New kit ideas (Downtown Deco)

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I gotta second Lee's mention of row houses.

Personally, I fully plan in transplanting this stretch of Race St from CSX over to CR in Canton:
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qjbr1f8mfrg2&scene=47338895&lvl=2&sty=b&where1=Baltimore%2C%20MD

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I could use some row houses as well. I like the brick tripple deckers with bay windows.

[up1950s]

I gotta second Lee's mention of row houses.

Personally, I fully plan in transplanting this stretch of Race St from CSX over to CR in Canton:
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qjbr1f8mfrg2&scene=47338895&lvl=2&sty=b&where1=Baltimore%2C%20MD

I will third the row houses as long as the style also fits into the steam through modern era as shown . The plain brick boxy ones built in the 60's would limit the era needlessly .

[wm3798]

Actually, Richie, the style of the houses was more dictated by the economics of the neighborhood than the era.  The majority would have been your typical middle class, these would have porches, big windows, 2 maybe three stories, and many times a small front and back yard.  The blue collar housing would be smaller, les detailed, and front right on the sidewalks.  Even the upper crusties would have rowhouses, only these might be called "brownstones" with high ceilings, large rooms, and a deeper footprint...almost always 3 stories.

In these neighborhoods, there would be a row of small houses, called "alley houses" in which would reside the servants who tended to the big houses.  

With a few changes in detail, this was pretty much the case from the end of the 19th century until about WW2.  After the war, there were still a lot of rowhouses being built (Ed lives in one of these, and I grew up in one) which were wider, but less deep, usually brick fronts, simple front porches, and minimal detail.
 
It's really a very interesting social history to look into.

Lee

[ljudice]

I guess you guys hadn't heard there was a housing construction boom in the US for the past 40 years or so???

At least until 2 years ago, I guess.

[SkipGear]

Sorry for trying to help them make some money. I was trying to stay within the original request. Downtown Deco's niche seems to be buidlings with character, more specifically, stucco or masonary structures that they can cast in hydrocal. The building I showed fit's their theme.

There may be many gas/service stations available but that is because they sell. Small buildings and service stations out sell every other structure at our shop probably 5 to 1. I re-order 2-3 gas stations a week. Large industry kits set on the shelves for months at time sometimes. If you need a large brick building, both DPM and
Walthers have you covered, if you want to take a little time and build them. I've done quite a few buildings with the Walthers modular in both N and HO and they are not nearly as bad as some make them out to be.

I did some checking and there are 13 different gas station kits offered in N right now, so yes, there are more than I realized. Take away the Bachman, Modelpower and European offerings that all look toylike and you are down to 9. There are 4-5 50's era laser kits plus the woodland scenics station, a couple 60's and newer plastic and brass kits and one pre 50's kit from Micro Engineering. A gas station helps set the time and location for a scene more so than a generic brick warehouse.

My other suggestion would be housing but there are not many residential houses that really fit into the Downtown Deco style.

[up1950s]

Near yards , in cities you will rarely see a ranch house . You will see apartments over stores , tenements , row houses . Once we get to a more rural area then the structures get property surrounding them . We have never enough choices in the houses , but given his style , and what we have to choose from , row houses would be a desirable option between the city and the more urban setting IMO .

[MichaelWinicki]

Who was it–City Classics?  That wanted to make a splash in the N-scale building market, came out with a gas station as their initial offering and apparently crashed & burned... It took them quite a while before they offered anything else in N-scale.

[ljudice]

re: houses

I just disagree!  Communities of homes sprout up OUTSIDE urban areas, often exactly on top of railroads. Of course the residents then start petitioning to have the tracks moved.

Hydrocal would be the IDEAL material for doing stucco type row monstronsities.

Don't forget the "FORECLOSURE" signage, BTW.

I didn't say I like the look of them, just that they are ubiquitous!

[SkipGear]

Who was it–City Classics?  That wanted to make a splash in the N-scale building market, came out with a gas station as their initial offering and apparently crashed & burned... It took them quite a while before they offered anything else in N-scale.

Strangely enough, that City Classics station is one of the more popular kits we sell.

[wazzou]

I have it.  I have many of the other kits available too.  Depots by John.  JL Innovative.  Showcase Miniatures  DPM built-up.

Here is the Depots by John one.


Now back to ideas for Randy and Downtown Deco...sorry. :

[wcfn100]

While not the most interesting structure, Jason's Dry Ice in St. Paul is brick, and is probably one of the smallest buildings I've seen with rail service.

It's lost it's rail maybe 15 years ago (guessing) and has been modified, but the basic structure is still there.  Does anyone know any other dry ice suppliers and how this one compares?

Jason

[sirenwerks]

Some of the larger worker row houses would be nice, but more like the Italianite two-stories on Hudson Street. I'd like to see some Craftsmen-style cottages, straight from the Sears catalog, like those across Rt. 1 in Arbutus or in Catonsville.

[Mr. G]

What about the Waldwick station?  I hear it's a sure winner.   

I'd love to see a flat iron building like the Cathedral Building in Oakland.

[wm3798]

Some of the larger worker row houses would be nice, but more like the Italianite two-stories on Hudson Street. I'd like to see some Craftsmen-style cottages, straight from the Sears catalog, like those across Rt. 1 in Arbutus or in Catonsville.

Atlas and N Scale architect have that genre pretty well covered.  Bungalows, four squares and cottages are pretty easy to come by in N scale.  And on a typical layout, you don't need more than a few to establish a residential neighborhood.

Richie makes the powerful point...  Railroads in urban settings generally don't traverse the best neighborhoods, or if they do, it's an area like the B&O belt line tunneling and cutting under Charles Village, or the NYC emerging from under Park Ave. (The Charles Village venue is lousy with nice bourgeois rowhouses).  Those yards, frieghthouses, industrial areas and urban main lines, at least here in the east, are surrounded by brick rowhouses, and not just a few of them.

The Downtown Deco warehouse building, with it's repetitive patterns, yet flexible construction is similar to what we might look for in rowhouse construction, just on a grander scale.  They could offer several styles, and make them available as front wall flats of say, four units, rear wall flats, and full kits with side walls and roof details.  The castings could be done in such a way that the windows could come from Gloor Craft or some other source, and just nest into the openings in the plaster.  For those who are so inclined, the openings can be cleaned out to accommodate interior lighting.

Sell the four pack of flats for about $12 or $15, and full block for maybe $20-24, and offer the simple flat 2 story workmen's house, a Charles Village type with the porch and bay window (Resin cast extra parts?) and the three story with the rounded semi turret, each house 16 to 18' wide, and no deeper than the typical DPM building, and you'll have a home run.

And here's the best part.  Don't even offer them in HO, and if anybody asks, tell 'em they can call a cab!

Lee