What HO scale Figures of people and animals is everyone using on their layouts?

[Robertj668]

Hi
I am starting to look at getting figures as they can get expensive I am starting to but them a little at a time.  Just getting the 2009 Walthers Catalog recently I can see some nice detail on some of the figures. I am just curious what most people prefer?  I plan on using them in my passenger cars, in stores, obviously just about everywhere.  I don't have the expertise to paint them myself so I am looking at the pre painted.
Again thanks for the help.
Robert

[SteamGene]

Woodland Scenics is about as good as it gets. 
Gene

[richG]

Cherry Creek has a good supply of figures. Click on their Search and search for figures. They have different brands at pretty good prices.

http://www.cchobbies.com/

I could not get a direct link. I buy figures from them.

Yardbird Trains has train crew figures mostly for steam era.

http://www.yardbirdtrains.com/YBSfigures.htm

Use Google and search for ho scale figures might provide some answers. Put the links in your Favorites folder for future reference and to advise others.

Rich

[pdlethbridge]

If you don't mind painting, try this.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXAM96&P=0

[lmackattack]

I use woodland for all the people seen up close. any figures I have that are facing away I use the cheep stuff that I can find on ebay

[Tylerf]

Wood land sceinics is very good qualy at an ok price. Preiser also makes very nice figures along with many animals and over all a way bigger variety as seen in the walthers reference book. I agree that the life like figures and other cheaper ones are good for passenger cars and buildings, places that aren't directly viewed for their detail but more as just people. I find the life like figures are a bit shiny compared to woodland sceinics figures so a light dull cote really helps, and mabye even a grimy wash to bring out the wrinkles and stuff

[CNE Runner]

Robert - I model a small NY branchline in the early fall of 1889. Finding people and wagons, of this era, can be daunting to say the least. We have been very satisfied with the offerings from Musket Miniatures {http://www.musketminiatures.com/). Their figures and wagons are made of Zamac (a relatively soft metal alloy) and require painting.

Hope this helps,
Ray

[Yampa Bob]

We tried to find some decent horses for our ranch theme. The people who make these things obviously never saw a horse.

We have registered quarter horses, the figures look like broken down old plow horses.

[WoundedBear]

I use Woodland Scenics for any figures that will be in the foreground, and I buy bulk unpainted figures to chop/bash together for everywhere else.

http://www.micromark.com/HO-SCALE-FIGURES-UNPAINTED-SET-OF-72,8877.html

Sid

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

We tried to find some decent horses for our ranch theme. The people who make these things obviously never saw a horse.

We have registered quarter horses, the figures look like broken down old plow horses.

Maybe you could turn the ranch into a haven for broken-down old plow horses. 

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

Robert - I model a small NY branchline in the early fall of 1889. Finding people and wagons, of this era, can be daunting to say the least. We have been very satisfied with the offerings from Musket Miniatures {http://www.musketminiatures.com/). Their figures and wagons are made of Zamac (a relatively soft metal alloy) and require painting.

Hope this helps,
Ray

I'm too lazy and untalented to paint my own, so for people I swear by Preiser. Preiser's "Edwardian" figures are "close enough" for me for "circa 1900." Plus Preiser also has Edwardians in winter clothing--very handy for the Christmas layout.

[CNE Runner]

Yeah Jeff, I have some of the Preiser's "Edwardian" figures, but don't use them because their dress is closer to the 1830 - 1850 than my layout's era. I also model a very rural area in the Hudson Valley, NY and I find the Preiser figures are "too dressed up" for farm folk of the 1890's. They are quality figures and it is beyond me how anyone can spend all day painting hundreds of figures in HO scale. The Musket Miniatures figures are unpainted and do require considerable patience to complete. I made the mistake of not priming a couple of figures (before painting) and had a devil of a time making the acrylic paints cover the bare metal.

I like the idea of having cheaper figures toward the back of the layout except that my layout is only 30" wide and figures are very noticeable. Bob: did you check out MM website for horses? They seem to offer quite a range of figures. Another company that offers horses and wagons is Jordan. My complaint with them is that all their offerings are plastic.

Well, I have to go and complete the weathering on the boiler house for the C.L. Kehrer Cider Mill.

Cheers,
Ray

[Yampa Bob]

Jeff,
I am a broken down old plow horse, luckily a new law doesn't allow shooting horses just because they are old.  I just don't want the horses on our layout to look older than me. 

[pdlethbridge]

Ya , like that could happen, Me·thu´se·lah

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

Yeah Jeff, I have some of the Preiser's "Edwardian" figures, but don't use them because their dress is closer to the 1830 - 1850 than my layout's era. I also model a very rural area in the Hudson Valley, NY and I find the Preiser figures are "too dressed up" for farm folk of the 1890's. They are quality figures and it is beyond me how anyone can spend all day painting hundreds of figures in HO scale. The Musket Miniatures figures are unpainted and do require considerable patience to complete. I made the mistake of not priming a couple of figures (before painting) and had a devil of a time making the acrylic paints cover the bare metal.

Howdy, Ray,

Actually, Preiser makes civilian figures in two "styles" of "old-time" clothing. Over the years I have assembled a collection of quite a few of the figures you are talking about, closer to 1830-1850 (the women appear to be wearing hoopskirts, for example). I call them "mid-Victorians"; I don't know what Preiser calls them. I use them for civilians for the American Civil War period.

But the figures I wrote about as "Edwardians" really are "costumed" more for roughly 1890-1910--the men are in more "modern" suits and hats, and the women have broad-brimmed hats instead of bonnets, and no hoopskirts. If you've ever seen Hello, Dolly!, the clothes look like the costume styles for that show.    For me they work OK for that period, 1890-1910, but in general I would agree, they are "too dressed-up" to be folks working on farms. Perhaps you might be able to use a few of them as passengers waiting for the train. 

Jeff