Has anyone had any experience with Sylvan vehicles. Seems like a lot of money for something you have to assemble & paint. Since you have to paint the chrome pcs. What paint most resembles chrome? Thanks
Jerry,
I really like Sylvan resin kits because they were one of the first companies a few years back to start producing vehicles in my era - i.e. the early 40s.
Seemed for years there was a dearth of cars and trucks of the 30s & 40s. Jordan Models covered <30s; others, the late 40s and later. Very few vehicles I could use on my layout. (Side note: Folks who model the 50s have it made with the amount of products available to them.)
For assembling one of their resin kits, you have to use CA adhesive to bond the parts together. If you are missing a part or brake a part, all you have to do is contact Sylvan. Both times I had to do that, they sent me a replacment part(s) - FREE!
For example, I was missing a (1) tire from one of their truck kits. I contacted Sylvan by e-mail and explained to them what I was missing and from what kit. In a few days there was an envelope in my mail box with a COMPLETE SET of replacement tires!! THAT'S customer service!
Yea, Sylvan kits can be a bit pricey. However, given what they have to offer me as a modeler, it's worth it. They're the only company that I'm aware of that sells trucks and trailers of the 30s.
For painting the chrome fenders and details, I've used Floquil Silver and it works fine. I did, however, read on here somewhere recently that someone found a product that, when applied, really had the look and quality of real chrome. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the product though.
Hope that helps...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Testor's has a shaker can of chrome that's the best I've used--not saying it's real looking. I have also bought chrome sheets with peel and stick backing(from the automotive plastic model kit area)--sometimes applicable/sometimes not. I like Alloy Forms vehicles too. With those I can put a high polish on the metal that looks almost like chrome. After that, just paint.
Richard
And Sylvan vehicles have posable front wheels, which make them look a lot more prototypical in any layout scene. TTFN......papasmurf
I have purhased and built their resin building kits in HO. I am pleased, like anything else the more care you put into preparing the surfaces for gluing and painting the better the result.
Chris
Was interested in the Studebaker cars & trucks..I see the trucks are not available yet. Do you know if Walthers Carry them or do you have to order them directly?
Well, I love Sylvans products! Good quality and not too expensive. If you think that the price is too high for a kit? . I think there is a value in building also.....
The biggest plus about Sylvan´s Resin kits is that they:
1- Don´t require much surface preparation, as opposed to the total **** resin **** that is currently being sold on eBay.....
2- They are very well made, and actually can be built to look like the cars they are meant to depict!
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
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jerryl Was interested in the Studebaker cars & trucks..I see the trucks are not available yet. Do you know if Walthers Carry them or do you have to order them directly?
Walthers does not carry the Sylvan line of vehicles.
Sylvan Scale Models has several dealers around the world. Here is the list of American dealers:
http://www.isp.ca/Sylvan/states.htm#United States Dealers
I believe Clare only sells direct to customers at select modelling shows.
I think that the best product to represent chrome is Bare-Metal Foil.
Sean
HO Scale CSX Modeler
I have a few of Sylvan vehcles and I am happy with them.He offers vehicles that are not available anywhere else.My era is late 40s to mid 50s so they fit perfectly.
If you're modelling from the mid-'30s to the late '50s, Sylvan offers some nice vehicles appropriate to those eras.
The green sedan crowding the crossing is a Sylvan kit:
...as is this railway inspection car:
Both the car and the truck shown here are from Sylvan:
Another of the same type of truck - these kits are flatbeds, and I built several with different-height sides:
As mentioned, the wheels are poseable, (although not moveable):
Each kit also comes with a driver (or at least part of one), so I usually leave the vehicle's body loose on the chassis and the driver loose in his seat. This way, you can have vehicles on the road with drivers and the same vehicles, when parked, empty. This isn't a "must" for your day-to-day operations, but it can make a difference in a photo.
Wayne
jerryl Has anyone had any experience with Sylvan vehicles. Seems like a lot of money for something you have to assemble & paint. Since you have to paint the chrome pcs. What paint most resembles chrome? Thanks
http://www.alclad2.com/finishes/highshine.html
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
jerrylHas anyone had any experience with Sylvan vehicles. Seems like a lot of money for something you have to assemble & paint.
I just bought 2 more of their cars at the Springfield show - a 51 Studebaker convertible and the 46 Chevy Aerosedan with the fender skirts and windshield visor.( http://www.isp.ca/Sylvan/whatsnew.htm ) I have made a number of their cars and trucks and really like the results.
You can order directly from their website or through many hobby shops. You can find a list of dealers that carry their products on their website.They also do a number of train show like the Springfield show last weekend, also listed on their site.http://www.isp.ca/Sylvan/
They have a unique line of vehicles that the large volume manufacturers may not want to do, their prices are typical for resin, and their quality is great. The thing you have to consider is the cost of tooling for diecast or injection molded styrene models. These guys have to make production runs in the many thousands to make a profit - even using low labor cost Chinese manufacturing. Resin kits require less expensive tooling and they can recover their cost with smaller production runs and still make them at home in Canada. They continue to make their full line of vehicles unlike companies like Classic Metals Works that make something for a couple of years and you never see it again.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Although now but a memory, another company that produced a wide variety of period vehicles covering the 1930's and 40's, was Greg's Garage. Available between about 1990 until just a couple years ago, these could be purchased painted, or unpainted. Even the painted examples were only about 1/2 the price of the Sylvan models (although they were solid, rather than hollow). I purchased a wide selection of these models to populate my 1941 era layout.
CNJ831
Yes Gregs Garage vehicles were very nice also.I thought they were right on the mark
I purchased & assembled a Ford Woodie from Greg' s garage, required little cleanup & looks good. Didn't know he doesn't make them anymore.
I have a Chevy Woodie wagon a a 50s suburban from Gregs that I think look good
I searched for quite some time for the vehicles from Greg's Garage and finally found a source at the Train Exchange. While they had none in stock, whoever had taken over the line was about to re-start production, so I ordered a dozen-or-so. As far as I know, they were never made.
Recently, I found some similar solid resin castings with separate wheels at The Rail Connection. I ordered nine suitable for my late-'30s era layout, and they're quite nicely done. Of course they required some clean-up, but I think they'll be quite satisfactory once painted.
Wayne .. I continue being very impressed with your models.
Here's a 1/87 vehicle company, I just tried out
http://www.shop.stoneymountaincc.com/600-Series-1-87-SCALE-CLASSIC-VEHICLES_c2.htm
http://www.87thscale.info/stoney_mountain.htm
I purchased several vehicles from them recently. They sell on Ebay, and that's where I found them. They are solid castings of either clear or white resin. ... Three of the cars are in my new scrap yard ( see recent WPF) after I painted and weathered them. The company does have cast vehicles made for junk yards already dented and broken. .
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Heartland Division CB&Q Wayne .. I continue being very impressed with your models. Here's a 1/87 vehicle company, I just tried out http://www.shop.stoneymountaincc.com/600-Series-1-87-SCALE-CLASSIC-VEHICLES_c2.htm http://www.87thscale.info/stoney_mountain.htm I purchased several vehicles from them recently. They sell on Ebay, and that's where I found them. They are solid castings of either clear or white resin. ... Three of the cars are in my new scrap yard ( see recent WPF) after I painted and weathered them. The company does have cast vehicles made for junk yards already dented and broken. .
Some very nicely-done vehicles in your link, although not much for my '30s-era timeframe. Regardless, I've bookmarked it - who knows what they may produce in the future.
By the way, thank you for the kind words.
Sweet! Thanks for the links, Garry! There's a few models that would work with my early 40s layout scheme.
Stoney Mountain Classic Castings was a big seller in the late 80s and disappaered in the early 90s. I'm glad to see them back.
The cost difference between Gregs Garage / Stoney Mountain Classic Castings and Sylvan Scale is their manufacturing process. All Gregs and Stoney have to model for their solid castings is the exterior of the vehicle and the wheels. Sylvan makes hollow castings (a more difficult process), so they have to mold both an inside and outside of the body casting (a 2 part mold) as well as a floor with seats, stearing wheel, wheels and (in Sylvan's case) a driver figure. I recently completed one of their trucks which had a lot of underbody detail like drive shaft, exhaust pipe, rear axle assemby for the 2 rear axles, 5th wheel, etc. There also was an etched metal piece that had 3 types of mirrors.