Population

Fortkentdad

An interesting idea, thanks for bringing it to our attention.

I would suggest that the lack of children can be easily explained away - they are all in school!  It's amazing how empty the streets are when school is 'in'.  Have you noticed? 

Perhaps this might be a solution to your problem - especially if the schools are 'off site' - somewhere?

Have you also considered being a bit more selective with your people - modelling those individuals who are always present in any town?

Because of a marked lack of model-people, I had to resort to this tactic to make my layout even look somewhere near feasible.

Because I've already mentioned the populace of Helston in my 'Blog, I won't reprise that, but, by way of illustration of what I mean, the following are at Puketerto (a larger town):

Townspeople:

 Outside the Talisman Hotel two Lawyers are conversing after a 'Liquid Lunch'- with both gentlemen being somewhat 'rotund' as a result of frequent such 'liquid lunches.

As well there, with two 'ladies who lunch' conversing on a corner, while a couple of coppers are having a heavy conversation with a local outside their station.

At the Stock and Station  Agency an elderly farming couple are walking out from with another younger farmer carrying a sack of  calf-food out from the same place.

A photographer is lurking under a tree taking photos of trains.

'Railway' people:

At the Railway station, (which is modelled in cut-away form), the handsome young Booking Clerk is providing exemplary customer service to a 'Sweet Young Thing' at the ticket counter.

The Station Master's wife is walking down the side of the SM's house towards the town,

In the yard itself, the Track Gang (Track Maintenance Group'?) foreman and his 2IC are discussing how to move a 44-gallon drum of kerosene off a loading platform, while a couple of other members of the gang look on - no doubt helping with 'advice'

There is an old Passenger car in the yard as a dwelling next door to them, with its resident - also a  member of the track gang, sitting on the step - watching proceedings.

Another member of the 'gang is tending a fire a little bit away from them all, boiling water prior to make a 'cuppa'(using a Thermette' made from a Bugle-bead - Kiwi's)

In the 'yard itself, a lone railwayman is trying to fold a tarpaulin (used to cover hi-side wagons on the TVR), while in the Goods Shed a staff member is walking across towards the open Goods Shed door, while the Goods Officer (a white-colour staff member) is forever imprisoned behind a closed window in the Goods Office next door.

All of which is quite 'normal' in any NZ town with railway facilities, and quite typical of what is seen most afternoons on a weekday  in New Zealand.

There are NO children (they are all at school . . remember?, and none of the people are waiting for a train - they are just being 'normal' - as you would expect to find, and are quite typical of the sort of people that would be found in such a locality.

Perhaps this might help, and be of use to explain the apparent lack of  certain groups within your 150-member permanent population.

Just an idea - use it if you will.

Komata

"TVR - serving the Northern Taranaki . . . "

...to finish that population is six kilted bagpipe players.

Then you can call it an outdoor asylum for the bizaarly insane.

Moose