Skyscrapers

Tbone Apr 16, 2008

  1. Tbone

    Tbone Permanently dispatched

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    I have a space on my layout that is large enough for my downtown scene.My problem is that I cant find enough skyscrapers.I can find 5 to 10 story buildings but I would like some 20 story buildings.The only ones I found so far are these two ::: ModerN Structures ::: .What do you guys think of these and do you know of another source?Thanks ahead of time.
     
  2. Ed M

    Ed M Passed away May 2012 In Memoriam

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    Take a look at the December 2007 Model Railroader Magazine. There's an article on Rod Stewart's layout, concentrating on his city scene, which has a lot of tall buildings. Not N scale, and not necessarily skyscraper kits, but it will give you an idea of what can be done kit bashing, which I believe is how he did his. I suspect that you'll need to do the same if you're looking for really tall buildings.

    Regards

    Ed
     
  3. cfquinlan

    cfquinlan TrainBoard Member

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    I've scene a few kitbash jobs where people take two of the same skyscraper and stack them. If its done right, it looks seemless.

    Chris
     
  4. Rossford Yard

    Rossford Yard TrainBoard Member

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    Those look nice. Other options include three Atlas skysrapers. I think Paul Graf stated on the A board that they STILL have some in their warehouse, if you can't find one at a show or LHS.

    There was an article in RMC a while back about taking the Bachmann HO Trade Tower and cutting the windows apart to make them N scale.

    There was a line of styrene kits names Owen and Broke Bank, etc. that were hard to put together, but decent.

    There are the dollhouse types 151? series for older building.

    Lunde Studios had some prebuilt mid rise buildings, but I think they stopped that and are planning on offering kits. Check their website.

    At Detroit last year, the CMR rep told me that sometime this year they were going to offer some of their HO skyscrapers in N. Those look great from the ads. Not sure if kit or RTR.

    And of course, you could always do your own strathboard models, but for $40, I think I would let the pro handle it.
     
  5. TonyHammes

    TonyHammes TrainBoard Member

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    You may be able to easily kitbash a sky scraper. I would try to find some smoked acrylic or even clear and you could paint the back. Because modern buildings tend not to have the older style multiple paine windows you could use some modelers license.
     
  6. justinjhnsn3

    justinjhnsn3 TrainBoard Member

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    Rod Said buit some and kitbashed others. The article says he used 5 or 6 Bachmann Spectrum City Scenes skyscrapers per building. Parts of those kits could be modified to n scale. These kits are also retired and hard to come by, these days i see them going for $100 to $150 per kit on ebay. I sugest reading "Building City Scenery for Your Model Railroad". Its a book from Kalmbach publishing that has a section on how to make more modern skyscrapers from scratch.
     
  7. Rossford Yard

    Rossford Yard TrainBoard Member

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    Tony, you could use clear and add black or smoked grey PVC to the back.

    MR had articles on the acrylic skyscrapers years back. The guy was building a model of the NYC or CHI train station areas. On top of the acrylic, which was the glass, he used black masking tape to separate the floors and some strathboard or styrene strips for some vertical elements. I think the article was reprinted in one of the Kalmback repackaged books, too. It probably would work easier to do that as a flat to avoid having to do four sides.
     
  8. justinjhnsn3

    justinjhnsn3 TrainBoard Member

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    Sound simular to the article i found in the book i listed above. i am quessing that they are the same but Kalmbach twicked it a bit.
     
  9. haybros

    haybros TrainBoard Member

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  10. MOPACJAY

    MOPACJAY TrainBoard Member

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    I have considered using some of the 3D Puzzle buldings for background buildings.They make an empire state building which is 3 feet tall.But I wonder if you could cut the sections you wanted to use since they are mounted on foam.Not great detail,but not different from printed backdrops.
     
  11. Bernard

    Bernard TrainBoard Member

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    Tbone,
    You could try kitbashing some Tomix, Kato or Greenmax structures. Here is a link to a 6 story Kato building. As some else mentioned you could stack 2 or 3 on top of one another. Metro Series 6 Floor Depatment Store Ivory KATO 23-433B Structure N Gauge

    haybros - I really like his work too, especially the city hall. Gee the Euro is strong compared to the US dollar. I wonder what the total price would be with shipping?
     
  12. shortliner

    shortliner TrainBoard Member

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    One suggestion I have seen( and very effective too for a low relief one!) was one of the plastic filing trays(that come ins stacks of 3 for use on desks) with the base in little square holes like the holes in a waffle, used upright against a backscene

    This guy use "found" objects to make skyscrapers - things that were never intended to be buildings at all!

    GAP Railroad Structures - ModelRailroadForums.com
    GAP Structures and Buildings - ModelRailroadForums.com
    New GAP railroad - ModelRailroadForums.com

    You may also like to look here for some inspiration
    www.baining.de

    HIH
     
  13. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    HIH - thanks for the links.
    gives me ideas.!
     
  14. Rossford Yard

    Rossford Yard TrainBoard Member

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    Forgot about the Kato buildings. Could be used for mid rise.

    Also should mention the various background wall prints. In truth, most railroads aren't right among the skyscrapers (as per Kalmback City Scenery book, which does have the acrylic and strip board method reprinted) so some low rises and industries, with skyscrapers higher in the background is more realistic. Use flats for the first row of big buildings done as flats to save money, and then do the printed backdrops. Big effect with less space and cost - a big winner.

    I hadn't thought of those trays, but they would work for skyscrapers or maybe urban parking garages. I used City classic half wall sections as the base for a parking garage once.

    For flats, I have stored a few of those pool drain grates which have slots just the height of an N scale floor. I have also seen the plastic flourescent light covers used, with darkened acrylic backs. They have about half inch squares which kind of look like N scale buildings.
     
  15. Tbone

    Tbone Permanently dispatched

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    Wow guys,these are some great ideas and links.I never even thought about stacking buildings but that is a great idea.I dont think I am at the point of scratch building yet but I think kit bashing is the way for me.

    Also Rod Stewart's layout was just unbelievable but there was one problem with it (HO).HeHe
     
  16. Pete Nolan

    Pete Nolan TrainBoard Supporter

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    I've stacked a lot of DPM kits. It gets expensive. For taller buildings, I've used printed paper over a foam core box.
     
  17. upstate gator

    upstate gator TrainBoard Member

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    I built and sold a number of N-scale skyscrapers made using the matboard, acrylic, and chart tape method used by Mike Palmiter and referenced by John Pryke's City Scenery book. I will probably build a few more this summer.

    I created a student manual for an instructional design class I took--talk about leveraging an assignment! The techniques are not all that difficult, but they can be tedious. The most difficult part is working with the acrylic (a lot of scribing and snapping). Using an image editing program, it would be easy to produce faux relief on the structures to introduce a higher level of detail.

    (I have talked with Kirk about an article, but I haven't had time to work on it yet.)

    I've compiled a few references here, including links to skyscraper photos and the Urban Modeling SIG: Skyscrapers at Kaboodle

    I've uploaded several photos into my personal gallery:
    upstate gator Gallery - RailImages.com

    N-Scale Skyscraper #6 - RailImages.com
    N-Scale Skyscraper #5 - RailImages.com
    N-Scale Skyscraper #4 - RailImages.com
    N-Scale Skyscraper #3 - RailImages.com
    N-Scale Skyscraper #2 - RailImages.com
    N-Scale Skyscraper #1 - RailImages.com

    Maybe these will give you some ideas.

    Upstate Gator
    Pittsford, New York
     
  18. Rossford Yard

    Rossford Yard TrainBoard Member

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    Tbone,

    I recall feeling that way about kitbashing, but dive in. Its not hard and its lots of fun to get the building you really want! Just look at some books on urban scenery and buy lots of strip styrene to reinforce the backs of your buildings!
     
  19. Pete Nolan

    Pete Nolan TrainBoard Supporter

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    My knowledge of architectural styles and practices stops at objects much smaller than skyscrapers (i.e., residences). When did the "mostly glass" look start? I know Pittsburgh's Steel City (not mostly glass) was built in the late 50s/early 60s, and the Prudential Tower in Boston (also mostly not glass) in the early 60s. There probably weren't many architectural advances in buildings between 1939 and 1945.

    So when, between 1945 and 1965, did the shift occur? My interest is in the US. What was the most modern skyscraper in 1955? That's my era, and I need to build a few skyscrapers to hold up my second deck, to replace the printed boxes there now.
     
  20. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    Pete - I think it would depend on the city and when it started "re-development". Boston was late to the game partly because a lack of need and partly because of "historical preservation". The Boston Stock Exchange building and a couple of others including the tower over the old "Kennedy's" building were required to keep the facades of the original buildings intact before they could build the glass towers.

    From: Boston Stock Exchange Building, A Pink Granite Structure That Was Thankfully Preserved
     

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