U is for Unknown White-metal Civil Types; Rail . . . and Road!

Starting big and getting smaller, these will probably not appeal much to those war gamers who have been so helpful over the previous few days . . . but hoping some die-cast vehicle collectors or model rail fans are viewing this week, I'll run them pass you all anyway!

 

These chaps are around 40mm or O-gauge compatible (1:48th 'ish or 'scale 7') and may be from the same maker; but I suspect not - the one (1B) having a small base the other (1A) a foot-plug; and both having come-in, in different lots, from different painters.

 

A bevy of babes, I used to wonder if the nude (2A) was from the old Phoenix Atlantis range, but they were very good sculpts, this girl is quite crude and if she stood-up would be about 60+mm but with ridiculously long legs.

The rest are around the 35mm mark (1:50) and seem to be a selection of all-girl truckers and err . . . trucker's molls . . . very modern. Most have been very well painted, one in a gloss finish and another in matt may have come form other sources, but all seem to go together, but who makes/made them?

Down a scale - 30mm'ish - and more babes! Cruder sculpts on the upper row, with no markings at all, while the slightly larger figures below them are James Bond character figures - I think we're looking at (from left to right) Miss Moneypenny, Blofeld and Goldfinger or Scaramanga?? I forgot to turn the second 'Goldfinger' round!

There is a clue to the later set . . .

. . . as they are all mounted on Little Lead Soldier bases, but are they LLS? I have a nicely illustrated catalogue somewhere, and I don't remember James Bond themed figures, nor figures this big from Little Lead Soldiers (see upcoming ACW post); so are the bases a red-herring and does anyone know who might have made these, or can confirm Little Lead?

Note - in the background you can see that the slightly smaller figures in the upper row seem to have had their bases added after moulding with a sort of double-rivet thing - or is it a shrink-mark - leaving the same base marks as the vintage Skybirds figures are found with?

Back to the safer ground of HO or OO railway layout accessories - apart from the chick in a cocktail dress! Starting with the set of three, it seems to be a factory-painted 'blacksmith' vignette (the horse as suffered damage and only requires 3 shoes!), but may be a home paint?

To the right of that group is a small dog of (equally) unknown origin, and a pair of unpainted castings which may or may not go with the driver (4F) in the lower image. All are closer to HO than OO and the standing lady looks familiar so they may be copied of something more painted and/or plastic?

The oilman/engineer (4D) looks very American to me: the cap, the dungarees, the tie? Next to him is an aftermarket rail-man, home-painted and the sort of thing many Ad's for have been seen in the back of Model Railway magazines over the years, but who was this maker?

The aforementioned driver and Ms Cocktail-dress finish this group of orphaned odds and sods.

Two who turned-up after the other shots had been taken, a nun and a very nicely sculpted (look at that velvety ear! And the begging, downcast look) dog (Labrador?), both OO-gauge compatible, one painted (probably by purchaser) the other not, and coming separately over the last few years, probably different makes, but do you know who?

These Airfix piracies have appeared on the relevant post in the Airfix Blog, but they are too good for old model soldier book 'how to's with Plastacine and Lego-dams, for home-casts, so I'm hoping someone can put a name to them from those Ad's in the backs of Railway magazines?

These have also appeared before, here, and the same shot! But again: I'm still after a maker for this range of aftermarket/garage Edwardian or late Victorian turn-of-the-[last]-Century models in a pretty standard OO-gauge or 23mm.

If I can get the maker, then track down a catalogue, I suspect these will break down into thematic groups of 4, 5 or 6 figures - Tradesmen, railwaymen, walkers, bathers/boaters, a hunting party, blacksmith and a photographic group are evident?

U is for Unknown Khaki and Camouflage

The 20th Century's industrialised carnage has left me with a similar number of 'unknowns' as any other era; the democracy of war-gamers - and there was me thinking there were more Wellingtonian fans than any other! Or is it that the ratio of makers who don't mark well is the same; there might be a dissertation in there!

Four singles to start, the German 'Para' (1C) seems almost hand-made from a soldering-iron? He's definitely been given a replacement base or mend. The walking chap (1D, Afrika Korps?) has had a weapon glued across his chest which is missing and is carrying two pieces of scrap plastic-rod, while I think the Tommy is Rose, but the marks not clear so confirmation would be kind, and is he designated late WWI or WWII?

The seated guy could be WWII or Modern Cold War and has shades of Hasegawa half-track crew?

These are interesting, they look (and feel - very tinny) like the Almark figures, but are not the two listed sets of five, and what's left of the codes suggests an Machine-gun 'group' (but it could just as easily be 'G for German'?), could they be a late un-catalogued addition to the Almark range (remember the plastic Brits had support weapons), or are they another of the very prolific Stadden's many ranges?

Naval Types. That's all I know; no marks, age is hard to judge and the seated figure is a poor sculpt, seemingly based on Airfix drivers. Anyone recognise them?

Late-war Panzergrenadiers with assault rifle and Panzerfaust, not bad sculpts - a bit chunky maybe and the lack of legs on the binocular periscope suggests the figure might be designed for a vehicle (he'd look good in the Esci command-251), so Skytrex or someone like that?

Some 15mm shite that came in with a mixed lot! I say shite, but no greater or lesser reason for existing than my prejudice! And I like Land Rovers whatever the size (as we will see in a minute) so I'm just inventing blurb - for total unknowns!

The seats have planking detailed on them to match the floor, but in reality they had plastic cushions over aluminium locker-lids with padlock-hasps that could catch your calves if you weren't careful!

Just the cupola crewman to ID now, a large beret suggests German early-war armoured car?

These are the biggest embarrassment in all these posts as I bought them! From the maker! But long before I was ID'ing metal, so never kept a note of them, or at least if there is a note; it will be in the files of correspondence, currently in storage.

They were bought for the flak-sledge project which has been on hold for the longest time and will remain on hold until I can collect on a glasses prescription that has me operating the laptop at arm's length these days!

 

Could they be Dixon Miniatures - I vaguely remember them doing figures in this style? Again, they could equally be Skytrex as I know I have their catalogue somewhere? What is certain is that I was bloody disappointed when they arrived, and I realised I'd purchased 6 identical horses!

Land Rovers! Micro ones at that; I think the smaller LWB Ambulance might be Skytrex as I had their WWII stuff as a kid and that miss-registering of the mould halves and general blobbyness was a common feature of the range!

Two are ID'd as Heroics & Ross (the best sculpts), while the rear SWB is smaller and the Wombat (which should be a LWB) is a hideous mess, it really is just a token or counter! I assume with the DMB that the MB bit is 'Modern British'?

Elephant/Ferdinand, Not Skytrex (they were single-part blobs with wire barrels), not marked H&R, leaves GHQ? Or a minor maker; two-part molding, glued together, marked 190 on rear and Elephant twice in body-cavity

Don't know at all! Germans or GI's? Chubby 20mm'ish sculpts I think (looking at the photo) they are supposed to be holding M16's with fritz helmets?

Below them a row of 6mm British Infantry advancing? I'd love to know in either/both cases?

U is for Unknown Medieval Knights, Men at Arms and the odd Camp-follower

Moving along from the Ancients, we arrive at the medieval period with another bunch of unknowns, any help gratefully received.

A couple of Normans; painted and based, but not a brilliant shot given that the hoses may need to be separately ID'd, people did tend to swap them around! The lance could have done with a clipping I think, it's about14 scale-feet long, or about 25 of the rider's feet!

I think these are all the same maker, if fact I'm so sure I haven't numbered them separately, except the horse-parts and rider who lacking the same exact bases, could be from another source?

Five odds; the horse may be from the same maker as figures in the image 2, while the next two (Crusaders?) look a bit Garrison? But are marked only lightly, and not in the italic font the rest of my Garrison's are? [I think - they're all in storage!]

This chap, from all four sides ('cos I have four!) may also be from the same maker as the previous ' image 2' lot?

Again one or two of these have similar codes, but others are definitely from different makes. The ECW 31s is a smaller figure and the pirates (if that's what they are) look monkish!

The more European-looking chap at 5J, may go with the lot at 6H but his base is a tad heavier and his clothing sufficiently different to earn him a separate bag at some point? Indeed 5H has a similar base, but is from a different line/set being less 'Euro-renaissance' and more 'Sealed Knot'!

51 looks a bit Stadden-like in pose and execution of sculpting, but is unmarked?

The aforementioned set along the bottom row with a few more odds-and-sods. A nice 15mm mounted knight and an Aztek (?) are te best of the bunch, but I'd like to ID them all eventually?

Home-cast piracies? Interesting though, despite seeing better-days and I know some people did advertise err.... 'derivative' figures in the modelling press back in the day, anyone know if someone put their name to these knock-offs? They seem to have used the US Cavalry version of the horse (without the heavy reins) - for ease of casting?

A lovely Janissary painted-well by my regular painter - Mr. Anonymous! Was it you? He's been stood onto a cut-up Airfix camel's base, but I haven't the heart to de-base him and see if he's marked, so hopefully someone will recognise him? He's also one of the larger figures in this lot; closer to 28mm.

U is for Unknown Ancient Metal Figures

That is - that they represent, not are, although in war-gaming terms some of them may be pretty old too!

The guy on the left looks like some of my Garrison, but he's not marked in any way and was sufficiently unalike them to remain out of their box! The two to the right could be Minifigs?

Mixed makers, mixed eras, I'd particularly like to ID the Viking/Carolingian type as he's from my old childhood 'generic' barbarian army and stood next to but towering above the pig-on-a-stick man from Airfix!

Three more from that army, and cock-on-a-stick stood the other side! I believe the foot javelin-thrower is from the same maker as the mounted figures?

Probably all Vikings, probably from the same maker as the standard-bearer above, but not necessarily, do you know who they are? I don't know why I never pained one of the spear throwers, maybe they came separately; later?

Another mixed lot - 5B and 5C may be from the same artillery/siege-engine crew? I particularly like 5E who has adopted the old 'flats' trick of having removable parts for a choice of two weapons; a javelin or an axe.

The Persian-looking cavalry man was one of three 'auxiliaries' in my Greco-Roman army (which fought the barbarians), two having been ID'd (so are in storage) along with one of the horses, the others are here - painted.

The Horse at bottom-right (6D) has shades of Airfix Cuirassier about him. No?

Another of mine in need of crest-glue and a few others, anyone got any ideas? 7B, marked AGR 5 (Ancient Greek?) has a different headdress to the otherwise similar figure in the next picture . . .

. . . but I think the difference is only paint? The rest of these belong in later posts, but have ended-up here because of the foot archer. Four Zulu types in two poses and a Samurai horse-archer; any ideas?

U is for Unknown Fantasy and Sci-Fi

A complete change of plan given recent events and on-going stuff, so for the next few days I'll be posting unknown white-metal or lead small scale stuff (that'll be 'metal smalls'!), so if you want large scale or plastic, or any other material for that matter; come back in about a week! Or 48hrs after Dum Blog publish their Part 3 - whichever is the sooner!

If you like a challenge however, can you ID any of these chaps and chap'esses . . . and err . . . things?

He has a plug ofr a heavy base and a choice of heads, one of which reminds me of Ro-Jaws from 2000 AD! He is also glued at the waist from two main parts.

Crude sculpts, but really nice 'Old School' look to them, two babes and an Alien who refers-back to Star War's Admiral Akbar in the head area?

I think the three zombies may be one of the newer companies?

Second wizard is a denser, hard,  antiqued-wash, pewter, and probably a touristy thing, missing a coloured 'gem' stone on the plinth.

Are these Orks or Goblins? Does it matter? Is it a case of size v's scale? Who cares, someone painted them beautifully and then let them go . . . or died? Anyway, they are not my work, but I like them!

They appear to have small round bases under the landscaping, so probably not Games Workshop, does anyone recognise them? Did you paint them and let them go while remaining very-much alive?

A right old mix here, but most of them seem to be the same maker (most of the second two rows), they look a bit like some Ral Partha, but the bases are unmarked, there is some damage/paint and the cavalryman may be way-off but his base is similar ans he came with some of the others.

Top row are one-offs, the skinky one having a small oblong base, the other two are baseless, but may have been removed from Games Workshop type 'slotts'?

Total mix - anyone recognise any of them? I'm guessing there's some Games Workshop Epic in there? And the Arab thief may be more a colonial or medieval thing?

Nude babe! Based like the green chaps above and could be from an ancient slave range, but much cruder that the Rose Miniatures ones?

Don't know if these are ancient/medieval or fantasy, but they are here as they go in the bag with the next lot!

These were all bought by me between 1980 and 1983 from either Concord Models in Aldershot or Tangley Model Workshop in Guildford, but are not 'their' ranges, but seem to be the same maker.

EY from the 1:72nd Scale Multiverse Blog has identified the first two as being from a Minifigs (Miniature Figurines) 'Wheel of Torture' set (I think the wheel ended-up in the wagon-spares!), but the rest are a mystery to me? The last three and the hanged-man might be from the same lot as the previous image - I think!

M is for More - There's Always More!

Given everything that's happened vis-à-vis a wholly invented Asian marine dock complex (and the toy-based industrial estate supplying it!), misappropriated catalogue images and the Japanese health ministry thing, I will put the News, Views scheduled for yesterday, and a few other things on-hold for the time being, and get some more new crap out of Picasa, along with a few box-tickers.

To that end, and because it requires no real blurb (I'm clean out of words after all that other crap! I'm down at Poundland for vape-juice tomorrow; I'll see if they have a bunch I can weave into decent paragraphs), these are shots left-over from the previous post on the subject (Tim-Mee's 54mm 'Army Men'; the original army men!). When we looked at them last time - a little under a year ago - we looked at them by pose, this lot are photographed by maker/batch instead - may be of some use?

Round-up to compare with earlier sample, see how they grow!

Brian Berke kindly sent the Blog a donation (lower samples poses)

of originals, so I've got all but one now - see link at end!

 

Pretty bog-standard marked 'Hong Kong' copies from the 1970's.

 

Another with a different mark.

 

Odds and Sods, unmarked but probably
Hong Kong.

 

Unmarked and probably HK, but from

the colony's 'hand-back' period when production

was migrating to the mainland.

The odd set which looks a bit like Revell US Paratroops!

 

Three earlier 'China' poses and

an unmarked lone - probably - HK guy.

Reasonably current China sets; there are two versions, hollowed, marked bases (except the prone poses), upper row and smooth bases with the 'China' somewhere on the body middle row, and the prone poses mixed on bottom row.

 

Examples of marks for previous sets.

Thinkway's re-sculpts for Disney/Pixar's movie

franchise Toy Story.

Larger sized figures from Mattel infant toy (apple green),

Burger King (dark green) and unknown - probably HK (sand).

 

Close-up of Burger King figure, I've seen three in the set/series,

I don't know how many there were all together?

 

Daft mobile-phone prop things seen here before - too often!

There's more; there's always more! Treefrog Tresures

That's it really, something else next time!