Dec 03 2008
How To - Combine Collectible Buildings with Trains
How To - Combine Collectible Buildings with Trains
The holiday season is here and the stores are filling up with temptations for the scale model railroad modeler. Decorative villages and buildings such as those from Department 56 (R) look like they could be combined with O scale offerings from Lionel (R) and others. You’re absolutely right and the writers at big indoor trains are filling the gap with articles, ideas, and a heavy dose of hype to move you out to make your purchases now.
There is no doubt that these villages, buildings and other products have their peak season. As such they are often heavily discounted to move them in and out of the stores. Make sure that what you want is what you buy. Low prices for something you don’t want is not really a bargain.
Be careful as you shop. Carry a small card or ruler with you so you can compare your scale model equipment with the village or building bargains. Each line of villages has their own proportion and scale. Some are much more decorative than modeling. Most are completely and intentionally incompatible with their competition. Many times accessory items such as lamps and fences or animals don’t even match the size and scale WITHIN a single village line.
Once all caution has been taken, it is perfectly fine to buy figures, buildings, and accessories from non-railroad sources. Some of the decorative villages have very interesting and agreeable offerings. Some of these are not in any railroad-related manufacturer’s line. So grab it while it’s available. Always use your own standards for your railroad and scenes to decide what’s right. You can use some of the villages as a starting point for a special building or scene. Spray a wash of diluted black acrylic to accentuate shadows and brick lines. Spray some dull-coat on the whole piece to reduce the overly cheery and fantasy (holiday) look. Paint some sections with white glue and sprinkle on ground foam in deep green for ivy and vines and browns for dust or mud spatter near the foundations.
Remember most of these village pieces are considered collectible and prices are high before discounting. Some of the values may actually increase over the years (due to many variable factors) if the piece is in PRISTINE condition and the box and related papers have been retained unmarked. Decide FIRST whether its a good item for for collecting or modeling) it won’t be easy to switch later.
Have fun!
Trainguy
