Branchline Tower House

Somewhere in this section of the forum I posted some of my experience with building the Branchline Tower House kit.

It's almost reasonable to assemble (some of the wall framing is not well described...and funky) until you get to the roof and some other parts whereupon you will require massive amounts of pharmaceuticals for you to actually finish this kit.  The roof was designed and cut out by someone that failed basic geometry.  It may actually be easier to throw those parts away and make your own roof components.  The tower roof itself cannot be assembled as provided; the bay window is a masterpiece of poor design.

But, if you can traverse all that, endure madness and a probable chemical dependency, this kit can be assembled.

I cracked up a that (MWB's) description of buiding this kit. I have built a number of structure kits, but I don't remember building any Branchline, and it doesn't sound like a good time to start.  I have built a couple of other kits where the instructions assumed the assembler was clairvoyant, and where I found them to be in error, or details or explanations omitted.  That is an interesting house, and one where you might house your short line president.  That kind of painting was in vogue...the 1890's?....before labor cost made it cheaper to paint everything white.   (having painted garage doors white with red squares back when they were in vogue, it isn't easy to not slop over and have to go back and do touch-ups, when using different colors)

It's a nice building kit, but at almost $200, it's a bit pricey! You did a very nice job assembling and painting the kit. I'm not sure I could aquire the same results. I have bought several of the DSL building fronts and had fun paint them. In fact I plan to make buildings of a few, using 1/4 foam board peel and stick. Years ago I also purchased a program to print out several brick and stone facades. I printed off one of each and then had kinkos print many of each. For building walls and retaining walls it's really a time saver.

Here's my version of the Tower House without the tower.. just a farm house.. I also didn't have the issues that were mentioned above.. in fact, I found the kit to go together quite well. Having built many wood and other type kits, as I have posted in this forum many times, this was one of my easier kit bashes.. 

But, if you can traverse all that, endure madness and a probable chemical dependency, this kit can be assembled

Nothing new to me

Thanks..I like both versions

Thanks

dobermann posted:

But, if you can traverse all that, endure madness and a probable chemical dependency, this kit can be assembled

Nothing new to me

Thanks..I like both versions

Thanks

Well, there you go!  Have fun!

I'm just glad that I got mine for less than 50% retail,

Well, the Tower House is one that I haven't tackled yet.  But the Findlay, the Burger Stand, the Laura Station, House Under Construction, Hudson Garage....I enjoyed building them all!  I appreciate Sam and Marilyn's efforts to keep their laser kits going and growing.  Of course I wish they'd do more O scale, but I do understand that they don't play to as large a market and tend to tie up the equipment more per kit than does HO and N.

That said, the only  I've had with their kits so far was with the House Under Construction.  No, not an assembly issue.  It was the design of the structure.  I'd have tarred and feathered the architect if it were my house!!  The stairs leading up to the attic space take you straight up to the roof eave, rather than the center of the attic space.   Good grief, talk about an instant headache on that first climb to the attic!! I would wonder that any local governing construction supervisor would've approved those plans with a license.   A dormer would've solved this problem reasonably well.  Well, OK....the overall effect of the HUC is superb, though....and it fits well with the idiosynchrosies of some of the trains and accessories elsewhere on the layout, too!

I like their kits.

BTW....I especially like the tower-less farmhouse!!!!    EXCELLENT idea!  I may have to 'steal' the idea!

KD

Great!  An 1890's version, and a white one ("farmhouse") as many came to be painted.  (once, on a side street in a small town, while I was turning around, I saw a house in that classic multicolor scheme from out of the past, with a recent paint job, but it is the only real one I have ever seen...can't remember if the Winchester House in San Jose? is painted like that).  Wonder how long it would take neighbors to complain to zoning if I did this one like that?  In one set of grandparents' old, large two story farmhouse, the stairs did that same thing,  narrow and with small steps, built against the kitchen wall to take you to bang your head on the eave at the top.