looking for seated engineer that fits in the gas mechanical engine

[old pilot]

Good morning all,

I like to add realism to my engines by putting an engineer in the window. The ones I used for my Shay and Porter engines require too much "amputation" to make them fit, losing their realism. Looking at pictures in ads really doesn't help judging size. Has anyone found an engineer that fits easily in this engine and still looks reasonable after any required "amputation?" Perhaps an S Scale engineer might work.

Thanks.

Old Pilot

[Fred Klein]

Hi, Old Pilot. You may want to look at some plastic 1:50 figures. They are a smidgin' smaller than 1:48 and tend to be "skinny". I bought mine from amazon and ebay in a 50 pack for not that much money (iirc less than $16 per pack). They are general-purpose figures and come in an assortment of male and female and sitting and standing in white styrene. I took mine outside and rattle-canned with primer. Once thoroughly dry (I let mine dry inside for at least a week - leave outside to let the odor dissipate  in usually 2-3 hours) I packed them in zip-loc snack bags and they are ready for painting and use. Since the cost per figure is so low, if you chop one up and aren't happy with it, pitch it and try another one.