Plasticville Buildings


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NP2626

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First time posting a new thread in this new Forum.

How many of you have built models of freight cars; or, buildings you had as a kid? I realize this is pretty much a "Trip Down Memory Lane" and it's true the models available back then, where certainly not as nice of models as we have today. I have no idea if better models where available back in the 50s and 60s as I really only remember Plasticville kits at my local hobby shop. I think I probably built most of the Plasticville kits that where available back then and my brother and I also built them in O-Scale, for our American Flyer S-Scale layout, too.

Bachmann has taken over the Plasticville Line and many of these old kits are still available new from your local hobby supplier; or, online hobby dealer. However, some of them are no longer being made, in which case a search on Ebay might produce a long gone kit.

I have purchased quite a few of the older Athearn Blue Box, MDC Roundhouse, Mantua and Varney freight car kits. It was an enjoyable time seeing what I could do to upgrade these kits to make them a little more scale like. I am not a "Rivet Counter" and allowances have to be made for some of the "Ham Fisted" detailing these cars have, by simply allowing the nostalgia for these cars to supersede the lack of detailing they have.

Right now I have three Plasticville buildings on my layout and will shortly be adding a fourth. They are the Switch Tower, Freight Station, Watchman's Crossing Shanty and I am currently working on the Manufacturing Factory. I also have a Passenger Train Station which may have been a Plasticville Kit; but, I can't confirm who made this kit. I've found that with a little bit of extra effort, these kits make good additions to my layout. Adding window glazing, extra details and painting, do much to improve these kits. I will take photos of my Plasticville Kits to post here when I can find the time.
 
My first exposure to Plasticville models was on my Dad's Lionel O scale layout back in the 50's. When I could finally afford to have model trains, I purchased many of the same kits for my HO scale layout. I still have three that are in use or slated to be in use, the switch tower, a cottage and a grocery store. Grocery store needs some rehab work though. I may have others that I cannot remember the origin of.

Willie
 
Here are the Plasticville buildings I have. The back of the freight house :

HPIM7947 (Small).JPG

The front of the Plasticville Freight house (Bob was my very good friend who passed away back in 2004).
HPIM7950 (Small).JPG

The Plasticville Switch Tower. Does not appear to be in production anymore.
HPIM7953 (Small).JPG
 
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Here are some more: This is the Watchman's Shanty, out of focus slightly.
HPIM7964 (Small).JPG



The photo below shows my assembly of the Manufacturing Factory using my new assemble fixture from Micro-Mark
HPIM7951 (Small).JPG


Here is the box the Plasticville factory came in. Does this look familiar? This is the exact same box my first factory came in! I can't believe someone hasn't built this model together since the 1960s or so!

HPIM7952 (Small).JPG
 
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Here is the Plasticville Factory on the layout. It may sit right where it is; or moved to another location; but, I need to raise the factory up about a 1/4th inch so the loading dock will be level with a box car's floor. D&O Dies was the name of my Dad's first Tool and Die and stamping company. So, the model is in homage to my Dad!

HPIM7965 (Small).JPG
 
That's the limit of my Plasticville stuff, I have more Atlas Structures on my layout than Plasticville structures. I feel Atlas structures are pretty nice kits, easy to build; but, turn out nicer than Plasticville.
 
I have several vintage structure kits that I searched out and rebuilt for my layout because I fondly remembered them as a kid. One entire town on my layout is made up almost entirely of vintage Atlas, Tyco, AHM, Liifelike, and Revell kits. On the edge of that town sits the sole Plasticville structure on my layout. I used the pool that came with the Siesta Motel elsewhere on the layout as a back yard pool, so I scratch built a pool for the motel.
motel.jpg
pool.jpg
pool 2.jpg
 
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Nice buildings everyone. Remember the old Revell kits?

This Thread brings back memories of 4x8 plywood empire complete with fiber tie flex track and the green painted plywood. And, spending hours reading Model Railroader issues and dreaming about building a "real" empire someday.

50+ years goes by fast.

Greg
 
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Since Atlas was mentioned, how many here had the Roadside Inn on their layout? This one sits across the road from the Plasticville Motel on my layout. Its a kit that came out over 50 years ago and is probably still available now. It was based on the Atlas passenger station. In the background of this photo are other vintage structures including a Tyco church, Life Like hotel (originally made by Ulrich), Revell suburban house with garage, Revell farm house and an AHM farm house. The barn, and bridge in the background are newer structures.
roadside inn.jpg
 
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Here is the Altas station that you reference as the basis for your Roadside Inn. This building has been located on 5 layouts.
IMG_1493.JPG
 
Jim,

Thanks but I already have 3 Stations for my layout already, of which I am only (possibly) going to use two. Thanks for the thought and the link though.
 
That is the same depot I have for my town of Butte, MT. In reality it is too small a depot for Butte! However, I like it, so it's going stay. Mine was made by Atlas and not Bachmann.
 
I have the Roadside in and the Atlas station, my favorites ar Barr Mill wooden buildings. Only problem is they are a little pricey.
 
I like wood kits too; however, these older plastic kits have very good prices and with some work they look pretty danged good!
 
Amazing how many of those kits have been made into various things and produced by various companies. It doesn't seem like it would be that hard to make new molds, but they've been using some those for many decades. I seem to recall the enginehouse was also modified slightly and made into a bakery and possibly other various industrial buildings.
 
Wasn't the engine house a copy of John Allen's engine house and done by Revell? I think it was later made into a bakery.
 
The bakery and engine house are indeed the same building shell, I have both. I no longer recall who the manufacturer was at the time that I acquired mine, (probably Atlas), but I believe that there was a third structure made from the same components.

Willie
 



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