Yesterday, at a train show, I saw a Pola HO corner cafe model kit. It looked quite nice. It had full interior detail, furniture, lighting, nice external details. But then it should at $200.
I never heard of Pola before. Can someone direct me to a website or product catalog?
The most I could find was 4 HO models for sale at a european website.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
Looks like they have merged with Faller
http://www.eurorailhobbies.com/erh/pola.asp
wjstix wrote:They're (IIRC) a German company, they may have made a few North American models over the years but their primary focus is German/European buildings and such.
w:
Pola produced the old Tyco structure kits.
Yes, indeed; everything said so far is correct. Pola has merged with Faller, both are German companies. Several of Pola's structures come in a weathered look so that they don't look too bad when you just glue them together and place them on the layout - but who would want to do that anyway? It seems that their H0 and N structures are now marketed as Faller products while the name Pola seems to be kept for the structures in G scale.
Do you have a kit number for that corner café? I can check what it would cost over here in Germany - which should give an idea if the kit is that expensive or if it is the importer.
Harry
Thanks for the replies guys. The Mrs. was actually interested in this building.
I think this is the one...But the one I remember had larger windows on the bottom floor so you could see the details inside.
http://www.faller.de/start.php?lang=gb&naviUp=3&naviDown=1&dat_artKat1=SpurH0&page=detail&dat_artNr=130918&back=menues_gb/backs/liste_SpurH0.jpg&new=0
While this is mainly a german city type building, there are similar buildings in the city square in Hanover PA USA...hmmmm "Hanover" that couldn't be German named could it?...Nahhhhh
I had not realized Pola and Faller merged. As for the quality, the kits from Pola are quite good. Many are European architecture but some, the industrial buildings, can be quite good for old North Eastern city factories. Remember the state of the art building technology was European in the 1880's to 1900's when many brick factory buildings were built in cities like Philadelphia and Baltimore, even older in NYC and Boston. Kibri, Vollmer are two others that are good models. One reason for the cost is the 1.45 USD to 1.0 Euro. If it cost 1.00 Euro it will be 1.45 USD. That makes European products very expensive over here.
If you leave some of the "fancy" mouldings off many European buildings look right at home over here. Having said that however, study pictures from your time frame, you may discover that the "fancy" trim was there when built and removed later for modernization.
Hope this helps, Chris
Don, that is indeed an ex-Pola structure; I have a catalogue from 2003 with a slightly different version of that building. Faller placed it in the Goethestrasse, while back then it was in Mozartstrasse :)
Underneath those sunblinds on the right are larger windows where a small shop or a cafe might be. As far as I can see from the catalog, there is no lighting and probably no interior - at least they don't mention it and I guess they would if it was included. Also, the old Pola catalog shows much less detail on the exterior.
Both, the Faller and the Pola model were or are available at some 40 Euros, which would be a little less than 60 USD.
Tom, that engine house indeed is also in that old Pola catalog, again in a slightly different version. It seems, Faller didn't want to include that in their program as they already had similar structures in their own.
A lot of the old Atlas kits were made by Pola, and their name is on the bottom. As far as I know the owner retired or passed on and Faller bought them out 3-4 years ago, announcing they would bring their kits out in the Faller line. The kit in the photo looks like a current Faller item that probably goes for $60-$80 due to the weak dollar.
I've been looking for the "Church of Our Lady" kit for years.
Mine doesn't move.......it's at the station!!!