The kit is based on the station at Newton Falls, a small town just west of Youngstown, Ohio, on the former Baltimore & Ohio’s Pittsburgh to Chicago main line. It follows standard B&O architecture with the addition of a second-story interlocking tower. Though this is a B&O design, similar structures could be found across the country.
If the kit has a downside, it would be the instructions. It was difficult to follow the mostly text directions, read a part number, try to find the part, and then go back and try to use it. After a while I pretty much gave up and built the model from the supplied photos, using the directions to identify the parts. I’m not certain everything went together as intended, but the pieces all fit and look good. However, working this way may not be an option for modelers with less experience. If you have any problems, owner Howard Fox said he’ll be happy to help via his toll-free telephone number.
No prototype information was supplied, but a color scheme of depot buff and boxcar red was suggested. I substituted depot olive to make my model a bit different. I sprayed all of the parts with primer on both sides to inhibit warping from my water-based paints and weathering.
We tend to forget just how great wood looks, especially in larger scales. Laser-cut wood permits structural members to be rendered in correct scale size, and the appearance of the completed model is excellent. The more I worked on this kit the more I liked its appearance.
This is a large structure, measuring a scale 32 feet wide and 76 feet long (over the roof eaves), and it’s 28 feet high.
Most pieces were numbered and keyed to a parts diagram, and many subassemblies came with all their parts bagged together. Other parts had positioning aids cut into the surface. Even so, the kit had so many pieces that finding the first few took some time.
Top quality strip and milled basswood was used throughout and everything fit well. The door and window frames are built up like the real ones, providing a good deal of modeling fun while resulting in an excellent scratchbuilt appearance. Interlocking corners true up the walls, but I added ¼”-square strips to further brace the interior walls.
The roofs are designed to be removable, but I fastened mine in place. An interior detail kit for the tower is in production, but wasn’t available in time for this review. Model Tech will include drawings of the floor plan with future kits; current owners can obtain a copy.
Several features of this kit are worth noting. The roof consists of a rafter system that replicates the construction of a full-scale roof. The window sash was made with a self-stick back; this feature turned the often messy and tedious task of installing the windows and precut glazing into a neat and quick job.
The roofing material is rubbery plastic shingle strips, creating the most realistic vinyl-asbestos roofing I’ve seen. Little speckles highlight the roofing, giving an incredibly realistic texture. Fortunately, Model Tech sells this material separately in several colors and scales.
Aside from the instruction difficulties, I spent an enjoyable 35 hours assembling, painting, and weathering this model. The result is an attractive station that I like very much.
Price: $160 (HO version, $82;
S scale, $155)
Manufacturer:
Model Tech, Inc.
7289 Westfield Rd.
Medina, OH 44256
800-264-9845
www.model-tech.net
Description:
Wood craftsman kit no. 402-O,
Newton Falls Station
