Will you buy pre-built structures?

[Anonymous]

I've got three "pre-builts" on my layout. One was a gift, the other two are not available any other way (and are no longer available at all). I would rather put a kit together, but if it is the only way I can get the model I want, short of scratch building, I will get it.

Like Spacemouse said, it's easier to paint, etc. when it's a kit in pieces.

[rolleiman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by WilmJunc

I’m getting aggravated with Walthers and others because many of their structures that fit the era and location that I’m modeling are only available as “Built-ups.” At this point, I can not get myself to purchase a prebuilt structure. Hey, I’m not ready to start scratch building my structures, but to buy something that you just plop down on your layout seems to take away from the hobby.

Just curious if others are also frustrated by this trend toward pre-built.

I'm not aggrivated with it, I just won't buy them.. The RTR movement seems to have a full head of steam, especially with people who just want to get things up and running.. Though most of my kits are built as intended, I make small changes with each one to give it a personal touch. I don't really want to pay the money to have to tear something apart.. I decided a LONG time ago that I didn't want my layout to be an ad for a particular manufacturer.. I didn't want to look at somebody elses layout and see a dupe of mine because they had all the same buildings. Keeping it all in kit form leaves me the oppertunity to make it mine.

Jeff
[:)]

[DavidGSmith]

I prefer kits and scratch building however I did buy one built up. Im in On30 and "O" scale stuff is hard to find here. I cut the building up and made a larger relief type. Looks like nothing on anyone elses layout. What do you call it, its not a kit bash.

[Anonymous]

Do you guys think it's just personal preference, or could it be a generational thing as well?

My generation has often been cited as needing *instant gratification* and I think to an extent that's true.

But I also know that my interests in the hobby are more operation oriented and while I enjoy the gratification of building a structure from parts, it's not the kind of high I get from a good operating session. Hence I've built kits I was either really interested in making or only came in kit form, and buy pre-built for stuff when I can. So my own experience may be that it's just personal preference. Your mileage may vary.

EDIT: I should add that the prebuilts I buy I always re-paint and weather. So I guess for me it's the finishing touches that I find fun, the laborious construction, not so much. I've already proven to myself that I can build a kit. I guess beyond that it doesn't hold my interest as much as other aspects of the hobby.

Jawbone

[rolleiman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by JawboneSub

Do you guys think it's just personal preference, or could it be a generational thing as well?

My generation has often been cited as needing *instant gratification* and I think to an extent that's true.

But I also know that my interests in the hobby are more operation oriented and while I enjoy the gratification of building a structure from parts, it's not the kind of high I get from a good operating session. Hence I've built kits I was either really interested in making or only came in kit form, and buy pre-built for stuff when I can. So my own experience may be that it's just personal preference. Your mileage may vary.

EDIT: I should add that the prebuilts I buy I always re-paint and weather. So I guess for me it's the finishing touches that I find fun, the laborious construction, not so much. I've already proven to myself that I can build a kit. I guess beyond that it doesn't hold my interest as much as other aspects of the hobby.

Jawbone

I don't know if it's just your generation, I think it's a general trend. To some extent, I think it's a bit sad.. It may just be the way I was raised though.. ANYthing I ever wanted, I had to work to get it.. I don't mean the necassities (home, food, clothing, etc) but when I wanted my first car, dad bought a shell of a car and a couple parts engines and said make it run (which I did). My point is, people don't seem to enjoy the journey anymore. They're in some big dam hurry and more concerned about Being there rather than getting there.. For me, the Getting there is the fun part. So you can have your prebuilds, I'll continue to enjoy getting there.

Those, are my thoughts..

Jeff

[Grubby]

I personally enjoy building structures over any other part of this hobby. I can understand the RTR movement in the MCDonalds Generation but there is a satisfaction derived from achieving something even if it is as simple as building a Walthers structure, painting it, weathering it and detailing it to be personal.

You can't be critical of people's efforts or standards, the hobby is about fun.. if scratchbuilding turns you on, do it... and so on down the line to buying those cheesy looking prebuilts...

The bottomline is as always, if people buy them, the manufacturers will make them.. if there is no demand they won't.

[doctorwayne]

Well, to each his own. It seems to me to be kinda counter-productive to pay extra for someone else to have all the fun of building a model. And I agree with the other builders: doing the construction allows you to put your own stamp on the kit, so that it's just a little bit different from everyone else's version of the same thing.
In this photo, the car is an Athearn Pullman, slightly modified to suit my personal tastes. The building in the background, while not totally visible, is pretty obviously a Walthers kit. However, it's almost four times longer than the "stock" kit and includes a large section built from Roundhouse/MDC parts, plus an office section built from a kitbashed Life-Like bottling plant. It would have been impossible, and for me, unaffordable, to buy this as a ready-to-use structure, or even as several ready-made structures to be assembled to fit this site.


Wayne

[dehusman]

Since I kitbash or kit mingle virtually every structure I build, i wouldn't buy any pre-assembled buildings unless they were very small and very cheap.

Dave H.

[loathar]

NO! I don't like RTR rolling stock either.

[Anonymous]

I doubt anyone could seriously say they would never buy one.. I mean, who can say there would never in your life be a situation where you wanted a structure, and happen to stumble into a pre-built that was just sooo close to what you were going to end up with from your own crafting? And the price was great.

Sure, Id buy one. I cant see myself actually hunting for them, since I like to scratch build my own. I dont even really like plastic building kits. But to say I would never.. na, thats like saying I would never drive without my seatbelt.. even from the garage to the end of the driveway. [8D]

[John Busby]

Hi all
If a kit does the job I get the kit
If a pre fab will do the job I get that
if I have to make something i make it
regards John

[Anonymous]

The only pre-fab structure I've ever bought was during the first year I had my layout, and it was a wooden grain elevator that another guy had scratch-built.

IF IT AIN'T A KIT, IT AIN'T WORTH SPIT! and it ain't goin' on my layout. That goes for rolling stock, too.

[Anonymous]

I have one pre-built structure on my layout. It was my first structure. I figured what the heck. Suffice it to say it was a big disappointment. Open the box. Plop it down. Done. What now. Left me with a very flat feeling. Like there's got to be more to this than that.

My next structure was a kit. I thoroughly enjoyed building it my self. If took several evenings, and when it was done I had a real sense of accomplishment. Unlilke the built-up.

So now it's kits at the very least, though I've not ventured into the scratch building field. And see little reason to do so with so many quality kits available.

Trevor

[WilmJunc]

As far as cost goes, some of the Walthers "Built-ups" are not much more expensive than the kits. That's difficult to figure how they can do that. I just can't figure out why they will not sell some structures as both kits and built-ups. When they do sell them as both kits and built-ups, the kits seem to always sell out first.

[KenMattern]

I have 3 prebuilt structures. One is a house that I bought for measurements. It will disappear into the scenery. The other two I bought because I can't find kits. I hate the colors, but some new paint, judicious use of razor saw and hobby knife and a bit of weathering will soon convert them into what I really want.

I have a ton of DPM kits and a stack of styrene just waiting for cold weather.

Tonight my 7 year old and I will tackle his first kit. I bought 2 identical kits. His mom will help him with his while I take the lead. We are all looking forward to it!

[orsonroy]

While I have been known to buy an occasional RTR freight car or engine, I can't for the life of me understand the need to buy a RTR structure. Of course, I don't like my buildings to look like everyone else's, so I modify/paint/kitbash just about every structure on my layout. If the building is prebuilt, I'll just have to take it apart anyway. Besides, I've been doing a lot of scratchbuilding of structures these days, which is even more fun that building a stock kit!

[trolleyboy]

Nope. I don't know call me old fashioned but I enjoy building the kits. I can kitbash paint detail and weather the way I want them,

Besides I can but two or three DPM kits for the price of one of them done as a built up in the WS prebuilt line.

No I like making my own messes.cutting my fingers [XX(] etc etc. The buit up[s are nice to look at in the LHS's though. They sometimes give me ideas as to how to weather or detail some of the scratch building or kitbashing's that I do, so in that reguard they are not a waste, but I won't be purchasing them any time soon.


Rob

[rudywa]

I model N scale and have purchase some (few) built-ups, the Model Power Kennedy House and the Bachmann Contemporary House Kennedy is very detailed for N scale, I added some window details, glazing, and the shudders which are an add-on that comes optional with the kit. The contemporary House was a mistake, it was cheap and at the time I thought it would be a nice add-on to my layout, but alas it stinks, after discussing my feelings with my wife, as with most Bachmann structures they lack integrity, design and detail. I salvaged a few parts from it, but it went the way of the wrecker. I love to kitbash and I have boxes of extra parts, and I am amazed at some of the kits offered that are chuck full of spare parts I think they intend for modelers to use for kitbashing.
Well I've had my soap box for 5 minutes, thanks for listening.
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[Train 284]

I prefer to buy building kits myself.

[Anonymous]

The only pre-builts I own are a one-piece resin church that I found at a train show, it's a perfect background structure,also buy old buildings at train shows cheap, but pry them apart a re-build them my way

[davekelly]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CNJ831

The hobby is "model railroading", not in this case model railroad prebuilt structure collecting. Our hobby is supposed to be about talent, acquired skills and craftsmanship, not how easily you can plunk down a fist full of dollars to buy something already 100% done for you. I can fully understand and appreciate those that might be handicaped in some way desiring and deserving to have built-ups available. But for most of the rest of us, if you can't easily assemble the simple structure kits that are also being offered by Walthers as built-ups, then you are in the wrong hobby.

CNJ831

How about the guy that really doesn't enjoy building structure kits as it takes time away from operating, or scratchbuilding rolling stock? Should they go without structures and be branded with "a layout's not a layout without scenery and that includes structures" or go with prebuilt and be told they are in the wrong hobby? There was a time when folks were complaning that plastic was killing the hobby and those that used "shake the box" kits weren't real model railroaders. Those folks must be rolling in their graves about P2K and Genesis. I'm sure there were detractors and cries of "not a model railroader" when sectional track and flex track first started to hit the scene.

While I will most likely never buy a pre-built structure (I love building, painting, bashing, detailing them too much) I see nothing wrong with people that want to and consider them just as much modelrailroaders as anyone else. Just as I hope people don't deride me as I have no desire to handlay track, scratchbuild locomotives or assemble my own DCC system from scratch. I dare say there is no one on the forum that doesn't have something that is prebuilt that someone else builds from scratch.

[Anonymous]

Here is my latest project. It's a scratchbuilt water tower modeled loosely on the Evergreen Hills design.
I saw it online last night, and had to give it a whirl. Since I needed a water tower anyway, I made one.
I still need to add all the details, but yall get the idea.

[Anonymous]

My initial thought was no, I want to scratch-build all of my structures, but I realized I already have a little pre-built church that I use under the Christmas tree.
Christmas is the exeption to the rule for me.

Bill

[timthechef]

I don't like pre built. they are too expensive and I enjoy building the kits. That's part of the enjoyment of this hobby is being able to say "I built that"

[BRAKIE]

Well,well well..You guys won't buy pre-built buildings but,will buy atlas engines and cars and DEMAND building kits.Why not go all the way and build locomotive kits? You complain about the noise Athearn makes and lack the skill needed to quiet those old BB units down..The point is why be two face?

[davekelly]

Athearns are kits. You gotta put the shell on the chassis and add the handrails. [:)]

What I think is happening is that everyone has a different meaning of the word "kit." Some folks would consider an Athearn BB a kit, while others would call it "shake the box" and still other would call it RTR where you have to add a couple of pieces. It also appears that while it is ok to do RTR for somethings, it is totally nonModelRailroaderi***o do RTR for other things. I'm not sure I understand that at all. RTR track is OK and structures aren't? RTR engines are OK, but freight cars aren't? Oh well. My thought has always been - if it runs on two (or even three) rails and it makes the owner happy - then it's cool by me.

[BRAKIE]

Dave,Athearn BB engines are not true kits..
Here is a kit.

http://bearlocomo.zoovy.com/product/K001


http://bearlocomo.zoovy.com/product/K002

I truly doubt if some that are bragging about building a simple plastic building kit could even build that kit correctly where it would run smoothly.
Building plastic kits doesn't make a modeler.

[davekelly]

Brakie,

I was being very sarcastic in my post. I was pointing out that some folks will say that RTR isn't modeling and that those that buy RTR locomotives are not true model railroaders, but then have Athearn engines. I thought the smilely face would show that I was being somewhat tongue and cheek.

[BRAKIE]

No problems..

[doctorwayne]

Yes, a true craftsman's kit would be a wooden kit where the parts furnished consist of a tree.
The modeller is expected, of course, to own and know how to use an axe. Obviously there are
different degrees of difficulty in different kits to suit different abilities and interests. I'm not
bothered when a manufacturer offers rtr or built-up structures, as long as the kits are still available.
As far as locomotives go, I've built many kits and also bought a lot of so-called ready-to-run. I don't own
anything rtr that I felt was ready to run on my layout. And I can and have handlayed track and switches,
although I'd rather buy ready to use most of the time. For me, scratchbuilding is the least
constraining, limited only by my imagination. I suspect that many of those buying built-up
structures are new to the hobby and haven't yet developed the skills or confidence to tackle
a kit. Simple kits like Athearn cars or Walthers buildings are a good place to start learning:
we all started simple and worked our way to wherever we are today. No matter how interesting
our hobby is when we start out, if we don't expand our horizons within the hobby, it will grow stale.
Perhaps one person's growth will lead them to kit building, or scratchbuilding, while another will
be satisfied with rtr but will expand their interest into electronics, or scenery. A big part of the
attraction of this hobby is its diversity: the fact that it attracts a diverse spectrum of hobbyists with a
wide range of tastes and expectations should only add to its overall appeal.

Wayne