Recently, I purchased several RDA building kits. The buildings fit very well into a early 1900s to mid-1900s layout as working businesses. With some addition of more modern details, they could work well into the late 90s. The kits I purchased are virtually flash free, are very well molded & have a lots of fine detail. I think another use for one of the RDA buildings on a late 90s to current layout would be as an abandoned building. I am currently assembling the Delaney Iron Works kit. Since I model the mid 40s to late 50s steam era, the kit fits my layout very well.
I have purchased and built a number of RDA kits ,I think they are great and easy to modify and kitbash.They represent New England / Northeastern early mill buildings very well. There are brick ,clapboard siding and stone mill buildings. They are also sort of modular so you can combine them into different size buildings. window and door mouldings are also supplied. A number of kits come with extra plaster , laser cut wood detail parts and sometimes Tichy plastic doors..They can easily be arranged in different footprints for your space needs a number of the kits have more than one structure. Well worth the time and money in my opinion.
Ron High
Their kits have a lot of issues!!!!!!!!! Rockwork can be nice and they have some nice designs but windows and doors sometimes do not fit and others have told me that sometimes the walls don't line up (never seen this myself but then I only have a couple of their kits).
I have built about 3 or 4 of the RDA kits and they do make very interesting buildings, typically of Northeast design. Some of the walls had to be cleaned up to bit together but otherwise nice kits. I have the Delany Iron Works and a few others that I haven't built yet. I plan to get a couple of more for the layout in the future. They are definatelly not your ordinary buildings, which is a good thing in my opinion. Here are some photos of ones built so far, but they aren't all completed.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
rrebel
I have a few of these and I did have to fit a couple of windows and door it was an easy fix. If that is the only problem you are laughing.
HAve you had problems yoursself?
What problems there are easy to work with, like some of the plastic kits from the 1950s and 60s. These don`t fit like Tichy kits but they can be made to fit easily. Nothing hard to deal with. You can also rearrange and modify kits to and parts to come up with great structures..the beauty of this line is that there are clapboard siding ,brick and stone walls that offer a chance to have a great. variety of New England Northeast mill buildings. Try using the slate or shingle roofing sheets from Narch.com for a nice compliment to the stone.
I am just finishing to Indian River Mill kit it has been lots of fun I have modified several of the BR&P towers to look more like New Haven towers of the same design . Along with glue, razor saws, Xacto knives, files and sandpaper you need to use some imagination.
I recently purchased the RDA ironworks kit and have enjoyed putting it together. Yes, some of the windows need a little sanding to fit, but it's pretty simple. I think these structures look fantastic and they are fun to weather. I will definately be purchasing more of RDA's kits.
A few photos of my finished stone buiding.
Great kits. You need to work them a little, but that makes it more rewarding.
Cheers,
Duff.
Nice work on the stone finish.Can you tell us what you did?
Thanks, Ron. I'm glad you like it.
Both the walls and roof were achieved using a combination of washes, paints and chalking (pretty much in that order). My method can be viewed on my blog site at duffstrainshed.com if you are interested.
Cheers
Wow, marked that one. I browsed their products and initially didn;t click on the Easton Mill because I figured it was the OTHER Easton - nope, I recognize that building, Easton, PA, indeed, where I grew up. Think I will need to work that into my layout somehow.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
A link to the site....If other Modeler's are interested:
http://shop.railwaydesign.com/
Take Care!
Frank
rrinker Wow, marked that one. I browsed their products and initially didn;t click on the Easton Mill because I figured it was the OTHER Easton - nope, I recognize that building, Easton, PA, indeed, where I grew up. Think I will need to work that into my layout somehow. --Randy Exactly where in Easton is that building?
Exactly where in Easton is that building?
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
I thought it was part of the mill complex at 13th Street and Bushkill Drive but maybe not. Although there is a grain warehouse just to the east of 13th and north of 22 that looks an awful lot like this kit. Another picture says it was part of the mill, not a grain warehouse.
I figured that was it. Not an exact copy, but close enough if the kit's designer was working from memory.