Oil/Refinery workers ?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I am looking for some HO scale oil/refinery workers. I’ve looked through the Walthers website and can’t really find anything other than the Cornerstone Oil Drum & Figure set. Does anyoen else have a suggestion or good source ?

2

Look for construction workers. Most refineries require hard hats and safety shoes. The ones I have been in in recent years also make you wear a one piece flame retardent suit. They can be orange, blue or a light green at the whim of the refinery. Hard hats shouldn’t be too difiicult to shape on a head with a file and some body filler putty.

3

I have used ho military figures to great success. U.S. WWII of course because of the helmet shape. I paint the helmet different colors like hard hats. If the figure is carrying a weapon I cut it off. Then paint the clothes any color you want. They look like work clothes. Some sets have sitting, standing, walking figures.

4

i found a couple that might work for you heres one ,but im still looking

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/590-10105

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/590-10420

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/590-10220

Carl.

5

I took the Woodland Scenic fire jumpers

and converted them into coal miners

you could do a similar type of conversion?

6

Hi,

The “uniforms” for refinery workers really depends upon the era you are modeling. In my experience (40 years, 6 refineries), the uniforms in the 50s/60s and early 70s was coveralls of the usual brown/green/blue/black. In the late 70s to present, the typical uniforms are also coveralls, but made of flame retardent Nomax (hot is summer, cold in winter) with colors usually depending on the workers trade (i.e. operations, maintenance, oil movements, supervision, visitors, and the ever popular “guest workers”). Any of the model figures of trainmen, construction, or dock workers should be relatively easy to modify. Of course, don’t forget the hardhat, which was often color coded as well.

If you are modeling prior to the 1950s, coveralls were typical but bib overalls and jeans, etc. were also acceptable.