What Era

[sirenwerks]

I model late 60s (though I may be upping that to early 70s).  I'd like very much to see your Wick Lumber and Winfields five-and-dime in N.  I'd also like an early McDonald's or drive-in style restaurant (like Duncan's in the film Scotland PA) and a simple motel with an office, like this one -



Some low-level brick warehouse buildings or flats, that could be found in the east, midwest, anywhere really would be nice.  Something akin to the one in this photo, but I have some even simpler ones in mind:

[lock4244]

I really like the Z scale Wick Lumber and Scenic River Mill... those would be nice to bring to N.

I model the late 1980's in Ontario, with more of an interest in rural and small town areas. Small town USA (err, Canada) main street type buildings, barns, and houses. Cinder block warehouses with rail on one side and truck on the other would be nice... the kind the truck backs up to the overhead rolling door and the boxcar is spotted alongside the opposite side, where everything dock related is inside and unseen. Basically, a large, flat box.

[PAL_Houston]

.... I'll bet you have more barns and houses than you need. ...

I disagree with this perception:  I think there is a real need for American style brick houses in N-scale.  Most N-scale model houses are frame structures with siding.  The (very few) brick houses that are available look European.  I think some brick bungalow, ranch and 2-story houses would be a great add and fill a need.

[Hornwrecker]

I would like to see some modernized fronts for DPM kits.  Many of these old two and three story buildings had porcelain and sheet metal fascias applied to them and cornices removed, from the 30s to 60s, and many are still in place today.  Anything from Art Deco Streamline to the Jetsons style would work for many eras.  (Now the trend is remove all this and bring the buildings back to DPM style originality.)  I've been thinking of doing this to many of mine, I think others might want this, too.

[Rossford Yard]

Ooh, I like the idea of modernized store fronts for old buildings!  If you look at most buildings now, they have been altered in some form or fashion.

I like the fast food stuff, too, although don't recall a lot of them closely adjacent to tracks.  If you do them, you should also do some obese people for placing around the outside......

[rsn48]

I haven't read all the responses but the modern era is poorly supported in N scale, yet engines and rolling stock are the strongest in N scale for the modern era.  Most manufactures crank out their transition era buildings for N scale which really isn't that helpful if you are running SD90's,  modern autoracks, container cars, etc.

There is no shortage of red brick structures as that is the transition era look.  Its to the point that I have come to realize I'll have to scratch build most of what I want for my layout.

I don't know what kind of work you do in the hobby but the glaring deficiency in N scale is the modern era.

[eric220]

This is the era that I model.



I aim for 1950 or so, but I'll flex up to around 1954 or back to 1948. I have a couple of pieces that I have to rationalize into that timeframe, but that why I say that I "aim".

In my case, the modern stuff is the sidetrack. It falls into the category of "What's the point of altering history to keep the PRR alive if I can't get a glimpse of what it would look like."

[robert3985]

1951 through 1956.  And any buildings that were built before that and still existed in that time period, particularly lineside structures including stations, sheds, tool houses, section houses, coal storage sheds, outhouses and telephone booths but of particular roads...not just a mish mash of these structures from all over the country.

[sirenwerks]

I disagree with this perception:  I think there is a real need for American style brick houses in N-scale.  Most N-scale model houses are frame structures with siding.  The (very few) brick houses that are available look European.  I think some brick bungalow, ranch and 2-story houses would be a great add and fill a need.

I kinda agree with this and meant to mention bungalows.  I definitely would love to see some more Sears houses along the lines of Atlas's Barb's Bungalow, some variety.  Brick versions would be great, but better wood-sided ones would be great too. 

I know other manufacturers make some Sears house designs, they're covered by a lot of the laser kit manufacturers, but IMO the majority of the latter have quality issues in regards to their N scale offerings; with windows and corner and roofline treatments that are significantly out-of-scale.  Yes, some of these are compensation for the scale v. process, but some are just an N-scalers-will-take-anything-I-give-them attitude.

Some simpler atomic ranch houses would be great too.  For the most part they're transition era and up and Model Power kit is about the only one out there.  And a vin Safeway like this:



PS - RE Sears house designs, I used to have a few online resources saved and will check on them when home if interested.

ADDENDUM - The Safeway storefront would make a great flat, since the necessary parking lot would take up acreage. Although I'd love to have at least one side to possibly do a 3/4 flat and feature a truck loading dock.

[DKS]

I so want to make one of these. No idea why.

[fredmoehrle]

In answer to your question, mid 1970's to mid 1980's.

Is there a link to your site somewhere'?
Your product sounds intriguing.

As for requests, all I have to say is that any farm scene or elevator scene from the early '60s to today needs gravity feed wagons.  Or as their called around here, gravity boxes.

Kill-bros was the standard here in Michigan growing up.

[Burlington Bob]

X2 on sirenwerks and PAL_Houston's comments.  I'm modeling the CB&Q in the 60's with NO pre-merger green to be found anywhere.

[wcfn100]

I could use this or some sort of decent size lumber shed.



Life span of about 80 years.

I'm going to try and measure this one in Springs before it gets torn down.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.873421,-104.81281&spn=0.001028,0.00103&t=h&deg=270&z=20

As for markets, this.



Jason

[wm3798]

1971, but I'm currently between layouts, so anything could happen.

I think some WW2 era architecture that can be easily updated and adapted to more modern uses would be dynamite.

Brick superstructures with big banks of steel frame windows, with metal sided additions and other modern amenities.

I do a lot of mods like that with Evergreen styrene... some prefab kits would always be helpful.
Lee

[VirginaCSX]

I agree with the modern structures.  Modern industrial buildings, nothing fancy.  I have way too many house but only two barns!