Why did Modulars die?

[asarge]

The problem with the modulars stuff from WKW, at least by selling thru retail channels, is that there were/are not enough really good modelers out there with the vision and expertise to see what they were going to do. Most of the people buying structure kits want an idea of what a finished product was going to be. The strict modular pieces together did not depict what exactly they were supposed to look like at the end result. Many of you guys on the forums have the skill level to see the big picture and break down what you were going to build into sections and pieces, but most need some sort of direction.

They were pricey and the pieces didn't sell well, they did better when they packaged it up as a structure and sold the 3 in 1's or the creamery set but the 2 major industries that had everything in one box were just too pricey for most people who were not going to build that big of a layout. The 3 in 1's or making smaller kit's with a picture and real instructions would have done much better, but we'll never know because the people at WKW now believe that that product line will NEVER sell.

[JoeD]

I think the lack of modeling in N scale became an issue.  It's evolved to RTR with notable exceptions of course, but the trend has always been towards shake and bake.   I personally loved the stuff for background and beat up structures.  The tooling was soft and there was so much flash in the windows of the DPM stuff it was more trouble to clean it up then it was worth sometimes.  Would like to see a new take on it.

Joe

[Dave V]

+1 Joe.

These would be competing for shelf space with an ever growing population of "built-ups" and "built-n-ready" structures.

I rather enjoy structure kits myself, but I guess I'm in a shrinking demographic in that regard.

[thomasjmdavis]

Peteski,

Your model mill is indeed a very nice representation of the mills in your photos and you are right, of course, that the DPM windows would not work.  DPM windows won't represent a 19th century or early 20th century building very well.  For that matter, I wish someone had made modulars with the even larger curtain wall windows (ala the Walther printing company) of the mid 20th century- actually, maybe somebody did make some modulars like that, but smaller company and I haven't seen them for years.

I have a large-ish passenger station built from Walthers modulars- if I ever get to building Dearborn station, it will become a corporate headquarters or school.  For the time being packed away, waiting for me to get the basement squared away and new layout started.  Planning to use the last of the modulars I have to do a long foundry type building (lower windows will be bricked in, will have big windows on second floor, and I need to figure out a clerestory.

[peteski]

Peteski,

Your model mill is indeed a very nice representation of the mills in your photos and you are right, of course, that the DPM windows would not work. 

In the interest of disclosure, that is not my model. I found the photo on the internet.  But the source was another N-scale forum, so some N-scaler did make that wonderful structure.   And if I ever get to the point where I have a layout depicting a New England mill town, I will try to build a similar structure for it.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think the future answer lies in 3d printing... build an app that lets you combine structure parts, hit print, and go.

I've got some of both, and they're just such a drag to work with. Alignment, fit, flash, ugh. Such a pain. By the time all is said and done, it's almost easier to just scratchbuild.

But, then again, that's because I want BIG buildings, where you have to tie a bunch of them together. Using the Walthers modulars for my yard office was ok. There were fit issues, but I blame my own rushing for most of those.

[sirenwerks]

I think current modulars lack in two ways.  First, the WKW is poor quality; the horizontal joints require too much work to make them look like anything other than a crappy plastic casting.  I know that's just my opinion.  Secondly, and this applies to both WKW and DPM, there's not enough variety.  Big mills that grew over time have different designs to each section, and you can't get that with two products with uniform spacing of pilasters, slabs, and window and door designs and opening spacing.  IMO, if you want a nice mill, RYO with different thicknesses of styrene curtained in brick sheet.

[basementcalling]

It's the windows, stupid.

The right way to make modular would be to make the framing bricks, pillasters, cornice, etc, one aligned piece, and make the entire face with the wife down openings the interchangeable part. A brick square with various cutouts for different sized windows would be  almost limitless in possibilities: curtain wall, rounded windows, double hung, large or small.

With how DPM and Walthers designed things, after a few floors or lengths there is too much brick, amd not enough window, not too mention the cost.

N Scale Architect has a modular curtain wall building on its website as a Web only purchase. Looks good to me.

The final flaw in the marketing of both the lines was the need for pillaster parts and inability to find them. The wall sections are useless without the pillasters pieces.

[peteski]

N Scale Architect has a modular curtain wall building on its website as a Web only purchase. Looks good to me.

Seeing it in-person (both as a display piece in the N Scale Architect booth, and helping to assemble one on a friend's layout) I didn't think it was very impressive.  The concept is excellent but the execution is lacking.  The fit of the parts seems loose and they end up looking like a cardboard mock up (the kit is actually made from taskboard which is a cardboard product).

[wazzou]

Does anyone remember the modulars well ahead of DPM or Walthers that were all molded in clear Styrene?
I want to say they were NuLine or something like that?
They had curtain walls with windows, personnel doors, roll up doors and so on. 
They looked tedious as far as painting but the fit for construction was perfectly rendered. 
They were sold in packages on pegboard hooks, mix and match....
I think they were well ahead of their time and I wish now I had purchased some,

[wcfn100]

Does anyone remember the modulars well ahead of DPM or Walthers that were all molded in clear Styrene?

I remember seeing those at Roy's hobby shop in Mesa AZ many, many moons ago.  I must not have bought any because I've been through most of my stuff in the last year and didn't see them.

NuLine doesn't ring a bell but the 'N' in the name does.

Jason

[peteski]

Does anyone remember the modulars well ahead of DPM or Walthers that were all molded in clear Styrene?

Yes I do. I don't remember the name of the company but the name of the proprietor was Leo (Bicknell?).

Somewhere, I still have the sampler pack I bought when they were introduced.  The engraving quality was excellent and the variety of panels was very good too.  But unless you owned a professional pad-printing machine, painting those wall panels well (specifically the windows) was close to impossible. The brick and concrete areas could be done with just masking and spraying, but getting the window frames and the muntins and mullions was pretty much impossible.  They were close to scale in thickness (very fine) and molded in couple of levels of relief. And they were also inset in the brick wall with the "glass" already part of the molding.  That might be what killed that concept.

I'll have to see if I can dig up that envelope to check the company name.  But I have no clue where I stuffed it.

[sirenwerks]

I still have one of those sample packs too.  If I remember correctly, he was a Bachmann employee doing it on the side.  Unfortunately, his mother fell ill and the project died.


I wouldn't advocate for the clear styrene approach like he took, but right off the bat he had a wide selection of panel widths and window/door types/sizes (panel, arched, etc...).  That was a smart move, IMO, because the possible combinations were wildly astronomical and no two projects would look the same (unless you really tried).  Think Lego versus wood blocks.  It was a product that fired peoples imaginations, too bad it was so short lived.


i wonder what the cost of modules would be like on Shapeways?

[wazzou]

I remembered the name of the company I was thinking of up-thread.

N-2-It

[Chris333]

Don't know if everyone can see this:
http://www.nscale.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=37999&d=1355173076