Dear Walthers

[MichaelWinicki]

This.

I have the Wally HO Power Plant on my N scale layout, actually sort of a 3 sided flat with an empty back to make it as big as possible.  I cover the doors with smaller structures and what not to hide them.  It wouldn't be hard to have an N scale recessed entry inside the bigger HO entry.  Or, in belly button terms, and "outie" would also be easy enough to craft.

I did something simiar with their Lauston Shipping flat.

If you want a big building, then that's a great alternative.

I'm just not sure from a business perspective that a super-sized industry for N scale would be a good seller for any of the folks that manufacture or supply kits.  From all appearances Walther's Dairy and Tannery were sales disasters or they wouldn't have been giving them away at the end. 

Yeah, the modular system they use was or isn't machined perfectly, but still Walther's is probably going to think twice before offering another $100+ structure (or structure group) again to us in N scale.  I think the size of the group that can actually use a mega-sized building or grouping of buildings is much smaller than what many perceive.

[wm3798]

Really, Art's on to something.  And yes, Michael, it's not a difficult structure to replicate using some basic materials and methods.  In fact, after looking at the price tag, I probably wouldn't buy one anyway.  About $20 worth of styrene sheet and strip, and you could do that and a lot more in N scale.

Lee

[ArtinCA]

Thanks for the comments guys..

Looking at the mill photo, I can say it would not be that difficult to build the basic building. The tanks and vents can be made from alot of what Plastruct sells. The $5.00 catalog they sell is well worth it.

However, I can turn you onto another source of stryene, but this will require some homework. Just about every big box store uses stryene for signage now. Since I work at one, I've managed of the last year to get about a lifetime's supply of .040" sheet (roughly 2 5'x8' sheets in pieces). You may have to ask around and schmoze a bit, but 1&2 foot wide, 4-8 foot long pieces of stryene are great to have for those with a few projects.... We use them for borders and to tell you what's on the aisle, but the ones I got have no printing on them.

Back to the room cleaning..

Art

[SAH]

Oh come on! Just build one! It's really not that hard..

Art

Exactly right.  Well said Art.
What else are you working on?   

[ArtinCA]

Nothing now other than cleaning and moving the layout room. Need to paint my tower at some point, since I will have a spot for it soon...

Art

[sirenwerks]

What Art said. That's nothing but right angles and stock siding.

[Rossford Yard]

If you want a big building, then that's a great alternative.

I'm just not sure from a business perspective that a super-sized industry for N scale would be a good seller for any of the folks that manufacture or supply kits.  From all appearances Walther's Dairy and Tannery were sales disasters or they wouldn't have been giving them away at the end. 

Yeah, the modular system they use was or isn't machined perfectly, but still Walther's is probably going to think twice before offering another $100+ structure (or structure group) again to us in N scale.  I think the size of the group that can actually use a mega-sized building or grouping of buildings is much smaller than what many perceive.

Michael,


Nothing say you have to use the entire HO structure either, although it would strike some as even a bigger waste of money, assuming the other parts couldn't be chopped into metal fences or something else.

Cheaper still is the scatchbuild, which can be really easy if you arrange your layout so it can be a flat.  A piece of styrene, some detail parts like door openings, which are sold separately, etc.