the artwork implies. The head is very nice. I agree a bit static looking, but this will be perfect for inside some of the trains as you emntioned.
Why not build the figure to show the pose better? These are pretty simple figures with a few parts, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle, and would display the figure really well.
Mario
Nice. Just as I suspected when I read the title, it could be used anywhere from WWII (I'm thinking Berlin rubble clearing, although mainly women did that) to a modern German worker. They really haven't changed much after all these years.
Thanks, everyone. Yes, Mario, I agree that the figure's pose COULD be modified by those who feel comfortable doing it, but I am not that artistic and feel that a review should be about what you get out-of-the-box. LZ has done themselves and us a favor by having a generic pose and clothing that would work in a wide variety of settings, not just railroads.
It's true the Trümmerfrauen (literally, "rubble women") who did much of the clearing of the streets of Berlin after the war were a case of "necessity being the mother of invention," but as the men were released from POW camps, they came back to a country that still needed a lot of manual labor, so I could see this figure in a post-war diorama for sure.
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