I've disliked Brawa directions for their N-scale wind farms and cable cars, but they reached a new low with the assembly instructions for #6570 (2 buildings for the cable car operation). They say both building are the same except for the roofs, but they give one dirt-looking supposed base, not two. They then say to glue a "forward bent outer wall" to the "base plate." Only besides the 1 dirt-looking part, there are 2 grass-looking parts and 2 beige parts that could all be "base plates." And no clue as to which is the "forward outer wall." And there are 4 more serious problems I can't solve. I've been building scale models for 15+ years and this is the first that is impossible. And the kit cost $50+. No response from the manufacturer. I strongly advise against buying from this company.
I don't know about Brawa.
I have seen instructions for products made in non English-speaking countries in 2 categories:
leighant I don't know about Brawa. I have seen instructions for products made in non English-speaking countries in 2 categories: The instructions are written by someone who may understand the product and its operation/ assembly etc. but is not familiar with English-language terminology. The writer knows and uses English well, but does not actually know how the product goes together.
You forgot #3 --> terrible English and doesn't know how to put the thing together.
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
And then there are the products where the instructions are written in what I call "Chinglish" -- a Chinese product where the translation into English was done by someone armed with only a Chinese-English dictionary and no knowledge of syntax or sentence structure.
One prime example is Micro-Mark's Push Hammer -- a device supposedly for the purpose of driving track nails. The instructions say, "Just hold push hammer and power it."
Please to insert here word for to describe part that not understand for comparison?
There are many who are engineers who understand the full dynamics of construction and buildings for example, but who don't know how to word it nicely for the rest of us knuckleheads to understand, too.
Then there are those who don't know a whatchamacallit form a nicknack or doodad.
Then there are those who are foreign language people who just don't know the language or words for certain parts...I may know the french word for "window", but I am not sure I know the french words for "pane" and "mullion".
Just tinker with it with some masking tape for trial and see how what looks better to be the part of the first part, then rinse and repeat when to close cover before striking...Maybe that is where the forward outward bent wall goes!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Actually the Chinese have become adept at making drawings do the work of text in many cases. Some of the worst language problems in my experience involves stuff from France (back when they actually made stuff in France that is) because they simply will not concede they need help with English grammar, and their instructions tend to be very wordy. If they just went to any bar and found an American with ten minutes to spare, for a price of one drink the English versions of some French instructional manuals would be infinitely improved.
But it isn't entirely a language issue although that can add to the problems. Writing a good technical manual, or a good instruction sheet, is not intuitive and takes real talent when the person doing the writing knows the topic well. I can think of any number of construction articles on RMC and MR which if you actually attempt to build the thing, are very frustrating. It is not easy to put yourself in the reader's shoes so to speak. And clear writing in general is not easy.
At the risk of opening up another flame war (or getting the entire post deleted) back when a broader array of stuff was reviewed in MR, and the reviewer had to assemble a kit to write the review, often the review would actually take the form of an entirely rewritten and improved set of instructions. Is it possible there is literature out there on this Brawa item?
Dave Nelson
I agree, Dave! I've built two N-scale Japanese temples that are laser-cut wood and about 500+ pieces, and the instructions are entirely in Japanese, but there was no problem. They numbered every piece and had excellent drawings showing exactly where each numbered piece went.
It's pretty sad that instructions entirely in Japanese are easier to follow than Brawa's English instructions!
Marlene
I've built kits that reminded me of Steve Martin's routine about teaching his kids to speak English all wrong, "Mambo dogface in the banana patch."
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Thought I'd surprise my wife with a Bavarian village complete with ski lift. This Brawa kit is unusable. By the time I got any idea what I was doing I had to order a second kit to retrofit. Last time for Brawa. And you're right, absolutely no response from the company. I'll stick to Vollmer and Faller from now on.