What do you think of Hydrocal structures kit?

[trainnut1250]

 

Hydrocal kits:  No one has mentioned the cult classic kit maker:  Thomas Yorke.  His kits are some of the best plaster kits out there.  The detail is great and buildings are pretty cool.

 

City scene kits:  If you are going for taller brick buildings also check out Magnusson resin kits and Lytler and Lytler kits.  Yorke makes a power house that will work along with the already mentioned kits from Downtown deco and others.

 

Check out master modeler John LaBarba’s skillfull use of most of the kits merntioned above in this link scroll down a bit to get to his HO scale layout:

 

http://fjohnlabarba.com/25401.html

 

Enjoy,

 

 

 

Guy

 

[ho modern modeler]

I've built 2 kits with Hydrocal walls by Micro-Scale Models and they were both excellent, required very little sanding or finishing and fit perfectly. Also 2 from Cibilo Crossing, one was awesome, the other had 1 wall that was warped and 1/4" longer than it's paired opposite wall. I easily sawed the wall in the middle and rejoined it with 5 min epoxy, making it shorter in length and straight. Hydrocal is easy to paint with acrylics and the cast in details are quite superior to plastic or resin. Also, wood details glue right to it with Elmer's.

[Phoebe Vet]

I have built one of the Addams St buildings from Downtown Deco and am very pleased.  I would build more but I don't really have room.  All my tunnel portals and rocks are hydrocal, too.  I love the stuff.

[Moses45]

Thanks to all of you for the input. I have several wood structures for a small "country" section of my big layout. The wood kits are very believable. I have a few plastic buildings from an old, dismantled layout and they always did look just like..... well, plastic. I think I will go with hydrocal for my city . Thanks again.

[HO-Velo]

I like the DowntownDeco hydrocal kits, especially for as you say, the old brick, rundown look.  I completed my 1st DTD kit last year to represent an abandoned warehouse and enjoyed the build.  The pieces require some fitting technique and also creative applications to hide seams.  DTD is very generous with instruction and advice, not to mention free replacement of any broken or defective castings.

regards,  Peter

   

[E-L man tom]

I am in your shoes, Moses45, regarding the prospect of building a hydrocal kit. I have asked my fellow local model railroaders as well as those on this fourm about them. The consesnus seems to be the same. They are usually very good kits, with very nice detail but sometimes the parts do not fit as well as they should. On that, the consensus also is "that's why God invented sandpaper, files, rotary tools, etc.", so that you can modify the joints to make them fit properly. My kit is the Downtown Deco Trackside Tavern, which is a ways down the road from being built for my layout as Im not that far yet in building my layout. I am anxious to build it, I'm just wondering where it might go in the limited real estate on my small switching layout.

[peahrens]

For my grandson's HO layout I used some Hydrocal tunnel portals as well as a barn; both "wood", not brick or stone.  I don't recall the manufacturers.  I prefer the outcome on my layout with wood tunnel portals from stripwood glued together.  I recall the barn had some imperfections that would not be there with styrene, and the corners fit is not as precise.  Of course the styrene kits (brick type) are pretty perfect, so they (even if weathered) may not suit your run down desires.  Not sure what Hydrocal brick (HO) looks like; it seems like pretty tiny detail for Hydrocal, but maybe others can clarify that aspect. 

Update: Just looked at the CC Crow site mentioned above.  Pretty impressive.

http://www.cccrow.com/

[farrellaa]

Moses45

I am starting to build structures for my layout and I like the seedy, grimy rundown look of old brick stuctures. I have heard varying reports on the accuracy and straighness of some manufacturers Hydrocal kits. What has been your experience?

 

I have used some Hydrocal tunnel portals and building details (steps) and like how they finish, but I also like the grimy rundown look and found RDA kits have that feeling to them, once you finish them. They are mostly older New England style buildings.

   -Bob

[mlehman]

I've built Downtown Deco and GG&G kits and had no problems. Generally with these sort of kits, if you run into a part with a problem, contacting the mfg will get you a good part. It's also important to follow the general directions in the kit as far as assembly goes, as they are a bit different from the materials most are used to working with these days.

[russ_q4b]

I have put together two kits from CC Crow, the Virginia horse barn and the Shingle mill.   I felt these two kits where fairly accuruate and straight (the pieces fitted together nicely).  I felt that the stonework detail is exceptional.   I have seen several assembled CC Crow models at train shows and layout open houses and I am impressed with their detail.  I therefore strongly reccommend CC Crow prouducts.  I have not worked with Downtown Deco or Guts Gravel and Glory products since their buildings don't fit the theme of my layout.  

[Moses45]

I am starting to build structures for my layout and I like the seedy, grimy rundown look of old brick stuctures. I have heard varying reports on the accuracy and straighness of some manufacturers Hydrocal kits. What has been your experience?