I think Lion is actually on to something (other than a Wildebeast!). The ex-magnuson Walthers kits seem to be a touch smaller than other kits. I have the Walthers turret corner building and it is slightly smaller than most DPM counterparts. And I think Merchants Row I and II might be on the small side too.
Its not so much the size of the windows and doors (which are slightly smaller), but the spacing between the windows vertically.
Yes, I'm sure different buildings had different ceiling heights back in the day...so these kits don't look strange next to each other...but I do think the ex-magnuson Walthers kits might all be on the smaller side....or at least modeled after their smaller prototypes.
- Douglas
Ok I just went to the layout and measured out my Merchants Row III (which someone mentioned was really a relabeled Heljan kit rather than Magnuson) vs the Crooksville plans in MR. It seems to be pretty dead on to the MR drawings scale wise, but as mentioned earliery, has windows (at least they look that way to me) where the original plans show doors. The MR article does say the drawings were slightly taller than the prototype (small/tall philosophy??) which may distort the perspective.
rrebell I have found DPM's individual buildings are all over the place in size and some of those look funny together especially Carol's corner cafe.
Real buildings are also all over the place in size. If you pick a dozen buildings from different towns/cities in different regions, and put them together they would in all likelihood show the same variations as the DPM kits.
Similarly putting the adjoining Magnuson row like town houses with basements (which are clearly from an older urban area) right next to the DPM "stand alone" town houses without basements (from a newer urban area) is going to look a bit odd simply because you are extremely unlikely to ever see that happen in reality!
Modellers get to be their own town planners - if you outsource your town planning to a kit manufacture(s), you are bound to get very odd results. On the other hand, if you pick buildings carefully to fit into an overall vision for your model town(s), then you can create something that satisfies your own sense of urban style
jmbjmb Ok I just went to the layout and measured out my Merchants Row III (which someone mentioned was really a relabeled Heljan kit rather than Magnuson) vs the Crooksville plans in MR. It seems to be pretty dead on to the MR drawings scale wise, but as mentioned earliery, has windows (at least they look that way to me) where the original plans show doors. The MR article does say the drawings were slightly taller than the prototype (small/tall philosophy??) which may distort the perspective.
The Crooksville Bank/Merchants Row III has a different ancestry than Merchants Row I and II, so I don't think the issue applies to MRIII.
I think the issue that Lion was pointing out was the ex-Magnuson based structures were originally designed from a smaller prototype or were intentionally slightly reduced in scale.
So all that being said, I am working on a fix and have ordered the Merchants 1 and 4. I can add 12" (in scale of course) to the building on the bottom with a step incorperated at the doors. I will also add a strip at the roof cap of arrond 4". Last I intended to use the sidewalks supplied with the kit but the curb is not high enough so will add a couple of inches there to make it aprox. a 6" curb. All this adds over 18" to the height and looks fine next to most of the DPM stuff.
One more thought for Lion. Looking at your buildings close up, it appears the doorknob for the larger building is indeed higher than for the smaller building. The window and door height seem more in proportion to the other background buildings. So I'd say the one on the left is in a smaller scale. Though the door on the larger does seem out of proportion to itself height to width.
jim
Up until the 1930s buildings meant to show the prosperity of their owners were designed with tall doors and windows - but the doorknob would still be at the usual height (about three feet.)
The apartment I spent most of my childhood in had nine foot ceilings. The main lobby was even taller. More recent construction would chop a foot off that height. This shows in the overall vertical dimension - a modern seven story building is barely taller than the 90 year old six story building next door.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Whiskey Row Louisville KY
Now that is a weird prototype!
Software Tools rrebell I have found DPM's individual buildings are all over the place in size and some of those look funny together especially Carol's corner cafe. Real buildings are also all over the place in size. If you pick a dozen buildings from different towns/cities in different regions, and put them together they would in all likelihood show the same variations as the DPM kits. Similarly putting the adjoining Magnuson row like town houses with basements (which are clearly from an older urban area) right next to the DPM "stand alone" town houses without basements (from a newer urban area) is going to look a bit odd simply because you are extremely unlikely to ever see that happen in reality! Modellers get to be their own town planners - if you outsource your town planning to a kit manufacture(s), you are bound to get very odd results. On the other hand, if you pick buildings carefully to fit into an overall vision for your model town(s), then you can create something that satisfies your own sense of urban style
rrebell Now that is a weird prototype!
That happens usually when the developers/city tear down the old building and are rebuilding the structure to modern standards, but are saving the front facade for histerical purposes.