NEED HELP WITH FINDING STUFF

[DoctorP]

Good Sunday to all from the sunny confines of the Southern United States. I am creating a layout set in the Cotswolds (late 1940's - mid 1950's) and am having a great deal of difficulty finding ready made structures such as houses, walls, churches, fences, etc here in the United States. Does anybody have any idea of where I could find such accessories for my layout? I would go so far as kitbashing if I could even find stone, thatch roof material, vines, etc. I'm pretty well desparate since, if I can't find any way to add these, I'll have to change all layout plans and don't want to do that. Please let me know if you can give me any information.  DoctorP

[tamperman36]

Have you tried contacting Walthers, they may be able to order in items from the UK for you. You may also be able to find some useful items from wargaming sites and stores, such as Warhammer.

If all else fails you could always order from several UK model shops and have it despatched back to you.

 

Hope this is of some help, Ian.

[brossard]

Both Hornby and Bachmann do excellent cast resin ready to plonk buildings and structures.  Try Hattons ( http://www.hattons.co.uk/ ) and look for Skaledale and Scalescenes respectively.  They're not cheap but really excellent value.  Resin buildings are fairly heavy so postage could be high.  For someone more local try Model Railway Imports: ( http://www.modelrailwayimports.com/index.php )  Postage could be better than from UK.

 

You can also check out North American suppliers here:  http://www.brmna.org/prodser.shtml

 

John 

Edited March 18, 2018 by brossard

[The Johnster]

Agreed about RTP; many of these are very typical of the area.  To go for a proper 'Cotswold Stone' look, repainting and weathering may be needed, but if you are ok with kitbashing I imagine you will be happy enough to get a paint brush out.  Some of the Airfix/Dapol/Kitmaster plastic construction kit range might suit your needs as well, especially the church (actually an Isle of Wight prototype) and the thatched cottage, but brick built post war buildings like the shop will be ok as well.  The pub is not especially Cotswoldish, stone buildings of that sort being more common than the lath and plaster of the kit, but would not be impossible.  

 

The brick station building will be not horribly out of place either.  Heljan used to do a very nice brick goods shed construction kit, but I do not know if this is still available.  You might want to look at some of the printed card brick buildings as well; brick would be common for railway buildings, and industrial or housing post WW1 when local councils started building 'homes for heroes' until the depression put a stop to it.

 

I mention these because postage costs will be low compared to RTP resin.

 

Enjoy the sunny confines, Doctor; it is snowing and horribly cold in the wind here, a good evening to stay in and do some modelling!

[Theakerr]

Suggest you look at UK suppliers and import.  The better ones have pretty good web sites.  Also, drop the VAT (about 20%) when the ship overseas so the postage is in effect covered and often with a bit left over.  If you keep the value down and call the package "Toy Train Parts"you most likely will pay no tax in the US.  I would say that this is how most of the UK modellers here in the GWN work.  

[DoctorP]

Have you tried contacting Walthers, they may be able to order in items from the UK for you. You may also be able to find some useful items from wargaming sites and stores, such as Warhammer.

If all else fails you could always order from several UK model shops and have it despatched back to you.

 

Hope this is of some help, Ian.

Thanks. A friend in Canada gave me some resources including Hatton's which seems to have a great deal. I'm still looking however for exactly what i want in terms of Cotswold stone and thatch roofs. I am checking Hornby, Dapol, etc but coming up a little short. DoctorP

[DoctorP]

Both Hornby and Bachmann do excellent cast resin ready to plonk buildings and structures.  Try Hattons ( http://www.hattons.co.uk/ ) and look for Skaledale and Scalescenes respectively.  They're not cheap but really excellent value.  Resin buildings are fairly heavy so postage could be high.  For someone more local try Model Railway Imports: ( http://www.modelrailwayimports.com/index.php )  Postage could be better than from UK.

 

You can also check out North American suppliers here:  http://www.brmna.org/prodser.shtml

 

John 

Thanks, John. I've been looking at Hattons which, right now, seems to be the #1 option.  DoctorP

[DoctorP]

Agreed about RTP; many of these are very typical of the area.  To go for a proper 'Cotswold Stone' look, repainting and weathering may be needed, but if you are ok with kitbashing I imagine you will be happy enough to get a paint brush out.  Some of the Airfix/Dapol/Kitmaster plastic construction kit range might suit your needs as well, especially the church (actually an Isle of Wight prototype) and the thatched cottage, but brick built post war buildings like the shop will be ok as well.  The pub is not especially Cotswoldish, stone buildings of that sort being more common than the lath and plaster of the kit, but would not be impossible.  

 

The brick station building will be not horribly out of place either.  Heljan used to do a very nice brick goods shed construction kit, but I do not know if this is still available.  You might want to look at some of the printed card brick buildings as well; brick would be common for railway buildings, and industrial or housing post WW1 when local councils started building 'homes for heroes' until the depression put a stop to it.

 

I mention these because postage costs will be low compared to RTP resin.

 

Enjoy the sunny confines, Doctor; it is snowing and horribly cold in the wind here, a good evening to stay in and do some modelling!

Thanks John...this is certainly good information and I will check out these resources. I don't think I'm going to get exactly what I want and may have to strike a trade-off and just do the best i can with what is available but this is sure good info. Now, i don't want to appear as ignorant as I actually am, but I am very new to model railroading and have not mastered the terms yet so I'm just going to have to ask, what is RTP resin? (Sorry to have to ask that.)  DoctorP

[DoctorP]

My benchwork

 

https://imgur.com/WD3GSZa

[DoctorP]

Suggest you look at UK suppliers and import.  The better ones have pretty good web sites.  Also, drop the VAT (about 20%) when the ship overseas so the postage is in effect covered and often with a bit left over.  If you keep the value down and call the package "Toy Train Parts"you most likely will pay no tax in the US.  I would say that this is how most of the UK modellers here in the GWN work.  

Advice taken...will follow. Thanks. DoctorP

[crompton 33]

DoctorP. Have you looked at wills kits. They do 3 stone kits worth a look.  https://www.peco-uk.com/prodtype.asp?strParents=3351,3352&CAT_ID=3354&numRecordPosition=1

[DoctorP]

Have you tried contacting Walthers, they may be able to order in items from the UK for you. You may also be able to find some useful items from wargaming sites and stores, such as Warhammer.

If all else fails you could always order from several UK model shops and have it despatched back to you.

 

Hope this is of some help, Ian.

 

Thanks, Ian. I need to do a re-check of US suppliers.  DoctorP

[DoctorP]

DoctorP. Have you looked at wills kits. They do 3 stone kits worth a look.  https://www.peco-uk.com/prodtype.asp?strParents=3351,3352&CAT_ID=3354&numRecordPosition=1

Ahhhh...I'll check it out. Thanks. DoctorP

[DoctorP]

Ahhhh...I'll check it out. Thanks. DoctorP

The Wills site has somr really great stuff!  DoctorP

[DoctorP]

DoctorP. Have you looked at wills kits. They do 3 stone kits worth a look.  https://www.peco-uk.com/prodtype.asp?strParents=3351,3352&CAT_ID=3354&numRecordPosition=1

Rewally quality stuff...didn't see prices...that's a worry.  DoctorP

[DoctorP]

Thanks, John. I've been looking at Hattons which, right now, seems to be the #1 option.  DoctorP

Yep, I'm a member of BRMNA. DoctorP

[brossard]

Yep, I'm a member of BRMNA. DoctorP

 

Yes, the picture you posted here was dead giveaway.  RMWeb is so much more dynamic than the BRMNA Forum.

 

John

[DoctorP]

Yes, the picture you posted here was dead giveaway.  RMWeb is so much more dynamic than the BRMNA Forum.

 

John

Yes, John, you are right. I wish the BRMNA site was "busier" and I don't really know why it is not. The forum should have a lot more activity than it does but there is nothing I can do to change that. I am glad that this forum opens up to a lively repartee with others in the OO scale world. I'm going to purchase track today. We live in a very rural area with no hobby shops but today we have come to a city about 1 1/2 hours away from our home to babysit with our grandson while his mom works and they have a Hobby Town here in Lexington that carries trains/track and accessories. I'm in the process this morning of figuring up my track needs. Since this is my first build, I'm going to use the Atlas snap track. I know that goes against all proper modeling etiquette but at this first layout creation, I feel more comfortable with the snap track. I'll probably solder the snap joints to make things more permanent. If you have any advice on track I'm open to it but this morning I'm going to try to figure up what I need and then run over to Hobby Town and pick it up (if they have enough track in stock). Thanks again for your reply,  DoctorP

[brossard]

Hi Doc.  It can be extremely difficult to find proper UK railway modelling supplies in NA.  Steve at Model Railway Imports carries Peco products (and all the other brands too) so I recommend you browse his store at the link in post #3 and email him with your needs.   

 

Peco is great value.  In fact most NA themed layouts I have seen locally use Peco code 100 turnouts with Atlas track.  I am less than impressed with things Atlas, but then I'm a self confessed fusspot

 

Atlas plain track will work of course.  The gauge is right (for 00) but no chair detail.  It is also code 100.  A more to scale size of rail is code 75 and Peco do a range of code 75 track and turnouts.  They have recently released a range of code 75 track with bullhead rail.  Peco also do a range of track for the NA modeller in code 83.

 

If you haven't done a layout before, I would say go ahead and get some track, plonk it down, wire it up and have a play.  In fact it might even be a good idea to get yourself a train set - for the purposes of research of course.  I did this when starting out over 30 years ago.  Once you've got the feel, you can branch out into more sophisticated things.

 

I don't think you mentioned locos and stock - do you have any?

 

What about control?  I think it's safe to say that most railway modellers have DCC these days, I have been DCC for probably 20 yrs+ and wouldn't even contemplate DC now.

 

I'll put in a plug for my second hand list here:  http://www.brmna.org/4sale/jken.shtm Although most things are LMS and LNER so not really appropriate for your Cotswold idea.  There are plenty of other lists on the BRMNA site so take a look.

 

Getting started in model railways is very exciting but can be fraught too.  As you learn you'll probably make mistakes, I did but it does come.

 

John

Edited March 19, 2018 by brossard

[Joseph_Pestell]

Sadly, no really easy options when it comes to Cotswold Stone buildings. Some downloadable card kits perhaps. The evergreen Bilteezi card range is quite good for architectural style but the stonework rather too grey for most of the Cotswolds and of course no relief to represent the mortar joints.

 

Perhaps, since it is a first layout, best to portray a small rural station with no other buildings nearby?

[Kylestrome]

....................... what is RTP resin? (Sorry to have to ask that.)  DoctorP

 

RTP, as far as I can gather, means different things to different people but the meaning is more or less the same, for instance: "Ready To Place", "Ready To Plant", "Ready To Position".

 

HTH,

David

[brossard]

...Ready to Plonk.

 

John

[Kylestrome]

...Ready to Plonk.

 

John

 

Well yes, if you prefer to use an expression which is easily understood the world over.  

[The Johnster]

Many RTP buildings, including those from Hornby, Bachmann, and Oxford, are cast in a resin material which is very suitable for highly detailed moulding. The drawback is that structural strength relies on the resin being pretty thick, and the walls are blatantly overthick where there are large windows and modelling such thinks as open doors or lit interiors is not advised.  They are in consequence quite heavy as well.   And not cheap either, but you get a well detailed and fully painted model that will require no work, though as with RTR locos and vehicles I prefer a wash of weathering to blend them in.  An American modeller will suffer a bit of a culture shock when he realises that our smaller market will not support the excellent variety of superb ready finished plastic building construction kits available to US prototype modellers in H0.

[TexChem]

You can probably figure out where I am located.  I have found that as noted above many of the UK-based model shops ship quickly and accurately to the US; the VAT saving typically offsets the postage costs.  Depending on the $ to pound exchange rate, the costs are really quite affordable.

 

US-based British outline items can be found on ebay from time to time, including some kits, I have obtained several things by this route.  And, if you're prepared to undertake some kit bashing, a good number of the US-outline kits can be Anglicized, particularly the industrial ones (I realize this is not what the OP is after). 

 

This forum is excellent and while views sometimes differ, there is nearly always a solution to a problem that you can use.