N Scale Western Layout / Town and DPM kits

palmsprings2009

New Member
2191599655
Hi,

New Member....

For N Scale, it seems challenging (well for me) to get good mortar lines and bring out the detail in brick, esp on DPM kits. Have any of you folks had any luck making these N Scale buildings look really good.

I am trying to make a western ghost town in n-scale and need these buildings to look the part.

What else do you recommend for a n-scale western kits that will help set the scene.

2191599655
2191599655
One Layout Picture!

I am slowly building a layout and you can see videos at: My YouTube Videos.

Kind of went overboard with hydro-cal rock castings...I am going to tone down the hill on the right and put the town in that area.

Thanks,
John
 

eightyeightfan1

Now I'm AMP'd
Welcome to the Gauge.
Gotta admit, when I was into N scale(and even HO) I didn't bother with mortar lines. Maybe if I was into the larger scales I would take the time, but in the smaller scales, it seems like a waste(Can you see the mortar lines at 100'), to even bother with something thats as wide as a pencil in real life.
But if you want, you can take some white, aged concrete, or concrete paint, paint the wall section and quickly wipe it off before it dries.
I have tried this method, it does work in HO, with ok results,but I have no idea if it'll work good enough(remember that pencil?) in N scale to bring out the mortar lines.
You could try drybrushing the wall with earth tones instead.
 

roch

Member
2191599655
Hi,

New Member....

For N Scale, it seems challenging (well for me) to get good mortar lines and bring out the detail in brick, esp on DPM kits. Have any of you folks had any luck making these N Scale buildings look really good.

I am trying to make a western ghost town in n-scale and need these buildings to look the part.

What else do you recommend for a n-scale western kits that will help set the scene.

2191599655
2191599655
One Layout Picture!

I am slowly building a layout and you can see videos at: My YouTube Videos.

Kind of went overboard with hydro-cal rock castings...I am going to tone down the hill on the right and put the town in that area.

Thanks,
John

I avoid buildings all the way. I just had to say that so far your layout looks great and a western ghostown is a great idea. :thumb:

Roch
 

Great Scaper

New Member
Wow, I love the DPM kits, I've found it so easy to make them and get great detail in them. Unfortunately I've emailed DPM and they have basically sold their rights to woodland scenics.

For getting mortor to look real in the bricks, I paint everything before glueing. Once the brick work is painted, which I do two or three times heavier in other places, I use a reefer white, water based, testors, polly scale paint, mixed pretty heavy with water and dab it very lightly on the brick work. Once dry you can do it again with a mix of reefer white and C.P. Gray. after the brick work is done, I paint the window frames, then add the window, then glue the buildings together. Once the sidewalk and roof are on you can go around the base with a light dusting of a dark gray, hardly any on the brush and age the sidewalk and building. you can use a light sand paper on the roof and paint it for the roof, or you can actually add some light sand to the roof and let the paint work it in. Just wash the brush out well before you put it back in the paint or you for ever have sand in the paint.

As for other ghost town style buildings... Wow...
I love the Art Deco downtown buildings.. I bought mine off ebay. Though they are two of the many kits I've yet to start. There is also the Bar Mills kits too. I'll photograph what I have here in my room so you know what I'm talking about!

you can also check what this guy sells on ebay, really good work! Very haunted looking...or ghost townish..
eBay Seller: shipshape60: Model RR, Trains, Toys Hobbies items on eBay.com

I just took some photos of these kits I have..
These two are made by Downtown Deco,
This is called Blair Avenue Part two...awesome kit
2249536771_accc755d80.jpg


Downtown Deco, Trackside Tavern


2249536339_97765df0e8.jpg


Bar Mills Saulenas' Tavern

2250333352_cabefed96b.jpg
 

palmsprings2009

New Member
Thanks

Thanks for the info. Too bad DPM sold their rights...but I will try using your methods in the future. I actually have a downtown deco kit too but am too afraid to open it because painting hydrocal casting is a whole new ballpark! Let me know how it goes if you get to it first!
 

Great Scaper

New Member
I will, I have so many kits to finish it's crazy. I've not done much lately at all because I've been sick, on thing after the other, cold, flu, cold...grrrr So frustrating!

Anyways it looks like a pretty easy kit to put together. Though I haven't done it yet.

Don't forget Walther's Merchant's Row II kit too hey! :D

Then if you want a bit of a bigger old style building, like the hilton hotel, Magnuson Models made a Victoria Falls hotel kit, they can be found on Ebay sometimes too.

Here's one for sale now..
The links not working on here... this is a weird website....

Here the photo of what's on ebay...
2252835791_5cbf83b300_o.jpg
 

nkp174

Active Member
I've attempted a few different techniques for mortar lines. IIRC, I preferred coating it in powdered white chalk...running a damp something over the bricks, and then weathering the rest of the sides prior to dullcoating it.
 

Great Scaper

New Member
I've been told by a few people they age their buildings with Chalk and pastels. I've never seen this done, any photos? I'd be interested to see the end product.
 

nkp174

Active Member
I've been told by a few people they age their buildings with Chalk and pastels. I've never seen this done, any photos? I'd be interested to see the end product.

These are HO, but here's a trio. The backshop is not as white as it appears in this picture. The coal mine was also difficult to photograph...with only the black chalk showing up in the pictures. The coal dock looks about like it does in person, and you can see a pair of chalk weathered Silver Streak cars under it.
 

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nkp174

Active Member
It's hard to see hey! :D

Cool old laterns by the way! That's awesome!

Thanks. My dad used to have the walls lined with lanterns. The walls of the train room were covered with builders plates, padlocks, and other parts of the basement have builders photographs, a bell, and even a whale oil headlight. It makes for a very railroady environment.

The spot lights are missing, which makes pictures of the coal mine difficult. Here's another angle of it.
 

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