Using other than 1/160 scale items on an N layout

[nkalanaga]

Rich:  I'm not surprised that the loading rack worked.  Japanese tank cars are smaller than ours, so the prototype is almost certainly lower.  Thus, being oversized, it fits our larger cars.

I have some Tomix tank cars, as well as the Kato car Con-Cor used to sell, and they fit right in with 1950s/60s US cars.  The biggest problem is that the tank looks a little too skinny for "modern" cars, about the same diameter as the MT "39 ft" car.

[OldEastRR]

Does that Tomy Tec bank only come preassembled? Or is there also a kit version?

[Chris333]

looks like a kit to me:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/55063726@N00/sets/72157620879268909/

[Mark5]

Does that Tomy Tec bank only come preassembled? Or is there also a kit version?

I got the kit.

[peteski]

I got the kit.

I think they come as a snap-together kit. I believe that the walls are pre-painted and no glue is needed.

[Mark5]

I think they come as a snap-together kit. I believe that the walls are pre-painted and no glue is needed.

What self-respecting RW member would do that? 

But seriously, I will have to "Americanize" the building (that won't take much), then paint and glue (not sure which order yet) and add signage for my small town bank.

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/TomyTec-N-257899-Community-Bank-and-Trust-Kit-p/tmx-257899.htm

Mark

[thomasjmdavis]

What self-respecting RW member would do that? 

But seriously, I will have to "Americanize" the building (that won't take much), then paint and glue (not sure which order yet) and add signage for my small town bank.

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/TomyTec-N-257899-Community-Bank-and-Trust-Kit-p/tmx-257899.htm

Mark

If I went with a pre-painted, snap together building, I would have to add some glue spots and muddle up the paint a bit so that it would fit in with all the others.

[Mark5]

If I went with a pre-painted, snap together building, I would have to add some glue spots and muddle up the paint a bit so that it would fit in with all the others.

That's the spirit! 

[sirenwerks]

The problem with the Tomy Tec bank is the architecture. The columns should continue across the front, I've never seen any American  building with massive side walls protruding forward onto the porch  like that.

[peteski]

The problem with the Tomy Tec bank is the architecture. The columns should continue across the front, I've never seen any American  building with massive side walls protruding forward onto the porch  like that.

The Kato bank building is *MUCH* nicer. I guess you get what you paid for. . .

[Mark5]

The Kato bank building is *MUCH* nicer. I guess you get what you paid for. . .

Yeah, I got mine cheap. 

I don't mind tweaking it a bit.

[OldEastRR]

The problem with the Tomy Tec bank is the architecture. The columns should continue across the front, I've never seen any American  building with massive side walls protruding forward onto the porch  like that.

Hmmm, I need a shorter length building anyway. I could chop off those side "wings" and have full frontal columnity. 

[thomasjmdavis]

The problem with the Tomy Tec bank is the architecture. The columns should continue across the front, I've never seen any American  building with massive side walls protruding forward onto the porch  like that.

Have you ever been to Chicago?
http://s3.amazonaws.com/architecture-org/files/buildings/museum-of-science-and-industry-02.jpg
http://il5.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/21293095/thumb/1.jpg
Not sure this last is in Chicago, but it came up in a search of Chicago architecture.

And while this has the detail on the second floor, this basic design was used on several of the Carnegie sponsored libraries around the country:


The front of the Tomy building is not really a porch, more of a facade, and the columns are decorative.  The full column front (as suggested by sirenworks) is probably more common in the east,. where Federalist architecture has more influence and in various federal and state buildings spread around the country.

[Rich_S]

Carl, Japanese N scale is 1:150, not 1:144. You are confusing it with several other lines of models (like miniature automobiles or model airliners) which are made in 1:144 scale.
But if it didn't look right then to you then that is another thing altogether.

Hi Pete, We are going to get a little off topic, like that never happens here on the Railwire  What you said above is not 100% true. Japanese Narrow Gauge N scale is 1:150, Japanese Standard Gauge N scale is 1:160. Both the narrow gauge and standard gauge folks in Japan all use 9mm track. Add on top of that the 2mm crowd in the UK that uses 9.42mm track and models in 1:152 scale, then the N gauge crowd in the UK that uses 9mm track but models in 1:148 scale, no wonder there is soooo much confusion   

[Mark5]

Yeah, decorative columns are seen everywhere really:

Chestertown MD
http://www.kilduffs.com/Bank_411_Chestertown.jpg

Frostburg, MD
http://www.kilduffs.com/Bank_276_Frostburg%20.jpg

Frederick, MD
http://www.kilduffs.com/Bank_220_Frederick_CitizensNational.JPG

Hyattsville, MD
http://www.kilduffs.com/Bank_279_Hyattsville.jpg

Roanoke, VA (much larger)
http://www.roanoke.com/business/news/roanoke/wells-fargo-building-is-history-in-marble/article_168d19c8-5fa0-5f8e-bdae-fcfadc176e8d.html