What happened to all of us?

[SilverSpike]

I do enjoy building both from scratch and from kits, though I have done more kits than scratch. I enjoy reading the MR articles on scratch building, and wi***hey had more to offer in the way of structure, bridge, and rolling stock scratch plans. The other factor as mentioned above is time! When I retire then scratch will be the focus, but for now kits and kit bashing will have to be the main event.

Ryan

[Anonymous]

I've found that the older I get (and I just turned 30) the more interested I am in scratchbuilding. When I was younger I was happy to have a working layout at all but now I find that I'm more interested in creating a "slice of life" so to speak and I can't do that with generic kits. Besides building things is fun!

I don't have a layout in the conventional sense right now but I have been hard at work on a small amusement park diaroma. And because of my interest in older traditional parks as opposed to the big "theme parks" and my penchant for antique amusement park equipment I had to scratchbuild about 80% of it.(very few of the available amusement ride kits fit my theme or are realistic enough). I currently have 9 rides along with a host of supporting structures and I'm working on motorizing everything right now (which is quite a project all by itself).

And leighant, I plan to eventually build a wooden roller coaster as well so please keep us updated on your project!

Check out my efforts so far at:
http://community.webshots.com/album/81927695RCObhy

And be sure to check out what may be the ultimate in a scratchbuilt wooden roller coaster:
http://community.webshots.com/album/124266002bOUWQJ

[on30francisco]

I enjoy scratchbuilding structures and rolling stock out of wood. I have tried assembling craft train kits but do not enjoy them very much. I find it much easier and less frustrating to scratchbuild because I'm in control of the project. I also enjoy building plastic structure kits, however, I prefer RTR for locomotives. I believe there are many more supplies and detail parts available today for scratchbuilders than there was in the past. I buy most of my supplies at Pearl and Michael's which are two large discount arts and crafts stores. They have a much better selection than the LHSs and their prices are much more reasonable. I also buy a lot of supplies on line.

[ksax73]

I came into the hobby just before all this RTR stuff started coming out but I still like kitbashing things. This RTR stuff makes it hard sometimes. I guess the reason why manufacturers do this RTR stuff is that they figure modelers want to spend more time putting their layout together. One of my friends feels that way for the most part as he has no time to assemble some of the kits he has.

Check out one of my pages to my website,

on the left side go to the link that says "Rebuild Projects"

www.marylindsayrr.vze.com

[Anonymous]

I love building kits. I have a few RTR and don't hate it but I do prefer kits as they're just plain, flat out more fun. I haven't tried scratch building or kitbashing yet. I am getting ready to super detail a locomotive, though. I'm going to buy an undecorated Athearn FP45, detail it so it looks like ATSF #92 in the 1990s (I'm even adding the amber warning light [8D]), and send it to a painter so it can be dressed in the "Super Fleet" scheme. After that I may drop a note to Tony's Train Exchange to see about DCCing it.

[Anonymous]

I've only been doing theis for a couple of years, but I don't believe in buying something you can find or make yourself. Car loads and junk yards can be easily made from layout scraps. As far as buildings go, I pretty much buy kits, they're usually cheaper than the other way with the cost of materials now. Scenery is a different story though, I make my own molds and carvings, to save money and keep from having repeating forms. There are still several ways of doing things yourself, instead of buying, and you'd probably be surprised at some of the stuff you do yourself without thinking about what you're doing.

Greg

[camarokid]

I could be classified as an inbetweener or maybe not at all. I have a Suydam roundhouse I soldered up 25 years ago and still don't have the roof on. I have a Heljan roundhouse that will eventually be 8 stalls, but it only has two sides up and it's been that way for at least 15 years. I don't believe I could scratch build or even kit bash as my imagination is very limited in this phase of the hobby. Perhaps when I retire I will have more time to pursue this as I won't be going to far from home while my wife works. I do have some Silver Streak car kits still in the box.
Archie

[Anonymous]

As far as structures are concerned, from the number of kits and detail parts I can find in just a few minutes of online browsing, I don't think the sky is falling for scratchbuilders or kit builders.

As I said in another, similar thread, RTR is what attracts new modelers to the hobby, and without new modelers, the hobby will die.

Wayne

[JPowell]

Can't say that I'm 'new' to the hobby, but I am very inexperienced when it comes to 'building' anything. I've started building my own layout, and am having fun doing so. If I ever buy a 'built-up' structure, I'm sure I'm going to detail and weather it so as to not look all 'new'. Once I get my 'feet wet' with that, I'm sure I'll love to do kitbashing and maybe even scratch building. But, since I'm married w/ a kid (7-yr old step-son), I have to divide my time between family, work, and hobby. I've read a book I got from the library on kitbashing, and once I find it, I'm going to buy it as I had lots and lots of ideas running through my mind while reading it.
JP

[leighant]

Did somebody say cardstock? I am in the process of completing a cardstock "mocup" for a future project. Don't know when I'll ever get around to "actually" building the finished scratchbuilt project, but I had to see the size and feel of the project in order to see how it fit in a proposed trackplan.

My project? An old-time wooden ROLLER COASTER to give the feeling of an early to mid-20th Century amusement district in a seaside town. These were already starting to be a bit passe in 1950 before a late 20th century revival, "theme parks" etc. How "scratch" is this project? Went to a historical archive library in my prototype target city, signed user agreement and wore white cotton gloves to look through archival photos and got some photocopies of the roller coaster I saw when I was 10 years old. Also went to my university's access of Sanborn's Insurance Maps to get some outline plats of roller coasters. Drew rough plans.

Current stage of project is/was making a cardstock mockup with sections of roller coaster rendered in Photoshop and printed out on computer printer. 97% assembled, one last sheet to print and my printer went !@#$#%^&*. I have been going to the printer manufacturer's customer help website, trying to figure out problem with little success. To rest and relax a while, I came to www.trains.com website.

I generally think of RTR rolling stock as ready-to-rebuild. 95% of structure kits are "kit-bash fodder." Designing and imagineering is fun!

I have occasionally built a board by board structure to suit the nitpickets.
(Nit Pickers' Union Hall, Local 257:
http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/acn.jpg )

But mostly, I try to do something interesting, a little different, something to create the feel of the prototype or near-prototype I have picked.

[Ibflattop]

Instructions: There are instuctions in kits? Oh thats the paper that takes up the room in the box and keeps the content from slipping around in movement! Heck, I just throw the instructions out and get the extra cardstock out and wing it sometimes. I would rather kitba***han scratchbuild. Its just more personal for me. It kind of bums me out when you go to 3 or 4 of your buddies layouts to run and you see the same old structures. Kevin

[Cox 47]

WOW thanks for all the posts. At least there is 35 of us left! Xactos balsa card stock Elmer's Forever!! Thanks Cox 47

[Anonymous]

I don't do much scratchbuilding of rolling stock, but everything is still a kit! If I don't get to put it together, it isn't fun to me. Even the RTR stuff needs to be disassembled to change out couplers, add details, etc.

I do kitbash and scratch together some MOW equipment, which really is what the 1:1 railroads do to theirs too, when you think about it.

And looking at the structures on my layout, I don't see a single one that was built according to the instructions LOL!

One thing I haven't done and probably won't is hand-lay track or build my own turnouts.

But at least in my little rail empire, building, scratching, and bashing are still alive and well!

[Big_Boy_4005]

Personally, when it comes to my trains, the most I will consider doing is paint and detail for cars and engines. When it comes to structures, I expect most to be scratch, since my layout is following the prototype closely, and kits aren't really available for much of what I want to do.

[Anonymous]

cnwfan11, You hit the nail square on the head!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jdolan

Scratch building and kit bashing are fun and good for a person to use his head.

[#ditto][#ditto] I have and always will be building kits,adding interior details to buildings,the lights that are to be inside them, the people,etc. The freight cars that I have are kits,I will never buy or have any type of "modern" ready-to-run locomotive or freight car on my layout,unless it is of a past manufacturer like Tyco,Bachmann,Roco,Life-Like,that made freight cars that you cant find anymore in a hobby shop. Someone had said in another post that YOU are not a model railroader unless you "model " something,using your hands,mind,and imagination. Im glad that I got what I wanted for Christmas and more,which was freight car and locomotive kits,and tools of an X-acto set, to the cold heat solder set[8D][bow] Its a dirty shame to see people buying the RTR and they claim to be a modeler of trains.[banghead] As far as Im concerned they can take that [censored] RTR stuff and burn it.[2c]

[Anonymous]

Since 1952 I've built my fair share of car and building kits. A Silver Streak kit used to be a starter kit, only the newbies built BB's. Model Railroader had one of their Christmas layouts with a Central Vally caboose on the list. Now mind you this was for the beginner on his first layout.

I must admit that when I place a Proto Mathers stock car next to my old Ambroid or scratch-built, my old one doesn't look as nice but I sure have more pride in them. And look at the pleasure they gave me in the construction time.

I can't build a structure according to the instructions, it just doesn't happen. I can't even build a Walthers kit with out doing something extra, and Lord help a Campbell kit because the ideas and possablities are endless. I cut my teeth on Suydam kits and they begged to be altered. Why have a building that looks like eveyone elses?

I've super detailed the older brass locos but haven't messed with the newer stuff. My Overland's just have decoders and sound added but I don't add detail parts anymore. I'm like the old Optiviser ad - "been wearing these for over ten years and still enjoy the hobby". For the rivet counters - the ad went something like that.

Bob

[BRAKIE]

While I quit building car kits(even the Blue box kits) and more into RTR cars and engines I an still building other things such as buildings and I am more into detailing my layouts as much or better still, as far as I want to take them..
Down deep,I have this desire to build a old Hobbytown of Boston(Now Bear Locomotive Co.) RS3 or a Penn-Line(now Bowser) locomotive kit...Its a old time thingy of mine since I have.not built any of these kits in many years..[:D]

[rogerhensley]

I scratchbuild or kitbash whatever my railroad needs that I can't find easily.

It is a misconception that scratchbuilding is all pieces and parts. I have no intention of doing a board by board structure, but I scratchbuild. The idea is to build a structure that looks as intended and fits a need. This doesn't mean that it is a contest or museum quality model.

Here is some of my work from the "Tips, Tricks and How To..." pages of the Central Indiana Division, NMRA:

Scratchbuilt:
The Quonset Hut - http://cid.railfan.net/scratch_quonset.html
Suki Plastix - http://cid.railfan.net/scratch_plastix.html

Scratchbuilding and kitbashing has taken a blow with R-T-R today, and parts are harder to come by now, but there are still modelers doing it. To see that scratchbuilding and kitbashing is still alive and well, visit the NMRA home page http://www.nmra.org/ and take the Scratchbuild Showcase pages.



East Central Indiana HO Scale Railroad - http://cid.railfan.net/eci_new.html

[Anonymous]

All structures on my layout have been hand build except for a few houses and the roundhouse and engine house. Thats the only way you can get what you need. When building my layout it is modeled after the WM when it ran through my town. I model the 50-60s and could not find anything to match what used to be there so it left me no other choice. Its wasn't a bad job but every day for a year to get them done got old. Now I find myself kinda bored since I have nothing else to build. Thank heavens for plastruct, and grandtline making it possible to build each building as it was years ago. Oh yeah and my memory and some photos.

[twhite]

Here's to those MDC '3-in-one's' Tatans, I have a bunch of them wandering about on my layout, it's how I built my work train. They're about 10-maybe 20 years old, but you can still find them occasionally. Personally, I'm fond of 'kit-bashing', especially now that I have the time to do it. I don't mind RTR when it comes to rolling stock--in fact, after having blurred my eyes building some Intermountain and Red Caboose kits, I kind of WELCOME it--but I still like to open a box and see parts lying there saying "Okay, are you ready?". So we're still here and busily filing away.
Tom

[cefinkjr]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cjcrescent
Funaro & Camerlengo currently offer the VGN "battleship" gons. They are flat castings and are nice kits. You can obtain them two ways, in a box for about twenty, maybe a little more and out of the box for less. They even may still be on sale at a two for one price. The trucks recommended for the model is a six wheel buckeye and they recommend the Athearn buckeye for this.

Found an F&C battleship gon on the web for $20.95 less t/c (MSRP: $29.99). But that's a price per car as in one car -- less t/c -- for $20.95! Since these gons would only look right in strings of 20 or more, we're talking about at least $420 plus the cost of the trucks and couplers. Too rich for my pocket book. I was hoping to get away for a whole lot less per car. (another advantage of scratch building -- sometimes ).

Chuck

[dharmon]

I scratchbuild and kitbash on occasion. I also spend alot of time building up things from swap meet cast offs....a frame here, a shell there and some trucks and a motor from somewhere else. Detailing and painting are a big part of my hobby enjoyment. The number of RTR items I own might exceed one hand's worth of counting, but certainly not two.

I started modeling in the late seventies as a kid. Athearn ruled and if they didn't make it and you couldn't afford brass, kitbashing was the only way to go. The old MRs and RMCs were full of how to articles on making an X from an Athearn Y and Z shells on a reworked whatever frame. RTR was Tyco and Bachmann, everything else was a kit of some sort. RTR is a difficult concept, as I feel obliged to do something other than take it out of the box....that's just not fun to me.

[ericsp]

I like to build kits. From time to time I will do a scratchbuilding and kitbashing project. I will soon be scratchbuilding an oil refinery and a tomato processing plant.

I have scratchbuilt/kitbashed a Southern Pacific TEBU. I used an Athearn U-Boat for the frame down and scratchbuilt everything about the frame. I still have to make the handrails.

[Anonymous]

Im one who loves scratchbuilding, etc.![:)]

[Anonymous]

I know that kit! There's one half finished in my hobby closet [:D] I put it away after getting a set of 12 of those awesome Tichy ore cars, which are complete except for handrails and paint and couplers and trucks and...

Oops, the Akane has developed a squeaky tender wheel. Back in a minute.

-dave

[tatans]

This forum couldn't be better timed. I just got an OLD Roundhouse kit . It's a 3 in 1 to build an MW water tank car, a chemical tank car & a tower car(anyone know how old this kit is??) well, I started with one small page of instructions and a couple of really ratty blurred photos of the real thing for guides, every second line reads "Additional materials required). there are far too many strange parts--must be from some other kit-- I have to cut a reefer into 3 parts, the other part is for the other car somewhere, the parts included look nothing like the drawings, there are instructions for a car that does not exist and they keep referring to another series of cars that they sold also,Then I read halfway through the page and it quotes "Those wishing to build simpler versions of these basic cars should use the instructions on page 4 (which doesn't exist) However, if you want a Kit-bashing good time.....READ ON!" Now, I'm not complaining!!!! but I'm sure having a great time trying to assemble this monster. So if you want some fun "KIT-BASHING" pick up one of these old babies and go to it, if you have a week put aside. I'm really having a blast with it!!!! P.S. I just looked at the outside of the box, it says: "Creativity" and the purchase of additional construction parts will be necessary. the topic for this forum couldn't be have been better, along with some great responses already.

[trolleyboy]

I will not buy the RTR's my thought is that they are weekening the hobby by cost alone in canada the athearn yellow boxes are running in the $40 to $50 mark and if you model Canadian lines like myself you have to kitbash or redetail them anyway so I go with the kit cars where available or make from scratch when needed mind you I will use bagged manufacturers parts as much as possible. unfortunatly time isn't always a luxuey I have so scratch building in my house has become a rarity anymore, on the upside since traction equipment is a mainstay in my hobby efforts I still have the need to be creative and actually build models I don't win awards but I do have fun and that I think is the point in our wonderfull hobby.[2c]Rob

[PennsyHoosier]

I do a limited amount of scratchbuilding, but I do love to kitbash. I don't care for RTR cars or prebuilt buildings. I had one of the latter. I tore it apart and reworked it. It looks better now than when it came out of the box.