Has this kit been discussed? my one is partly built, well it apears to be almost two kits in the box partly done, and it has two instruction sheets, intact decal sheets. But well it's a nice looking box and I'm not going to built the kit, I have enough Marklin tin plate buildings on my layout, plus Faller wooden buildings so no more room, but I like Faller kits anyway and used to have a very large collection, but not so many these days, but I still have some intresting enough pieces kept back.

Hi, I really wish that Faller would make a new version of this with interiors, lighting, etc.
Peter

Hi Rex,

That is great !! But take your time.
I'm looking forward to your review and decals.

In my yesterdays post here, I was talking about "another member", with whom I'm developing the Decal Bank.
That other member is "Fallerfreak".

Marco

Thanks for that info Florian. I always thought that the building was the tower near the Gedächtniskirche
on the Ku-Dam in Berlin. It had the revolving Mercedes star on top back in the 60s.

Cheers,Peter

I too have a couple of those, but not MIB, both have been built and somewhat battered but if the worst cames to worst I should be able to get a semi-good one out of two.

But to change the subject and digress just a little with the talk of revolving signs, when the Dutch electronics company "Philips" had an office here in Wellington, it had a very large illuminated revolving blue/white "Philips" sign on the roof. It was reported at the time (late 60's) to be the largest revolving sign in the Southern Hemisphere. The sign was in the shape of the Philips "U" trademark of the time.

The building was not all that tall, and probably just as well because the notorious Wellington winds must have taken their toll on it over the years.
I don't know when the sign first went up or came down, I suspect put up in the early 60's and through to the early 70's perhaps. The building itself is still there, but significantly redeveloped.

My connection to the building and the company came about when around 1965/66, my parents (well my Dad most likely), got me a Philips "Electronic Engineer" kit. Now with me being a 'Christmas baby', they sometimes took the opportunity to combine my Birthday & Xmas present into one and I would sometimes get something combined which was more expensive than either gift would be by itself and this Philips kit is a good example and judging by the fact I still have it, probably one of my best-ever presents.

For those that don't know it (google it) they comprised a selection of electronic components, a hardboard sheet pre-drilled into which you overlaid a pre-punched circuit diagram which showed you which components went where. Small wire clips were pushed through from the underside, and then compression springs pushed over them to join and hold the component leads. There were around 20 different circuits, alarms, radios, electronic 8-note keyboard, morse-code, intercom, light-sensing kits and so on. And of course a pretty good manual which explained how each circuit worked. All very exciting stuff.

So I was about 9 or 10 years old I guess and despite my careful assembly, a kit that I built (a radio) would not work. So I thought nothing of simply putting it all in a bag, hopping on my bike and riding down to their building, up the lift to the engineering dept. Pure luck with that, I didn't know if they even had such a dept, all I knew was I had a product made by Philips, and I knew where the Philips office was, so I just rocked up. Ah the innocence of childhood.

Anyway, I got lucky, there was a service dept, and a couple of technical gentleman obviously looked kindly on my plight, took me into their workshop and promptly sat down to diagnose what was wrong with my kit. I think from memory I got a Transistor back to front or something, there were a couple of problems but they sorted it, gave me the replacement parts and away I went happy as a pig in muck.

So I'm making all kinds of reeeeeally dubious connections here.

1: We started with Faller 905 Kits, I have some too
2: Revolving signs came in
3: I remember Philips had a revolving sign here in Wellington where I live
4: I had to visit Philips because of an awesome childhood toy
5: That kit encouraged my early interest in electronics which became infused with my trains
6: Philips components surely feature in some Marklin devices?
7: Marco lives in the Netherlands, the home of Philips
8: Rex (ariete) has a Dutch (or semi-Dutch) surname if I recall correctly
9: Marklin have produced several 'Philips' branded wagons & coaches

See, not such a tenuous connection afterall

I think if I do get to use my B-905, surely I shall have to put a Philips sign on the roof instead as I will likely never afford a Mercedes-Benz. Only problem is, I don't recall even seeing a Faller kit with a Philips decal included. Perhaps one will surface during the 'decal-bank' - there, another connection.

Edited by user 23 January 2013 20:53:47(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Whoa.... tangentially speaking... CookeeNZ does a great trace-back.... Minus 35 in Montreal.... did I hear someone say global warming??

Gorgeous Faller 905 you have there, Ariete.

I really wish Faller would manufacture some of these models again.
No doubt it would be successful with Era III modellers.

Wish you were building it... rather than keeping it unbuilt, in collection.
If you keep it in unassembled in the box, I have some white curators gloves I can send you.
Marco might need a pair too...

Decal database is an excellent idea Marco.
And Cookee's idea about Philips logo would not be bad for modelling dutch layouts!
Funny how national identity and brand names go together...
I always used to prefer Philips electronic sound equipment and still have one here in my studio!

Pax!
Mark

Edited by user 19 May 2015 02:49:56(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

This is a photo of the Europa Center building on the Ku-Damm in Berlin (former west). It still
has the revolving Mercedes star. Peter

Hi
What I can see from the picture you miss the roof (s) and one ground floor...that's a pity!

Yes a pity, but really I like the box cover, contents are nice but not really important to me.

Hi,

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the pictures.

Cheers

Renato

hello Marco; I used unbuilt kits, but one of the two 905 was uncomplete, all bought by ebay. Also the swimming pool on the roof is made by Faller.
I like very much skyscrapers and modern buildings of the 50s, 60s, 70s; they have a clean style; I wonder why Faller has decided to stop their production; making again them, would be a cheap way to introduce some new items; also Kibri had some modern buildings, all very interesting.

My name is Paolo.
I saw those buildings, in eastern Germany style, but I think they are far from being interesting like 905, 926, 927, etc.
The only advantage is their modular conception, but they have no style and the surfaces are too simplified
Why Doesn't Faller repeat the 905, owing the molds?

Hi Paolo, super building! Welcome to the forum too. I would just love to have the

Hotel Venus on my current layout. Bravissimo! Peter


ps - I would love to be having lunch in the roof restaurant.

A wonderful picture, ancient and modern buildings together! I think Faller should return back to those kits, instead of drawing glass wall buildings, for instance. Current technologies allow to enhance those models, so it would be something convenient for Faller to make something derived from B905, 926, 927, etc.; They could change colors, some ground floor dimensions and a few things more.

As regard to my Hotel I had no example, I wanted an irregular shape to mix some curbed areas without destroying the original Faller parts; so I drew on a paper sheet a perimetral shape exactly matching with Faller available parts from two boxes. I had to make by myself some parts by using evergreen sheets and some inner reinforcements like pillars of a real building; among them the lamps holder, original by Faller, but fitted with microlamps. I also increased the height of the ground floor.
Yes I made some other things, for instance anothe skyscraper by using Heljan kits.
Paolo

Hi Paolo,

It would be great if you scan the B-905 decals and share them in the Faller decal bank of the forum, see here: LINK

Marco

I'll do my best to scan those decals, but I think I'll be able to do that only in two-three months: in fact at present time all kits are in large cardboard boxes for moving house, cause I'm restructuring home, and the kits are not available to be open.

In the meantime I'll give you some pics while building the Hotel with light tests and one with the swimming pool (Faller).

Paolo,

I think this is a terrific kit bashed structure, well done.

Best Regards

Glenn

is there a wall of fame?

If you like to see step by step all the building phases, I'll post them, day by day.

I would like to add to my Hotel Venus some weathering on the roof (rust or smog) and, may be the rotating system with a company sign; but that is not so sure, cause the motor would need space.
From October I think I'll be able to restart again my hobby, after the renovation of my house.

Hi Marco,
very interesting the b215 motor;
I will post more pics about building phases; very nice that cafè.

Hi guys, I just ordered the Heljan 1713 Grand Hotel on the Lokshop website. It shows

"not in Stock" so I checked the Heljan site and it is also not available. I hope they did

not discontinue it? Peter ?

Thank you Marco, of course The Heljan kit is not as interesting as the Faller one; that has been an exercise to demonstrate how we can modify and improve the kits; in itself the Heljan kit has less possibilities of varying the shape, unless you use wide surfaces of selfmade walls; on the contrary I wanted only to study the use of Heljan parts, cutting them, but without producing many parts, it was a challenge "against the kits".
On my report (at the link Tyco) you can see how the parts were simply cut (by Proxxon) and then assembled without wasting any thing.
I only added some finishing parts on the corners and the top of the building.
BTW Solitude is a real Hotel name I like very much located in Lourdes, France and an appropriate interpretation of my mood.

Your interpretation of Solitude is the following:

Thanks, Paolo. I placed it on order with Lokshop. I have ordered other things from them

too so there's no hurry. Thanks so much for the info. Cheers,Peter

I'll do my best to show what I'm going to create........, just a little time.

Bye Paolo

Hi Paolo,

Wow !! Very nice and impressive, your airport building and layout is really something.
You're just too talented.
I see that you're a 2 rail DC guy, but no worries, all brands and systems are welcome here.

I think it would be great if you start your own topic in 'me and my layout', I guess many of us want to see more of your work and layout.

Marco

Not really, I have NO talent at all for kitbashing.
But in all the 98 issues of Faller Modellbau Magazin (which were published from 1957 to 1974) are hundreds examples and drawings for kitbashing, but of course not all B-905.

Marco