I've been looking hard, and can't seem to find much for Z-Scale in automobiles. I've tried to order some Marklin autos, but it seems they are always on backorder. I have a few vehicles by Randy Brown, and a couple flat bed trucks by Nansen Street Models, but other than that the only "cars" I have found are from http://www.makemymodel.com. They make some nice looking stuff, but I have been timid to try them for fear they might be too fragile, and their selection of basic cars is limited, and a bit out dated for my layout. Does anyone have a source for inexpensive, later model autos for their layout (short of scratchbuilding)? You'd think someone would make a couple molds and mass produce these little items, they'd sell like crazy!
Yes, the Z Scale automobile market can be summed up as somewhere between Dismal and Grim. I keep trying to motivate those that are capable, to produce vehicles for us, but it just has not happened yet. Someday.
Howard Architectural models has 1:192 scale and 1:240 scale "late model" autos/trucks. They are well after my era, so I have never ordered any to see how they might work in Z. I just ran across them one day. http://www.howardmodels.com/supplies/onlineorderform.htm Heres another architectural model supplier that has 1:200 scale http://www.samtrees.com/cchanpin4.asp?a_mingcheng=9001 - Cars Dan S.
MK4D has couple of cars, and Ztech has couple of VW bus and pickup. http://www.mark4design.com/html/z__vehicles.html http://www.zthek.com/id117.htm
Those are both interesting, and the price is certainly right. I wonder how 1:200 or 1:240 scale will look against Z-Scale scenery and people...?
Another option is Plastruct, the following are offered as N-Scale, described as 1:200 scale, but the ones I show below work very well for Z. They aren't the prettiest things out there, but, they aren't bad... www.plastruct.com/Pages/OnlineProductDetail.lasso?-op='eq'&CCode=AMC-200I www.plastruct.com/Pages/OnlineProductDetail.lasso?-op='eq'&CCode=AMC-200J www.plastruct.com/Pages/OnlineProductDetail.lasso?-op='eq'&CCode=AMC-200K The pick-up from the series is a bit too big, I don't know about the Shadow. www.plastruct.com/Pages/OnlineProductDetail.lasso?-op='eq'&CCode=AMC-200E www.plastruct.com/Pages/OnlineProductDetail.lasso?-op='eq'&CCode=AMC-200D Dan S.
I downloaded some drawings from 3Dcadbrowser.com and sent it to the RP person so I could cast the PR parts in Brass, but I am stuck here, the Drawings are not RP ready, there are many parts that are not attached to the body of the car and some walls are too thin etc... I need some one who can edit a .stl file or .3ds file or use these drawing and redraw the cars. I got a couple of 3D drawing packages and tried it myself but it is a long and painful journey to make for some one to start off new and come up with a good 3D model. so if some one volunteers to take these drawings and make it PR ready I can give it a try and cast it in brass. Another option would be to outsource the drawings so it could be done at a reasonable cost, anyone have sources for low cost 3D cad services. Kim
Good thread. Looks like most of the manufacturers were covered already. The only other one I can think of is a small European company, Dutch maybe, that John Bartlotto covered in one of his ZTrack columns about a year or so ago. I can't remember the name off hand. Mostly 1960's era European cars, but some of them like a Mini Cooper might work for North America. Randy
The Howard models pieces, by the way, are all 1990's Dodges. The Mark4Design cars are a Chevy Chevette and, I think, an AMC Matador. Randy
1/220 vs. 1/200 and 1/240 Some work, some don't. I typically grab eveything I can find and put it where it will look OK. Don't mix 1/200 and 1/240 right next to each other. Use forced perspective with background or foreground scenes, group like sizes together, etc. Randy
Hello try this german store, they have cars and vehicles in Z Scale, i've already ordered stuff from there. http://www.modellbahn-kramm.com or this one too: http://www.kleinserien.de/d/index.htm They are good. Álvaro
Alvaro, Did you ever get your question about clear resin answered? Welcome to TrainBoard, by the way. Randy
I was just reading some email from the Japanese Z list and remembered that, I think, Pro Z one of the new companies entering the Japanese Z market announced they would be doing a pack of automobiles, I think with a Fall 2007 release date. Not sure what they will be yet, but likely modern Japanese autos. randy
We're all in the boat when it comes to automobiles. As others have said, they are a big hole in Z right now. Randy
The number of volunteers with the necessary skills, software, hardware and time that are not using them to make a living (and hence charging accordingly) are few and far between. As you have discovered, making internet-sourced mesh models RP-ready is skill and time intensive. In additional a lot of the 3D models out there are of very low quality; the rendering software glosses over the coarseness of the underlying mesh.