Those That Still Build Kits are so Lucky

We would be, if there were more kits in O scale/guage for structures and rolling stock,

and even engines.....

I think you hit the nail on the head. Yes the tools have leaped to the 21st century, but the kits?

Plus the availability is really drying up these days.

My methods and tools for building kits hasn't changed since the 70's. The selection of good quality kits and detail parts has, however.

Maybe I'm even luckier as 28 of the 30 structures on my layout have all been scratch built and hand painted. The other two are a water and coaling tower that were done by David Duhamel. Must also mention that the 7 false fronts in my downtown scene are Ameritown. Could not have achieved that level of detail without hours and hours of painstaking work. Using those fronts was fast, easy and affordable and with a light box around them, look super in the night scene.

I agree that we have never had it so good.  Constructing buildings has always been a love of mine and while I envy the variety available in HO, this is the best it has ever been in O scale.

Art 

Dennis, could you post pics of  your fronts?

Thanks,

Bob

There are a good selection of kits from relatively simple to complex.  Each build is a learning experience.
A Korber kit and BTS kit.

Another BTS kit.

Walther's kits.

OGR Ameritown fronts and kits.

Wonderful job Mike. Part of the fun for me is finding little companies that make some of these great kits. Also I love to find old kits on E-bay. Don

I remember that one,

And, for those that think there's not many kits about for structures, they need to take a look at BTS, Bar-Mills, Banta, Altoona Modelworks, and a host of other laser cut kit makers that are out there now along with a few older style stick builder kits.

I just finished up building a kit for Perkins' Produce - the Earl Smallshank article in MR back in 74 - Morgan Hills Models produced it as a kit in O scale.  I'll be writing it up for a future issue of O Scale Trains.

A plaster kit with laser cut windows, and lots of scale lumber:

Thank you,   Another small laser cut kit from forum member MWB.  Also pictured are some BTS one night-er projects.  Pallets, saw horses and assorted crates.  Electric motors pictured are Crow River and do require some assembly and prep work along with paint.

I remember that one,

And, for those that think there's not many kits about for structures, they need to take a look at BTS, Bar-Mills, Banta, Altoona Modelworks, and a host of other laser cut kit makers that are out there now along with a few older style stick builder kits.

I just finished up building a kit for Perkins' Produce - the Earl Smallshank article in MR back in 74 - Morgan Hills Models produced it as a kit in O scale.  I'll be writing it up for a future issue of O Scale Trains.

Don't forget American Model Builders

I've done AmeriTowne, Korber, & Walthers.  I really enjoy doing the small buildings from Bar Mills, BTS, & others.  (Please ignore the full scale house, car, & shed in the backround.)

Dennis

I love the kits from Downtown Deco and Bar Mills...there just are not a lot of them in O scale, and my skills rarely never do them justice.

Jeff Davis

Does seem like craftsman type structure kits are readily available.

I bet you would find enough kits for rolling stock and locomotives on eBay to satisfy the market.  The problem is - the older kits sell for a fraction of what it would cost to produce the identical kit today.

This is rumor, not fact.  I heard yesterday that the Pope family just sent All Nation to the recycler.  I sort of doubt that, but nobody in his or her right mind would buy a business like that when all those old kits are on eBay for a fifth the production cost of new.

Opinion.

I love kits......I wish I was at that point........I'm stuck on wiring.

Peter

Peter, I wish I was going that direction.  I just finished tearing down my 26ft X 16ft "P" shape layout.  I had major foundation work done. BUT, I still have lots of kits to work on. Someday I'll get back to building another layout. Speaking of foundation work, it looks like my "City Hall" needs some foundation work, also.

Dennis

I like constructing the kits also.  I just have a hard time spending more than $100.00 for a kit plastic or laser cut.

tsroyce, one of the reasons they are high is most are one or two man operations. They only make a small percentage of kits compared to MTH and Lionel's ready made buildings. It's got to be a hard business. You can't make many mistakes. Don 

I would love to start buidling my kits. Can't seem to find time yet. I have stockpiled about 40 kits to build and saved articles/books  along with this forum to get me through the learning curve. I always follow the builds on the scenery forum and the pics everyone posts. Loved seeing pics of your old layout, Don. We have many talented people on this forum and I am grateful they share their knowledge.

Bob

Building things are a big part of my hobby. I love to create stuff.......

there are literally dozens of o scale manufacturers. check out the o scale section in Valleymodeltrains.com for an overview. and they don't even have every one. and once you get the hang of kit building you may want to graduate to scratch building, too. so much fun!

jerrman

Jerrman, don't even get into the parts guys. Doors windows and anything else you need. I just find it fun on a lazy afternoon to just sit at a table and build. No big expansion of the layout or wiring. Just make something. Don

I totally agree also, kits are the way to go. My downtown consists of 30 Ameri-towne kits. My industrial area includes 5 Korber kits, 9 Bar Mills kits, 2 Walthers kits, 2 Lionel kits, 4 Atlas kits, 2 BTS kits, 1 Banta kit, 1 Berkshire Valley kit, I scratch-built kit and 1 MTH ready made. There are plenty of kits out there. When it comes to prices, well my scratch-built Wausau Milwaukee Road depot cost over $300.00 with materials so a $100.00 kit seems like a steal for me! I envy the HO guys, they do have a multitude of kits to choose from. Building kits puts a personal touch to your layout that adds to the unique look of your layout. Get out the glue and get going!

I love kits.  I think people who don't buy and build them are missing out.  

But I must admit that I am unable to complete any kit as instructed.  The opportunity to bash them is just too great.  Bashing and modifying a kit into something else is one of the truly magnificent and fun activities in this hobby.  

One thing about all the HO kits, they provide many ideas that you can extrapolate to

O, and some can even be picked up cheap enough, to get the plans, that you can

take to Staples and blow up for a scratch build of a model for which no O scale kit

exists. I have a model of the famous mine at Red Mountain, Colo. under construction, with its HO kit handy. (but some HO kits are rare, too)

I'm one of those guys who thinks that Lionel, Williams and MTH selling built-up structures is a bad idea.  Building kits develops the skills needed to make a train-table a LAYOUT.

Jon

For those interested here is a Slideshow of the assembly of the BTS Cabin Creek Coal Tipple. There is a lot of planning, and additional materials required. All those terms that apply to construction apply to model construction, true, plumb, square, etc.  I found one of the most important parts of any kit was to fabricate a very good base, for the model. 

The O scale kit for Perkins Produce was designed to be either built into an incline or as a flat based structure.  Having a little terrain adds interest to an otherwise plywood central layout...

There are no kits for a sugar beet plant, creosote plant, or a creditable one for a brewery (there are a couple of breweries out there..one kit, one MTH, but neither appeal to me) .

Mt. Albert produced an O scale Malinowski adaption of the old Brett's Brewery.....

I have built/kitbashed a few Walthers/All-Nation cars and have stocked up on future potential ones, but hope somebody preserves that line, also.

Not going to happen - consigned to the dust...........

Seems like Keil-Line should own All-Nation, as they made many of the metal parts for them, didn't they?  (what is scary is that I remember the kits when they were still Walther's)

Don't think they did, but Keil has always been a detail parts suppplier - big leap to producing full kits.  Walthers & All-Nation were separate sources until late in the latter's existence.

Ah, yes, no doubt.  Except: a build up "kit" is just one with an extra step involved: you have to take it apart before you can put it back together as you want to!  I've done that with all the Woodland Scenics built-ups -- that are a lot of fun!

Good morning

I think it's great all of you build kits and scratch build.

I on the other hand only build if I can't find ready made. I totally dislike painting and glue seems to go where I don't want.

To me very frustrating. 

Clem 

Some great buildings.

Some great looking buildings! As far as the whole scratch-built, kit-built, ready-built thing goes...there's a place for all of it in model railroading.

It's also good to keep the Bob Hayden (of C&DR fame) line in mind--"at the end of the day, what you see is paint." 

A good paint paint job can make an average model look great, and a poor paint job can ruin contest quality work.

Jeff C

Actually, the lucky folks are those who buy the ready-to-place structures.  The selection's never been better and it gets them going in the hobby all that much sooner. 

Not everyone has the time or desire to build kit after kit after kit and these folks shouldn't be looked down upon.

This isn't the 50's or 60's anymore.  There would be far fewer folks in the hobby today if everything had to be built up from kits.

Rusty

I agree wholeheartedly with Don - building kits and scrathbuilding/bashing can be fun and relaxing. I have not yet tried a craftsman kit, but enjoy taking a simpler kit and attempting to make it a little more realistic.

A Lionel freight platform custom painted and weathered:

An MTH public works building I bashed into a passenger station front:

This is some really nice work here from some really talented people. The only thing better than kit building is scratch building. You don't need to follow the instructions, just lots of Evergreen, number 11 blades, bandaids and lots of liquid glue.

All the best,

Miketg

One thing about all the HO kits, they provide many ideas that you can extrapolate to

O, and some can even be picked up cheap enough, to get the plans, that you can

take to Staples and blow up for a scratch build of a model for which no O scale kit

exists. I have a model of the famous mine at Red Mountain, Colo. under construction, with its HO kit handy. (but some HO kits are rare, too)

I agree. some of my best builds were using HO scale designs. I find it very easy to "scale them up" to O scale using only the pictures. depth and height are a reasonable judgement call based on whether it's a commercial or residential building. your eye will tell you if it's right (e.g. you wouldn't make a single story residence larger than a factory). Floor height can be approximately 3 inches.  Using O scale windows and doors from Tichy or Grandtline will make everything look appropriate.

for my tastes, I like wood builds (kits or scratch) as the material is easy to cut, is very forgiving if you make a mistake, and uses only wood or tacky glue (no glueing your fingers together with ACC). it's also highly realistic and these days you can even get brick texture walls in wood. I also love downtown deco kits as the castings are first-rate and the hydrocal takes weathering just about better than anything. most of their kits are very easy to assemble and the trick is painting and weathering but their instructions on these techniques are extremely good and detailed. like with any kit, read all the instructions first, take your time and enjoy it!

not that most of us build for anyone but ourselves, but there is definitely an appreciation factor from guests when they learn you've built the structures and created these interesting scenes, something you might not otherwise get from laying track or electrical work. 

Jerrman

Getting close to finishing this mine building. It's from a new/old stock kit. Don