I am returning to model railroading after a 20 year hiatus and find myself with a serious lack of supply stores in my area. (California Inland Empire) I want to start ordering some n-scale structure kits on the internet and wonder if anyone has any suggestions about which manufacturers I should start with. I love assembling kits butI don't need (and can't afford!) the super deluxe double-throw-me-down models that I know are available. Neither do I want a sub-par, toy-like model. Any ideas?
Welcome back. I, too, just came back from a 20 year hiatus. When you are talking about the super deluxe stuff, are you referring to the DPM Gold stuff? Though they are expensive, they pack a lot of detail with the included white metal castings. I find Walther's Cornerstone selection lacking and they retired some of the more "interesting" kits.
Check out laser cut kits. Not all of us sell toi Walthers but there are a lot more cutters doing N these days rich www.rslaserkits.com
I'm not sure what I'm talking about!! I just know that there are some specialty kits/companies out there that seem to elevate model building to a fine art. I'd like to enter the market "middle of the road" so to speak. It's just kind of scary to start ordering kits online not knowing what I'll be getting.
I don't know whether you might consider this "too fancy" an attitude. I figure some manufacturers' structure kits are better quality or go together easier, etc. But my main concern is with building a scene, one with "a sense of place." So I would first think not of what kit manufacturer but what you want to model... A vineyard in the days they shipped wine by special tank car... a small agricultural town in the 1990s... a Gold Rush era building that is still hanging on in 1910... a refinery district... a big city passenger terminal... It is easy to look up models by description on www.walthers.com -- main page. They carry a large variety of brands/manufacturers and you can see who offers what. You may find 7 different mftrs that make something like the kind of filling station you'd like on the corner. THEN try to decide which mftr would be best for you. And you don 't have to buy from them. It's just an easy place to "window shop." (I hope this is not TOO unhelpful. It is just my prejudiced reaction.)
I think what jencat42 is referring to are the large showpiece kits with details galore that are in the color ads in the model magazines. Got an idea of what you want to do and what era you want to model? It would help to have that settled first. Unless you just like to build structures . . . I'd suggest to start small (therefore cheaper), with RR-related structures like yard offices, yard towers, water towers, section houses. Lots of very nice laser cut stuff there. Google something like n scale structures buildings kits to find the manufacturers and get photos and footprints. Building them will give you a chance to exercise your modeling chops for the more complicated projects.
Thanks everybody for your feedback! It sounds like I'm worrying too much about the quality of the kits. I suspect maybe the kits have gotten nicer since I last was in this hobby. I know the rolling stock sure has!
The Roundhouse Gang will be having their swapmeet on the 26th of Feb in Riverside. Its always has a good showing of N-scale buildings.
