According to the card beside this in a book/antique shop I visited recently, this is "Quarryman with tipping truck - very accurate (used as illustration in book on slate) - £3 - made of compressed slate."
I looked at it and was inpressed with the quality of the moulding, and the modelling. These things are usuaully rubbish - see the somewhat soft castings of Airfix Pugs produced in coal for example. This one though,it's sharp, and presumably taken from a specially carved master.
My first thought is that it would make an interesting painting project one day. That, and at three quid, I can afford to buy it for just that reason.
The figure is 100mm tall, so 6' 3" in 16mm scale. A little tall perhaps, but not out of the question. the 18mm track gauge equates to 1' 2", but I think we can call it 1', so again, suprisingly accurate.
On the base is a label "Eden Valley Arts. Quarryman & Tub. Made with slate from Cumbrian Quarry. Tel/Fax. (01768) 899720" - I can find a couple of organisations with similar names, but nothing that suggests they are the source of this miniature, so it's origins are a mystery, as is the name of the book that used this as an illustration.
3 comments:
I would also find this little chap with his wagon difficult to resist.
I've got some kits for a similar pattern of wagon in 009 although they scale out larger and were more for loco haulage. They haven't got the rivets either...
I like the tied up trouser legs, presumably to keep rats from going you know where!
The infill between the tipper body and frame is well done too, though I don't know what you'd do about it if painting the piece.
It'll be interesting to see what you do with it!
Simon.
You find some super things Phil. Really nice 'model'. I particularly like the curly spokes on the wheels.
Simon - the infill is interesting and shows that the master was made of clay. When painting, the simplest thing would be to paint it black, but I have wondered about grinding it away a bit with a Dremell too. Not sure, and it's a long way down the project pile as I like it a lot as it is.
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