Has anybody built or is planning to build a giant-building downtown?

[OldEastRR]

I see these huge magnificent skyscrapers and such from CMR and Lunde Studios and such, and fantasize someday I'd make a massive downtown with them, except a) I don't have the money and b) I'd have to build a new layout and abandon the one I just started (or somehow stick a NYC downtown into the middle of rural Mass). But surely somebody somewhere has actually make a scene like this, in N?

[peteski]

We used to have a member in Northeast NTRAK (John Dunn) who had a series of modules depicting a large city. The tall buildings were mostly flats built from resin castings he made himself.  From the distance, it was impressive, but up close it was a bit rough.

[thomasjmdavis]

I have 3 of the Lunde structures that I am beginning work on for the downtown area of my next layout (gotta insulate the basement before winter).  Frankly, given their size, the buildings from Lunde and CMR are not bad values.  Look at what people want nowadays for a laser cut structure that is 3"x3"x2"h or for those 2 story "assembled and detailed" buildings.  For the same price, and a bit of work, you can have a Lunde building, or a BIG Lunde building for the price of 2 of them.  The problem with any urban layout is the cost per square foot of the scenery- and it does bother me that the current cost per square foot (12"x12" feet, not scale feet) for a block of N scale city buildings (2 and 3 story at that) is more than the cost per square foot for real buildings, but for 40 years, I've wanted a big city layout, and now have the time and space, even if I don't have the money.

A lot can be done with background flats and backdrops.

I've also rediscovered casting in hydrocal- something I did years ago when I needed retaining walls.  Realized I would need lots and lots of freight docks for some areas of the planned layout, and so made up a section from modulars and made a mold from that. My plan is to do some additional masters for the freight docks in and around Dearborn Station in Chicago and use the current master for a major warehouse. Same thing can be done for big downtown buildings where there is some architectural detail between floors to help disguise seams.

If the Lundes happen to be reading, it would be a huge boon to scratchbuilders if they released a line of window sheets based on the ones provided with their buildings.  For those who have never built one, the "wall" of a Lunde building is in two parts- the outer facade with architectural detail, and an inner sheet that has the inner window frames and mullions (and you then fit a sheet of clear behind that to glaze the windows).  Allows you to paint all your windows separately from the outer wall (so you don't need that 00000 brush we all have for DPM buildings) and glue the backing sheet to the facade, and not a speck of trim color on your brick work.  I wish DPM had thought of that.  If the window sheets were available, it would allow for us to use them as a template for the facade which could be built up on top or as a separate part, and save the tedium of fitting all the windows.

[wm3798]

Todd Treaster did a pretty nice job representing Pittsburgh with a combination of backdrops and models.  Haven't seen it in person (yet!) but the pictures are impressive.  Perhaps he'll chime in and share some.
Lee

[basementcalling]

MR ran an article way back in 1980 or '81 (I think, but it could have been a few years later) on Lorell Joiner's O Scale layout. In it there was a sidebar showing how he scratchbuilt his huge skyscrapers for his downtown scene from styrene, balsa, and sheet brick. He did a lot of score and snap style construction with the styrene, but cut the openings for windows from the sheet brick overlay in a capital letter "I" shape so he could fold back the brickwork around the bracing around the opening to recess the windows. On concrete buildings he didn't need to do that.

I always wanted to try his method, but haven't built a downtown in the last 35 years.

I am sure a data base search at MR would turn up the article. I think I wore the staples out of that issue I spent so much time as a teen ager drooling over it.

[eric220]

I'm going to have a pretty sizable downtown scene on my layout. I've already got several CMR buildings up there, and a couple of Lunde kits that need to be built. I was just thinking about that yesterday. My strategy was going to be to buy them one at a time, to spread the financial burden out. I haven't acquired one in years, and unless I want to drop the coin all at once, I should probably get back on track and pick up another kit.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

A couple guys in my NTRAK club in Philly have done some huge city scenes using Pola kits they bought by the case. It was pretty impressive.

If I were doing it, I'd probably go scratch built, using gatorfoam for the buildings with brick, concrete or iron veneers.

[chuck geiger]

Don't forget the Japanese MFG's https://www.google.com/search?q=n+scale+office+buildings&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiPsfiLwJzNAhVC8WMKHcGQAP4QsAQIJA&dpr=1

[Flagler]

[OldEastRR]

I'm going to have a pretty sizable downtown scene on my layout. I've already got several CMR buildings up there, and a couple of Lunde kits that need to be built. I was just thinking about that yesterday. My strategy was going to be to buy them one at a time, to spread the financial burden out. I haven't acquired one in years, and unless I want to drop the coin all at once, I should probably get back on track and pick up another kit.

Pictures! Pictures!

[Rasputen]

There used to be a site called N Scale Unlimited, and several people there had massive downtown areas with all kinds of sky scrapers.  I think one person was from the Vancouver area but I don't remember his name and the site doesn't exist anymore.

[Roger Holmes]

I haven't posted since early February.  My older brother died of pancreatic cancer in February and my oldest brother was hit by a car in March and was just released from rehab facility this week.  Both lived 200 miles away so I have been on the road a lot and just when I started getting my older brother's estate off the ground I became the financial caretaker of my oldest brother.

This topic has brought me out of my hobby funk since a large focus of my Milwaukee Road layout is downtown Chicago. So here's some photos of a combination of Lunde, CMR and Japanese kits along with a lot of permutations of the old Atlas skyscraper parts.

[peteski]

Thanks for posting Roger - I always enjoy your work!

[OldEastRR]

This topic has brought me out of my hobby funk since a large focus of my Milwaukee Road layout is downtown Chicago. So here's some photos of a combination of Lunde, CMR and Japanese kits along with a lot of permutations of the old Atlas skyscraper parts.

Hey! That looks a LOT like Chicago! Used to live there, love the Sears (or whatever it's called now) Tower! And St Pat's! All you need is the water Tower!
Boy, it's nice to see a BIG city scene on TRW... Do you have a website?

[nickelplate759]

Hey! That looks a LOT like Chicago! Used to live there, love the Sears (or whatever it's called now) Tower! And St Pat's! All you need is the water Tower!
Boy, it's nice to see a BIG city scene on TRW... Do you have a website?

Agreed - I worked in the Loop about 25 years ago and you've done a nice job of capturing the feel!