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Well "not much" looks pretty good to me. Do you have more of your layout pictured anywhere JD?
I have been gathering materials to scratch build the power plant I posted earlier in this thread. The brick walls I plan to use Cornerstone's modular wall kits where possible. But the stacks and main part of the building will be scratch built from styrene and other materials. Looking at the aerial views in Google those walkways around the stacks are really cool. I am just unsure how I could model them without going cross-eyed LOL. Anyone have any ideas?
My layout is mostly a MESS (w/o a hall...ha ha) It's a work-in-progress, always will be??
I got a couple tall red brick stacks from the guy at the Wheaton show last fall. They have quite a taper to them. I am sure they were meant for HO, however: due to the height and taper, they can easily be cut down to use for N scale, using the smaller end of course. F
or stacks you might also consider watching packaging for useable shapes, or even discarded RF antenna from old tronics etc. (pays to be a pack-rat sometimes). I even buy a specific brand of breakfast drink mix for its size & shape (rectangular w/rounded corners), perfect when trimmed down a little for my hand-held throttles.
No I have not posted any layout shots anywhere, yet.
I have been scavenging where I can. I have the tubes I plan to use for the stacks. I was just thinking it would be cool to model the walkway around the stacks. But in N scale that becomes a bit more difficult to model, especially when you need a magnifying glass to read a newspaper LOL.
One of the things I've noticed about many layouts is the lack of "connected" buildings. I just ordered a Kato overhead train station that doesn't have a legit entrance, IMHO. I'm going to add a structure to one side to be an entrance and add a parking garage and connect it all so it makes sense. Then I'll paint it all to match. I'll be sure to post pictures on here of my progress once I get the parts I need.
Overall, I plan on putting in a few of these groupings for industries away from the main Cardo and Decumanus.
Made a discovery tonight..........
I decided to measure the add-on length if I add to and make it longer as planned for. So, I opened up the faller box and oops! Instead of what I expected to find, I found I had forgotten I had already pre-painted the parts to match. Shucks; Now I don't get to go searching for matching paint colors. I expect the added length will get done far sooner than expected, probably before next year. (that is only days away...ha ha)
JD
It would be nice if Walthers would produce all of the HO building in N. Right now I would be happy if they would rerun the steel mill buildings as I need another rolling mill building to use for the scrap yard for my open hearth building.
Glenn
I called walthers about the steel mill stuff, and they said maybe one day if it gets enough demand for them again.
When I started in N Scale the first time (1980) there were very few decent kits around. I was forced to Americanize a lot of things and learned to combine kits to make larger industries and town scenes. There are better options now, especially with kits from Walthers and others that are good generic prototypes, easily modified to suit. I would really like to seen more back-drop buildings, including passenger stations so I could create better depth with the limited space I will have. It would be cheaper than modifying kits.
I was just looking at some printed paper building construction on YouTube. Some of those can get pretty elaborate. They would make pretty good backdrop buildings.
I was just looking at some printed paper building construction on YouTube. Some of those can get pretty elaborate. They would make pretty good backdrop buildings.
You are right! I also saw some photo backdrops of Pennsylvania mountain country used on layouts and masterfully layered into the scenery. Great stuff. I think N scale flats would be helpful because most of us do N Scale because of space constraints. I've kitbashed a ton of stuff over the years to make flats but manufactured kits have a more complete look. I especially can not devote even a tenth of the scale space needed to portray passenger operations. I like to get flats of train stations from the trains POV.
I've seen some other paper building kits, like this one (
http://www.ebay.com/itm/200955114943?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649) but can't seem to wrap my mind around putting them on my layout. Seems like they'd be to fragile and look terrible. The one in the link looks pretty good. Wish I could see one in person first though.
Looking around I see a lot of building by Walthers that can easily be modified for industrial back drops with function. I used a lot of my early effort buildings for this type of thing because they weren't that good and were easy to doctor up for flat use with the right painted back drop. All my old buildings were lost in a flood so I am starting over.
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