building intimidation?

For some reason, I find myself intimidated about building structures for my layout. I have no idea why, as no other aspect of model railroading is this way to me.

Any suggestions for good kits to start the building process, or ones to stay away from? If it matters, my railroad is a modern western theme.

This relevation hit me over the weekend, as I was looking for more trackwork to construct. I really need to populate the layout with destinations for the cars.

 

The best bet is to just jump right in! Just remember to take it one step at a time. Get a good de-spruing tool (MicroMark, PBL), some sandpaper, and some CA cement. Others can comment on different types of glue. Pick a kit, take your time, and before you know it, you've created a building! From there, there are many previous posts here on Trainboard on painting and weathering. It's easy, and you'll find that out as soon as you jump in!

The DPM kits are great to start with, just pick something that looks modern. Also Rix Products are easy to build and most are modern. The Walthers Cornerstone kits are great to start with too.

One way to choose industries is to check your fleet and see what cars are your favorites. Grain cars need grain elevators, coal cars need powerplants and mines with flood loaders. get a Walthers catalog, pick a kit and have a blast!

 

After suffering "analysis paralysis" for some time, I would say Pete has offered you the best advice!

Just do it! as Nike would say. Think about your first kits as learning experiences, and accept that they will not be as good as ones you do when you have more experience later on.

As for what to start with... I started small, and simple, and relatively inexpensively. I got a wood kit that I could assemble with carpenter's glue. I didn't even paint it - just stained/weathered with India ink and alcohol mix.

Lastly, choose structures that look like they belong. By "western modern" I assume you mean modern day, western US? Lots of the DPM kits are based on Victorian or turn of the (20th) century buildings, some of which still exist, but are most likely to be in the northeastern US or Canada. The western US has its own particular look. Of course, modern buildings like steel clad warehouses are everywhere.

Hope that helps.

Andrew

 

Have a look at this page I slapped together. It's a scratchbuilt structure but simple.

I recall some time back a web discussion on building of structures and the difficulty some people face when considering if they can. I needed a simple equipment building for a project and photo documented the steps taken in building it.

Maybe it will be of some help?

http://www.pnc.com.au/~audiosat/models/projects/feedmill/equipshed.htm

 

Pikestuff- very modern, very western, fairly simple.
Another thought is Model Expo is clearancing there Bachmann kits. They are cheep and easy.

 

Thanks for the ideas. I have a couple of kits already and will work on them this coming weekend. Based on the current cars on the layout, a good sized grain elevator is a must. There will also be a brewery.

Other than coal, I am stumped for another destination type of industry that might be appropriate. I have a 10" by 30" area to work with.

 

I have a more radical idea. But first a bit of history about me. Like many I had no talent for building anything. I had never put a kit together except simple one's when I was a kid. For some reason, I just picked a scratch build out of MR that was reasonably complicated and started building it.

Amazingly things went much better than I ever dreamt. Now that I have scratch built, I don't think kits will intimidate me. In fact, after scratch building, I realize how "simple" some of the kits are, and you are better off scratch building something that would look better.

 

If you have a brewery then a distributor would be a perfect partner. Somewhere for the finished product to go.
As mentioned above, Pikestuff's got modern structures that would represent a distributor's building and they are easy to build. The hardest part is deciding which doorway knockouts to remove!

 

Nodima, western railroading is INTERMODAL! All you need is a couple tracks, then put down some WS Smooth-it for concrete, add a Mi-Jack crane and some trucks and containers and you're done!
Also I'd like to emphasize the Walthers catalog. They have a whole section on structures, industries, and the cars that serve them. Very good resource.

 

I'm just a rookie, and after spending the afternoon surfing railimages (!) I feel even more so. So, having said that, I will say that I have built lots of the Walthers Cornerstone kits. Very easy, and each one I get a little bit better about pre-weathering, etc.