# Structure Kits



## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

Does anyone have experience with modern European structure kits like Vollmer, Kibri, Faller, etc.? Are they difficult to build or "shake the box" kits? Are the parts pre-painted? I've been looking at the Vollmer food kiosk kits at hobbylinc.com, and I've looked all over online and can't find any info on the difficulty level.


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## VegasN (Mar 14, 2016)

Hey GN. I have one Faller kit that I assembled. It is the Modern House w/Pools. The only thing that made this kit tricky was the fact that I bought it and it had NO instructions of any kind. So I had to use the box picture and very few internet pictures to assemble it. It has an excellent amount of details in the kit. It was molded in a few different colors, pieces matched up pretty well. I am happy with it.

Here's some pics;


















That picture on the box and one just like it online, but bigger, is all the instructions I had. So if it looks good, has good details, and can be assembled well with no instructions......I would give it high marks.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Eurokits*



GNfan said:


> Does anyone have experience with modern European structure kits like Vollmer, Kibri, Faller, etc.? Are they difficult to build or "shake the box" kits? Are the parts pre-painted? I've been looking at the Vollmer food kiosk kits at hobbylinc.com, and I've looked all over online and can't find any info on the difficulty level.


 GNfan;

I don't know if the foreign structures I built years back, qualify as "modern". They were of modern prototypes. The kits are well made and use pre-colored plastic; not "pre-painted". The cast in colors are somewhat less shinny than some other kits, but I'd still recommend painting them with flat colors. The prior reply about no instructions is true. All you can hope for is an exploded view, maybe with part numbers (if lucky) and the box photo. The manufacturers probably didn't want to print text in Europe's 57 varieties of languages. These kits also included some nice details like printed window curtains in several flavors. The structures all look very European. Very few are based on American prototypes, and few European structures could reasonably represent U.S. ones. The brands you mention are also more expensive than say Design Preservation Models, Life Like, or Bachman, U.S. prototype kits.
Which brings up a somewhat sarcastic comment.
I know the Great Northern covered a lot of territory; but I did not realize Jim Hill ever extended his empire all the way to Europe! Must have been quite a project building a trestle across the Atlantic!:laugh:

regards;

Traction Fan


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

*LOL*

The layout I tell myself I'll build "someday" will prominently feature Leavenworth, WA - a popular "faux-Bavarian" tourist town on the GN/BN/BNSF main line a few miles east of the East Portal of the Cascade tunnel. It's worth a quick Google image search. The Empire Builder still runs through there (whether it stops there or not) and Amtrak runs excursion trains from Seattle there during the Christmas season.

The little kiosks I was looking at could be an "Oktoberfest" themed street fair anywhere. They're not that expensive ($11-$16) and maybe I should just add one to my next order from there. Even in German, one of them is selling pizza and Coca-Cola.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

GNfan said:


> The layout I tell myself I'll build "someday" will prominently feature Leavenworth, WA - a popular "faux-Bavarian" tourist town on the GN/BN/BNSF main line a few miles east of the East Portal of the Cascade tunnel. It's worth a quick Google image search.


It's been maybe 8-10 years ago that we traveled through Leavenworth. What a curious beautiful little town! Unfortunately we didn't have time to spend there, but did drive through slowly and enjoyed the wonderful buildings.

You ought to have fun building your RR around that theme!


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I've built some Faller kits in the past. I'd say they were easy and straightforward to assemble if you've done some plastic kits previously. They are well thought out and moulded in different colours so you don't need to paint them but look better if you do. I assume they're for a European layout.


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

*I have my answer*

Well, it has turned out I have my answer now. A week or so I ordered a Vollmer item from hobbylinc.com.- a camping trailer turned into a food cart. It came in today's mail. It was listed as a "pre-built structure", so I was expecting something like a Woodland Scenics vehicle when in fact its a kit. Two different colored sprues of about 10 parts total, a printed sheet that contains the sign and the back of the trailer, and an instruction sheet that shows an "exploded view". I haven't built a kit like this in ages, and even if I really mess it up I'm out $11 (I can spend that much at McDonalds). I'll let hobbylinc.com know it's listed wrong when they send me an e-mail in the next few days asking if I've recieved my order, but I'm not going to return it. The food kiosks I was asking about are in the same price range, so I expect they're of similar difficulty. And I can print my own signs.

And no, I'm not modeling a European prototype. I'm planning to model an American town (in my state) on both a major highway and the BNSF Seattle-Chicago main line that's been made to look like a German town to attract tourists. I've been there a few times, although not lately.


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## VegasN (Mar 14, 2016)

GNfan said:


> Well, it has turned out I have my answer now. A week or so I ordered a Vollmer item from hobbylinc.com.- a camping trailer turned into a food cart. It came in today's mail. It was listed as a "pre-built structure", so I was expecting something like a Woodland Scenics vehicle when in fact its a kit. Two different colored sprues of about 10 parts total, a printed sheet that contains the sign and the back of the trailer, and an instruction sheet that shows an "exploded view". I haven't built a kit like this in ages, and even if I really mess it up I'm out $11 (I can spend that much at McDonalds). I'll let hobbylinc.com know it's listed wrong when they send me an e-mail in the next few days asking if I've recieved my order, but I'm not going to return it. The food kiosks I was asking about are in the same price range, so I expect they're of similar difficulty. And I can print my own signs.
> 
> And no, I'm not modeling a European prototype. I'm planning to model an American town (in my state) on both a major highway and the BNSF Seattle-Chicago main line that's been made to look like a German town to attract tourists. I've been there a few times, although not lately.


Nice. I bet its quite an attractive little town too, huh?


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Solvang CA.*



GNfan said:


> The layout I tell myself I'll build "someday" will prominently feature Leavenworth, WA - a popular "faux-Bavarian" tourist town on the GN/BN/BNSF main line a few miles east of the East Portal of the Cascade tunnel. It's worth a quick Google image search. The Empire Builder still runs through there (whether it stops there or not) and Amtrak runs excursion trains from Seattle there during the Christmas season.
> 
> The little kiosks I was looking at could be an "Oktoberfest" themed street fair anywhere. They're not that expensive ($11-$16) and maybe I should just add one to my next order from there. Even in German, one of them is selling pizza and Coca-Cola.


GNfan;

I didn't think about faux European towns in the US. We have one in central Calif. called Solvang. It's faux Danish. (not like the "Danish" pastries that come out of a vending machine, or Denney's, though the same term would apply!)
Solvang is a nice little town. I've been there several times. Always enjoyed it.

Traction Fan


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