Those of you that have cardstock buildings.

these are some buildings I made using the program Model builder from Evans Designs. I wanted to make an early 1900's New England textile mill and village.

I also made a few small city buildings and tried a few different detail ideas like cutting out the windows and recessing them. Also the windows are pictures of actual buildings. The program is really pretty nice just design your structure, print it out on either card stock or what I do is print it out and glue it to 1/4" foam board and assemble.  Depending on how detailed you want to get you can make an entire city in just a short time.

old_toymaker posted:

these are some buildings I made using the program Model builder from Evans Designs. I wanted to make an early 1900's New England textile mill and village.

I also made a few small city buildings and tried a few different detail ideas like cutting out the windows and recessing them. Also the windows are pictures of actual buildings. The program is really pretty nice just design your structure, print it out on either card stock or what I do is print it out and glue it to 1/4" foam board and assemble.  Depending on how detailed you want to get you can make an entire city in just a short time.

Looks pretty good I have some foam board.To use to give it more strength.I might give them a try.Given I want to do a town around the late 1930 to 1940s look.

I have looked closely at these.  There is a brand that shows up in the O scale shows.  I have the same problem with these that I had with Bilt-Rite buildings in the 1940's.  It takes a lot of detailing to make these NOT look two-dimensional.  Most of the above photos have that appearance TO ME.  To detail them takes as much effort as scratch building a three dimensional building.  Just my opinion.

There has been some great work done with laser printed buildings... But the angle and quality of the graphics has to be right. Also, any 3-D details that can be added to pull off the effect works quite nicely.

There was an article in MR along time ago I believe by someone in the Polytechnic model railroad club that actually took pictures of real buildings and made decals of them and glued them on the side of kit buildings for added realism... I cannot find the article though but the results were outstanding!

Tips

>Photocopy the different styles of windows and doors on the buildings before assembling them. Cutout and glue-on the photocopies to the buildings to add depth;

>Add curtains, window shades with felt tip pens of various colors;

> Add smoke to chimneys and water vapor to vents using cotton;

> Stiffen the inside of the walls using poster board;

>Cardstock buildings mix well with Dept 56 ceramic buildings as you can see in photo 4, the building on the right.

I've made several of them...an enjoyable respite from track work. I broke my ankle some time ago and built these:

https://ogrforum.com/t...05#40004359152194305

You'll have to scroll to the top for the photo layout.

Check out Clever Models (http://www.clevermodels.net/)  they have a number of buildings that have an old run down feeling.

Someone mentioned that paper models feel two dimensional.  This somewhat relates to how much effort one puts into it.  A paper model can be minimally built or have an extra effort with the door and windows inset.  Using basswood strips to frame doors and windows also improves realism.

Bill

I had approximately 25 or so I designed and posted on the forum a long time ago.

https://ogrforum.com/t...h-unlimited-quantity

I have a number of Clever buildings. I find that they require a good amount of work....but do NOT have one dimension look.

"This somewhat relates to how much effort one puts into it.  A paper model can be minimally built or have an extra effort with the door and windows inset. "

Exactly! Like any other model, the level of detail is entirely up to the modeler. There have been some paper models that with many levels of layering makes a very nice looking model.

Those buildings look great! I had some card board style buildings with window tint(plastic or something on the windows) from either post war or pre war and had to be careful when using any type of lighting in them as they would get very warm. Maybe LED style lighting will be a lot cooler to use then incandescent lighting.

Lee Fritz

I often add strip wood around doors and windows to give the three dimensional look. It really helps to make it more realistic. Add other scenery material around it and many times it is hard to tell.

I know they are not a forum sponsor, but I also think the Clever Models line of structures can be made to look as good (or better) than a so-called 3D model. Speed is not factor when assembling a card stock structure unless you are using strictly for backdrop.

To me eyes, the benefit of card stock are ultra-realistic weathering, signage, shadows and the like. That is very hard to do on a 3D structure for many people. Another benefit (if you are computer proficient in Photoshop or similar programs) is that in card stock you have an infinite amount of options you can make to the original card structure. Repainting, weathering, shadowing, is all done with a few clicks of the keyboard.

The benefit of the 3D structure is that you have instant relief (windows, doors, etc.) where on card stock you have to build-up the relief, not hard, just time consuming.

One other drawback to card stock is if you are not careful, bending the paper can yield a pure white seem, that if not covered up will make the structure look like paper.

All in all, I think there are benefits and drawbacks for all types of mediums, you just have to figure out which feature(s) are most important to you.

Here is a link to some great modeling that looks as good as anything I have seen.

http://miniaturearchitect.blog...in-n-scale-pt-1.html

Here is another site that shows a mix of high detailed structures and some not so highly detailed.

http://s1354.photobucket.com/u...y/?sort=3&page=1

Charlie

I've been doing cardstock buildings for my layout. Currently I am trying for a more tinplate look that super realistic. Earlier buildings (like the church, BBQ joint and gas station) were drawn with more realism when I was trying to be more "scale" with post war trains. I draw them on my computer so I can make buildings that work in the space I have.

I think they look nice in the right setting. A purist would probably leave the train room.....LOL

I built the gas station that Handy Andy posted in a previous thread (Thanks Handy Andy for posting the files).  You can see in the attached picture how I framed the doors and windows with wood strips.  Also, put LED lights under the roof, but cant find picture.

Bill

ogaugenut posted:

I built the gas station that Handy Andy posted in a previous thread (Thanks Handy Andy for posting the files).  You can see in the attached picture how I framed the doors and windows with wood strips.  Also, put LED lights under the roof, but cant find picture.

Bill

I like it. The colors and style are a good compliment for the Marx crossing gate guard house and man.

Thanks guys for your ideas guys.But please don,t stop keep em coming please.

Here are some from my prior layout that I made from scratch using photos and brick paper.

The car dealer below is based on a dealer from the 50's. The stones were made from a photo of my fireplace, then copied and pasted into a sheet.

These are some of my newest building flats for the back wall of my carpet central.

I made this a few years ago.  I use it as a backdrop building with a road and tracks running in front. (I wish I had better pictures of it.) My better pictures are posted on J&C Studios (www.jcstudiosinc.com).

Dennis

Hartman posted:

My better pictures are posted on J&C Studios (www.jcstudiosinc.com).

Dennis,
Under which of those vast topics?

Big Jim posted:

Hartman posted:

My better pictures are posted on J&C Studios (www.jcstudiosinc.com).

Dennis,
Under which of those vast topics?

Just look for my "Hartman" name under "Member A to Z Blogs" and look for "Card stock  warehouse for back wall."

Dennis

Hartman posted:

Big Jim posted:

Hartman posted:

My better pictures are posted on J&C Studios (www.jcstudiosinc.com).

Dennis,
Under which of those vast topics?

Just look for my "Hartman" name under "Member A to Z Blogs" and look for "Card stock  warehouse for back wall."

Dennis

OK, got it. Look here: Warehouse

Boy, some real fire escapes would really look nice on there!

Jim.

Those fire escapes would cost a whole lot more then everything I did to this. 

Believe me as I did consider it, but in the background, it's not so bad.

Dennis

Dennis,
Do you have a picture of it in place on your layout? And, where did you get the Coca-Cola sign on Hinkle's?

Hi, Big Jim.  I'm going through my disc's looking for the backdrop area.  I have two where I think they are and they are not loading.  I'll keep looking until I can figure it out.  Why don't I just take a new picture?  Everything is in boxes.  Major foundation work two years ago.  I have all the lumber in the basement for the new layout to start, but a couple other projects need finished first.  2-1/2 years and no trains running is bugging me.

The Coca Cola sign came with the Bar Mills kit and I think the red was already there, but I remember I had to paint the letters.  I would rather had the Pepsi sign.

Dennis

 UPDATE 
I found these. I know this is not what we are looking for , but I'll look some more later.  Besides what I posted on J&C Studios, on the warehouse, I painted the roof black and dumped plastic coal on it until dry, then dumped off the excess.  I bought 6 panels, cut and glued to the size I wanted to make this warehouse almost 5 inches deep.

When 'printing' a building just remember that you are 'printing' it!  If you want some texture, print it multiple times and cut out the pieces you want to stand out.  In o scale it take very little texture to add to the 3d effect (a  2x4 is only 4 hundredths of an inch thick).  Print it on card stock, or apply it to thin cardboard, or apply it to foam core.

For the purist you are quite right a stick built custom 100 hour building will always look better than an afternoon built paper printed building, but . . . . my layout is 20x40 triple deck and I still need about 350 more buildings!    Russ

BIG JIM.  I found this picture where I was throwing stuff on the layout to get an idea of what to do in front.  Still looking for the wall version.  Even the background isn't finished.... Well it never did get finished as it all had to come down later.

Dennis

BIG JIM.  I found what I was looking for.  Not the best pictures, but it sure shows what I was trying to do with the warehouse.  Those rolling in storm clouds have been painted over.  I've recently watched some old Bob Ross TV shows about painting and blending the colors.  I learned a lot watching him "having fun" and "getting crazy" with his painting techniques. 

Dennis