R is for Roco as Rack Toys

Should be an F is for Follow-up really, but there you go! Totally forgot these when looking at the others a few weeksback so we'd better look at them now!

They're not actually Roco-minitanks, but may be supplied by them or licensed from them, I just don't know. Model Power usually source their stuff from China, but - unlike the O-Gauge sets - these have no origin indicated so it's anyone's guess.

Issued as four sets, in green or tan, these are all 'peaceful' poses taken from the previously looked-at Roco sets based on the Monogram/Revell kit sets, and designed purely to enhance a model railway layout (or 'model railroad' layout, they're American after all!) by wandering around the landscape or concourse, or load the vehicles in it; the seated figures.

If you want violence on your railway layout, you can have it! I'm guessing 5697 is the same set in green or tan, but these guys (over-scale at 1:72nd) are dressed like the internal security services of some former Soviet republic circa 1999!

They are scale-downs of the common small scale rack-toy figures from the 1990's, being Airfix Para's and US infantry, originally 1:32nd scale and given generic 'piss-pot' helmets. The artwork hints at an assortment of poses going to at least an 11-count, with the Para's Bren-gunner, officer and kneeling firer also available - they certainly were in the standard, unpainted, rack-toy sets.

Painting is limited here, to a bit of black on boots and weapons and some flesh spotted on hands and face.

Want a couple of women for your Wild West town or ACW army and not got enough Merten or Preiser? There are two in this 'historical' set from the more conventional range of railway accessories, while the engineer with shovel would fit any era, as would the driver.

Although in the case of ACW armies, who'd take a baby to a battle! Yet, prior to the 20th century; battles were lost for the crowds of onlookers getting in the way of the manoeuvring!