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sebastian		#1 Posted : 05 December 2010 15:54:14(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 01/02/2007(UTC) Posts: 729 Location: Ontario		Hi guys, Which of the Kibri, Vollmer, Noch or Faller are regarded as the best on the market, especially when it comes to fit?
		DRG, DB and SBB Era II, III and IV Sincerely, Sebastian
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DaleSchultz		#2 Posted : 05 December 2010 16:38:00(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC) Posts: 3,997		sebastian wrote: Hi guys, Which of the Kibri, Vollmer, Noch or Faller are regarded as the best on the market, especially when it comes to fit? My vote if for Faller. I have some reviews of Faller kits in the "Reviews" section of my layout website.
		Dale Intellibox + own software, K-Track My current layout: https://cabin-layout.mixmox.com Arrival and Departure signs: https://remotesign.mixmox.com
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RayF		#3 Posted : 05 December 2010 16:59:25(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC) Posts: 15,870 Location: Gibraltar, Europe		I really only have experience of Faller, but I can thoroughly recommend them for ease of construction and easy to understand instructions.
		Ray Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
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steventrain		#4 Posted : 05 December 2010 17:10:40(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 21/10/2004(UTC) Posts: 31,692 Location: United Kingdom		I have many buildings on layout made by Faller. I have no problem build the faller kit with instruction.
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Chris6382chris		#5 Posted : 05 December 2010 18:23:32(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 27/11/2009(UTC) Posts: 1,218 Location: Middle of the US		I have always found the Kibri kits to be great also. Lots of detail, fit well together and look great right out of the box. Chris
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perz		#6 Posted : 05 December 2010 18:26:40(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 12/01/2002(UTC) Posts: 2,578 Location: Sweden		sebastian wrote: Hi guys, Which of the Kibri, Vollmer, Noch or Faller are regarded as the best on the market, especially when it comes to fit? The answer to your exact question ("are regarded as") is Faller. But I guess you are interested in personal opinions as well. Personally I have experience with Kibri, Vollmer, Faller, Auhagen and Heljan. And Pola, but they are now a part of Faller. The few models I have assembled from Heljan are inferior to all the others. Really crappy and parts do not fit at all. Avoid Heljan if there is an equivalent model from another brand. Unfortunately Heljan is the only manufacturer with a series of Scandinavian style buildings, that's why I have had to deal with them. For the other brands it varies from model to model. Some Kibri models have extremely good fit and are very easy to assemble. No other brand extends to that end. But other Kibri models are below average. I have found Vollmer to have the most consistent quality when it comes to fit. Better than the average Faller but not as good as the best Faller models and not near the best Kibri. Rated on average fit: 1. Vollmer 2. Kibri 3. Faller 4. Auhagen 99. Heljan Consistency of fit between different models: 1. Vollmer 2. Auhagen 3. Faller 4. Kibri (won't rate Heljan here, have tried too few) Beside how well they fit you can also look at detailing, scale accuracy and colour scheme. Vollmer models are often the most detailed, followed by Faller. Kibri and Auhagen are often simpler. I think Kibri in many (but not all) cases care more about scale accuracy than the other. Faller and Vollmer seem to more often seek a compromise between scale accuracy and reasonable footprint, while Heljan generally make models that are completely out of scale. Vollmer and Faller have the best colour scheme in my opinion. Kibri and Auhagen are OK. Heljan colours are often terrible.
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David Dewar		#7 Posted : 05 December 2010 22:29:06(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,458 Location: Scotland		In my view Faller are way out in front. Plastic is stronger than Vollmer and the detail and fit far better than Kibri. I have built over 100 Faller models and around 50 Vollmer and 50 Kibri. If you are in a hurry Kibri do some simple houses etc but the colours on many are not great and require painting. On the other hand Kibri do Falkenstein Castle which is the best of all the castles and good fun to build. Faller give the largest range of models including their fairground range and have lots of accessories and glues etc. If I had to choose just one it would be Faller which wouild cover all my needs including figures etc. Just my personal view of course. dave
		Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
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tank_brd		#8 Posted : 09 December 2010 06:59:12(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 21/01/2006(UTC) Posts: 43 Location: Singapore		I find older Faller models are in a smaller scale - closer to TT scale. Vollmer models are more exact to H0 scale. I like Pola for their clean and sharper plastic parts.
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rmsailor		#9 Posted : 09 December 2010 09:25:39(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 20/01/2006(UTC) Posts: 570 Location: Kirkcaldy, Fife		Older Faller models were made to a scale of 1:100 which is almost exactly British TT of 3 mm to the foot. As buildings can vary so much in size it really only becomes noticeable if you put a figure next to a door. They can always be used in the background for some forced perspective. Bob M.
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MikeK		#10 Posted : 09 December 2010 13:22:55(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 15/09/2009(UTC) Posts: 176		I agree that Heljan models are terrible, I try to stay away from them if possible - Faller is nice, I especially like their paper inserts that act as a mask for the internal lightning. I also think the PIKO models that I have been building are very nice, I think I would choose PIKO over Faller for the same model, but Faller has much more choice. In general I don't like the factory weathering that some of the kits have - prefer to do it my self, that is half the pleasure of building a kit - or maybe I should say the process of learning how to do it as I'm not very good at it :) I don't have much experience with the other brands, so can't really say about them.. ^__^ Mike
		A single track on the floor is better than no track at all...
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sebastian		#11 Posted : 09 December 2010 14:51:18(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 01/02/2007(UTC) Posts: 729 Location: Ontario		Interesting and helpful replies. I have a few Faller kits (two roundhouses and a station). Have started the station and I can say the fit is quite good. Plastic is OK, a bit hard and thick, but nothing that cannot be worked with. Overall I am happy with Faller. As noted above, I like too the paper inserts to mask/fade out the interior lighting. A clever idea. I will try at least one Vollmer kit, which is #5735 - Signal Box Stuttgart. If any of you has it already, I would like to know how it is. Recently I have got the 2011 Kibri catalogue and there are a few alpine kits available. I believe they'll make a nice accent on the mountains.
		DRG, DB and SBB Era II, III and IV Sincerely, Sebastian
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DaleSchultz		#12 Posted : 09 December 2010 16:16:10(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC) Posts: 3,997		sebastian wrote: As noted above, I like too the paper inserts to mask/fade out the interior lighting. A clever idea. note that you do need to fill in the perforation at the corners of the paper inserts and cover the edges of the window prints... see the comments in my Faller winery review at http://layout.mixmox.com/1/Faller-130904
		Dale Intellibox + own software, K-Track My current layout: https://cabin-layout.mixmox.com Arrival and Departure signs: https://remotesign.mixmox.com
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sebastian		#13 Posted : 09 December 2010 16:50:31(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 01/02/2007(UTC) Posts: 729 Location: Ontario		Thanks Dale. Very good review. I love what you did with the lights - subject to another discussion. Yes, it seems Faller has a thing or two to learn from Tamiya or Dragon (I exclusively build from these manufacturers in 1:35 scale). But overall it looks very very good.
		DRG, DB and SBB Era II, III and IV Sincerely, Sebastian
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spitzenklasse		#14 Posted : 09 December 2010 21:47:23(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 06/04/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,573 Location: ,		Why be so critical of Heljan. I used to say the same thing of Athearn trains. They take more creative detailing, but with a bit of effort, you can detail them nicely, and they are not as costly as some other kits. Give them some credit for what they do. When I got the blast furnace kit, (it is from Denmark, so I presume it's Heljan) the floor was colored a horrible creamy yellow. It was nothing a coat of brownish red rustoleum paint didn't cure. I also oversprayed from a distance the entire finished kit. It looks like an old weathered rusty steel mill. A lot of the gray plastic still shows through. It is the pride of my industrial yard, complete with a smoke generator, and glowing slag cars done with amber plastic over the light bulbs. Same with hot metal cars. I even put one near the bustle tube at the furnace base. Those Marklin HKM steel slab cars are so cool rolling through the complex glowing from the battery motion detector's. Who can guess what eastern US city I was born in to remember the scene's and want to re-create them? Hint- It has many bridges, but few steel mills today.
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stenscience		#15 Posted : 09 December 2010 22:12:26(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 18/09/2004(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico		Well Spitz, I would guess the city would be the home of the Steelers and Three Rivers Stadium... And, I also have to give Heljan some props. I know that the quality is not as good as Faller, for example, but as Perz pointed out, they are really the only option with regard to Scandinavia themed structures. My only gripe right now is that they are getting harder to find here in the US, as their N American distributer (Walthers)is mostly out of stock most of the time. EBay is a decent source, though hit and miss. I like Heljan for the following reasons: 1. They are very easy to build with not too many parts 2.They are relatively cheap when available 3.They have a lot of structures if you want to build a 50s-60s Scandinavian themed layout and 4. They were what I built when I lived in Denmark during the late 60s Regards, Stenscience
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MilesT		#16 Posted : 09 December 2010 22:21:02(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 31/01/2010(UTC) Posts: 70 Location: Maryland		Pittsburgh sounds like a likely location. Home of the Steelers - Boo Baltimore Raven's fan here Congratulations on your recent victory. As for Pittsburgh, I imagine there is not a better place to model the US Steel industry.
		Regards, Selim Analog, M-Track, Eras I-IV
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spitzenklasse		#17 Posted : 11 December 2010 16:13:05(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 06/04/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,573 Location: ,		Correct guy's! Though I've not visited in quite some time, 3 river's is history for several years now, replaced by both Heins field for the "Stiellers", and PNC park for the "pourats". Those are not type-o's, thats how you pronounce them in "pittsburgheses". The last time I visited, I hardly recognised it. The old J&L steel complex near downtown on the north side of the Menongahela is gone, and now called Technology row, and Eliza furnace bike trail. Blast furnaces had girls names. A remnant of the US steel carrie furnace remains as a historical site farther upstream, accross from where the Homestead open hearth furnaces were. It is now a shopping and movie center, all that remains are the 12 smoke stacks. I'll never forget J&L especially, driving downtown on the parkway east with my Dad to Dr. Saul's office to have my crossed vision corrected. (I-376) rounding the big curve after exiting the Squirrel Hill tunnel, there she was, the coal and coke/taconite loaders going up and down the verticle rails feeding the behemoth furnace, 24 hours a day, red sky at night from the dumping of slag. I was 3, and 4 years old.
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Ranjit		#18 Posted : 09 January 2011 10:05:48(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 18/06/2003(UTC) Posts: 3,023 Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA		Hi All, From my younger days, I have been a fan of Vollmer, and I rate them very highly in terms of consistency, fit quality, etc. Of course, I have also used Faller and Kibri, and I find them to be very good. I particularly like Faller's innovativeness and their wide range of items. I have never used Heljan, and I do not know much about this company. I am therefore in full agreement with Perz. Cheers, Ranjit
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FMS		#19 Posted : 09 January 2011 12:34:33(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 01/01/2009(UTC) Posts: 839 Location: PT		Yes, Vollmer and Faller. But in there own way all of them make interesting things and we all can tune them a bit if needed. This is just my way of looking into this subject. Regards
		Regards FMS
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Marius in Africa		#20 Posted : 10 January 2011 10:21:05(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 05/06/2009(UTC) Posts: 424 Location: Boksburg, Gauteng		Have used Faller, Vollmer & Kibri. All good and easy to work with. Only two gripes: 1) The shiny plastic appearance of some models (all three have these in their product ranges) 2) The colours (of the walls, roof, window frames, etc.) aren't always prototypically correct Thus weathering is essential to get rid of that Tupperware look, weathering is fun thought. Regards
		Marius in Africa HO, ECoS 2, Märklin C-track, any country, any design, any era & any brand which i like.
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sebastian		#21 Posted : 10 January 2011 13:39:12(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 01/02/2007(UTC) Posts: 729 Location: Ontario		You are right. All make roughly the same stuff while each has more or less unique models (Kibri's alpine houses and farms for instance). Weathering is necessary on all models, yes, and it is fun indeed. I am used to modeling from my Tamiya years - lots of tanks with a ton of aftermarket add ons (take the aluminium individual track links for isntance) brings the knowledge. Good paints are essential in the process, while patience is mandatory. Anyways, without departing from the subject, I guess I'll give each a try if I find something interesting in the lineup.
		DRG, DB and SBB Era II, III and IV Sincerely, Sebastian
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dntower85		#22 Posted : 12 April 2011 16:54:28(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 08/01/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,218 Location: Shady Shores, TX - USA		Roundhouses..... I'm looking for a 3 bay Roundhouse for my layout and want some input form others as to which is better and also how much room they use up when used with the marklin turntable. It is hard to to determine what the radius is form the center of the turn table to the backside of the roundhouse, I could not find what the angle or distance between bay doors is, the faller looks to be the smallest. marklin 72883 350 x 461 mm Faller F-120176 or F-120177 - long bays 340 x 400 x 125mm or 324 x 440 x 120mm Fleischmann FL-6476 Kibri K39452 Vollmer V5754 size: 330x500x130mm
		DT Now powered by ECoS II unit#2, RocRail era - some time in the future when the space time continuum is disrupted and ICE 3 Trains run on the same rails as the Adler and BR18's.
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kbvrod		#23 Posted : 12 April 2011 17:24:30(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,597 Location: Beverly, MA		Originally Posted by: dntower85 Roundhouses..... I'm looking for a 3 bay Roundhouse for my layout and want some input form others as to which is better and also how much room they use up when used with the marklin turntable. It is hard to to determine what the radius is form the center of the turn table to the backside of the roundhouse, I could not find what the angle or distance between bay doors is, the faller looks to be the smallest. The 'new' M TT?Is made by FL and one can install the tracks at either 7.5° or 15° 7.5°,tracks closer together but long tracks from TT to RH, narrower(RH) 15°,tracks farther apart but the RH is closer to the TT,wider(RH) marklin 72883 350 x 461 mm 15° Faller F-120176 or F-120177 - long bays 340 x 400 x 125mm or 324 x 440 x 120mm Not sure,maybe 9°(?) can be used with the Roco TT Fleischmann FL-6476 7.5° Kibri K39452 15° Vollmer V5754 size: 330x500x130mm 15° Dr D
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Writhdar		#24 Posted : 12 April 2011 22:51:55(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 19/12/2008(UTC) Posts: 207 Location: Durango, Colorado		I have the 6-bay Vollmer roundhouse with the 7286 turntable. The 6-bay is, essentially, two 3-bay units so the dimensions should be relevant. The distance from the turntable lip to the front of the roundhouse is 100 mm. However, remember that you need a spoke rail (e.g., 7287 set) and this extends 40 mm from the turntable lip. Besides wanting 15 deg spacing, I also wanted ra red brick look. If the Marklin 72881 were still available, I probably would have gotten two of them as it took me a while to construct the Vollmer unit - though it actually was a lot of fun to assemble.
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David Dewar		#25 Posted : 12 April 2011 22:55:33(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,458 Location: Scotland		As far as I am aware Vollmer make the Marklin roundhouse and it is the same model only different colour. dave
		Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
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dntower85		#26 Posted : 12 April 2011 23:15:45(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 08/01/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,218 Location: Shady Shores, TX - USA		Thanks for the info, with that information and the pdf I found for the faller F-120176 I was able to model it and determine how much space I need. So things don't get to crowded I will go with the faller 120176.
		DT Now powered by ECoS II unit#2, RocRail era - some time in the future when the space time continuum is disrupted and ICE 3 Trains run on the same rails as the Adler and BR18's.
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kbvrod		#27 Posted : 12 April 2011 23:50:02(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,597 Location: Beverly, MA		Hi all, Originally Posted by: dntower85 Thanks for the info, with that information and the pdf I found for the faller F-120176 I was able to model it and determine how much space I need. So things don't get to crowded I will go with the faller 120176. DT,your welcome.Remember length vs width.And don't be scared to bend the tracks!Many times the DB/DR,etc did this to fit the space. Don't forget the Ra12's! Dr D
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cookee_nz		#28 Posted : 16 April 2011 02:21:43(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 31/12/2010(UTC) Posts: 3,999 Location: Paremata, Wellington		Originally Posted by: sebastian You are right. All make roughly the same stuff while each has more or less unique models (Kibri's alpine houses and farms for instance). Weathering is necessary on all models, yes, and it is fun indeed. I am used to modeling from my Tamiya years - lots of tanks with a ton of aftermarket add ons (take the aluminium individual track links for isntance) brings the knowledge. Good paints are essential in the process, while patience is mandatory. Anyways, without departing from the subject, I guess I'll give each a try if I find something interesting in the lineup. Well my decision is partly made, I am already a dedicated follower of Faller for many years, but this set means I have to ensure sufficient Vollmer & Brawa for the look..... Cookee cookee_nz attached the following image(s):
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pab		#29 Posted : 17 April 2011 19:22:26(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 03/11/2007(UTC) Posts: 2,764		Most of the buildings on my lay-out are from Vollmer and Kibri. The reasons were - Faller used often a smaller scale and were in many cases less detailed. That is much better now. - I have a lot of timbered houses. The faller houses had a paper sheet you have to glue to the walls to imitate that, while Vollmer and Kibri used seperate parts for that. - Kibri and Vollmer had the models I want. I think the worst fit had was my oil fill station for the diesels and the oil steamers, I needed a lot of time to make the tank smooth. Other kits like the Bonner station are very good. I have Faller buildings on my lay-out, like my loc shed which is very good.
		With kind regards Piet Brijs Website: http://home.kabelfoon.nl/~pabrijs Topic in Marklin-users.net: https://www.marklin-user...pics/18-Me-and-my-layout Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/pietbrs?feature=guide
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petestra		#30 Posted : 19 April 2011 16:31:11(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 27/07/2009(UTC) Posts: 5,862 Location: Leesburg,VA.USA		Hi, I have kits from all three manufacturers but I really love Faller the best. Faller goes with Maerklin like bread goes with butter. As to fit though I think they all are very good as they are made with old-fashioned German care. I would have liked to have had a larger city on my current layout so I would have bought more buildings but I decided to have a-lot of nature instead. Cheers,Peter
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hxmiesa		#31 Posted : 08 June 2011 10:26:09(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 15/12/2005(UTC) Posts: 3,594 Location: Spain		This is a thing that has changed through time... (at least during the last 20 years) Originally I liked Kibri the best, as their houses were much bigger than Fallers and the plastic quality very nice, -especially for bashing! I found that (at the beginning) Faller was one of the worst; extremely small scale (definatly NOT 1:87) with warped and fragile plastic, and bad fit. Faller has definatly improved during this time. I think especially after aquiering Pola, did they begin to make decent-sized kits. Vollmer has the nicest and most detailed designs, but I personally dont like their hard and thin plastic. I thnik many kits are also on the small side, scale-wise. Heljan; I grew up with the, and they do/did make a lot of kits to make a perfect danish town. But their scale is very small, and fit is really bad!!! Unless I was trying to build a scandinavian layout, I would stay well clear of them. --- Today, Faller is probably the best all-round supplier, with most of the older kits retired from the catalogue (sometimes re-appearing as TT-scale or cheap entry kits) Kibri has changed to the worse. Still, when I sometimes find older kits in the stores, from their "golden age", I buy them!!! (Beware; Very old kits, from before the "golden age" are quite bad. I think generally pre-1980 should be avoided) Vollmer kits I only buy when I can use the kit DIRECTLY as it is from the box, applying only paint. I dont like to kit-bash using their sets.
		Best regards Henrik Hoexbroe ("The Dane In Spain") http://hoexbroe.tripod.com
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kbvrod		#32 Posted : 05 August 2011 16:01:24(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,597 Location: Beverly, MA		Hi all, I received to build for a friend a new Faller kit (130383),windmill. Faller has new packaging,which as they state on the sides, can be used later as storage box. Now the real features: All pieces where given a blackwash/matte finish(!!) The brick/masonry/ sections was given an acrylic wash,it has mortar lines(!!!) Included is a very fine fabric for use of the 'sails' for the windmill(blades?) Bravo,Faller! Dr D
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Frankenbahner		#33 Posted : 07 August 2011 11:14:39(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 15/09/2006(UTC) Posts: 625 Location: Nuremberg, Bavaria		I never saw many differeneces between Faller, Kibri, and Vollmer, regarding quality. Heljan needs more work, as parts not always do fit so well. In the end, all of them require some repaint and weathering so they don't like that plastic-like, and some additional details will improve overall impression as well. You will find many detailing parts in Auhagen's programme. Exact 1:87 may be nice for those who have enough room, for others, these structures often are simply to large. Most of the structures I have on my layout, are from these 1:100 series. However, some of the old Kibri and Faller structures, were even smaller, more N scale (1:160) than 1:100. Regards, Florian
		H0 3-rail AC with DCC, MM and mfx, 2-rail DC streetcars, and N gauge
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Goofy		#34 Posted : 10 June 2012 18:50:46(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 9,278		I have just soon finish my farmer kit from Noch. They are in laser cut and looks great! I shall now build up Noch "Erbach" station which are laser cut too. Faller is good too and are easy to build them. Vollmer has excellent shape of buildings that looks romantica style too. Kibri and Heljan is not good. Since Kibri did start a new way of building kits it has become worse. Right now i prefer laser cut wood buildings and with cardboard too.
		H0 DCC = Digital Command Control
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Iamnotthecrazyone		#35 Posted : 12 June 2012 00:36:11(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 22/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,047		Faller and Vollmer are my favourites. I like some models from Kibri but they are not my first choice. there can be some older brands that are still available thorugh ebay that can be quite reasonable too like Quick. On the subject of Heljan lets not forget their models tend to be considerably cheaper and that should be taken into account.
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BrandonVA		#36 Posted : 12 June 2012 17:50:53(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 09/12/2011(UTC) Posts: 2,533 Location: VA		Interesting hit on an old topic, but I agree with the above. In my observation, Vollmer are the best quality kits, followed by Faller. Both are good, I just think Vollmer has the edge. Faller has a much bigger catalog. Heljan and Pola seem to be hit or miss. I had some of my early Vollmer and Faller models from the 80s/90s in storage for a number of years. They were packed up and moved about quiet a bit. In the end, the Vollmer models have also come out in very good condition, and easy to repair were needed. -Brandon
		My (new) layout progress - BrandonBahn III My previous layout - Brandonbahn II (click here)
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NewMB		#37 Posted : 12 June 2012 17:53:54(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 26/04/2012(UTC) Posts: 668 Location: Erftstadt		IMO Faller is at the top followed closely by Vollmer and Auhagen (who have seen much improved quality in recent times). Heljan, as said by others, are at the bottom of the list.
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kbvrod		#38 Posted : 12 June 2012 18:56:35(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,597 Location: Beverly, MA		Hi Brandon,all, Interesting hit on an old topic, but I agree with the above. In my observation, Vollmer are the best quality kits, followed by Faller. Both are good, I just think Vollmer has the edge. Faller has a much bigger catalog. Heljan and Pola seem to be hit or miss. I had some of my early Vollmer and Faller models from the 80s/90s in storage for a number of years. They were packed up and moved about quiet a bit. In the end, the Vollmer models have also come out in very good condition, and easy to repair were needed.< As I recall most of these manufactures model structures from where they are located,hence the different 'styles' Faller: (Pola,which Faller owns) excellent quality,a wide selection.Pola,many wonderful structures and a first to pre-weather their kits(!) Heljan: some very old molds but remember they do produce the M rindlokshuppen. Kibri: this firm is 100 years old and yes many of these molds are old but they are (mostly) built to almost 'snap-together'.IMVHO,now that Veissman had taken ownership your will see improvements.Still,I have no issues with them,... Noch: getting back into it!See my review on this site on one of their laser-cut kits. Vollmer: Excellent,some great stuff,again never an issue(to me). Also:Auhagen,not as well know(in the US) but again they have been in business 100 years(!) Nice inspection pits! Dr D
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Mark5		#39 Posted : 26 September 2012 07:30:59(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,422 Location: Montreal, Canada		Originally Posted by: spitzenklasse Why be so critical of Heljan. I used to say the same thing of Athearn trains. They take more creative detailing, but with a bit of effort, you can detail them nicely, and they are not as costly as some other kits. Give them some credit for what they do. When I got the blast furnace kit, (it is from Denmark, so I presume it's Heljan) the floor was colored a horrible creamy yellow. It was nothing a coat of brownish red rustoleum paint didn't cure. I also oversprayed from a distance the entire finished kit. It looks like an old weathered rusty steel mill. A lot of the gray plastic still shows through. It is the pride of my industrial yard, complete with a smoke generator, and glowing slag cars done with amber plastic over the light bulbs. Same with hot metal cars. I even put one near the bustle tube at the furnace base. Those Marklin HKM steel slab cars are so cool rolling through the complex glowing from the battery motion detector's. Who can guess what eastern US city I was born in to remember the scene's and want to re-create them? Hint- It has many bridges, but few steel mills today. I am guessing Pittsburg. My dad used to buy coal there from USS steel for Ontario Hydro in Canada. I'd love to see a few photos of the factory you created. Do you have some? I am working on a few Heljan models with my girls. We bought them partly based on price, yes much cheaper, and the fact that I love to do the painting and weathering. I have found a few techniques with acrylic paint, rubbing on almost dry paint, dry-brushing brick, matt paints for real stucco finish, etc. When I get them done, I will give a better review of Heljan, but since the last Faller and Kibri I did was over 30 years ago, I can't comment on them. I guess the rule follows that cost relates to quality. But the challenge to the artist is always there.
		DB DR FS NS SNCF c. 1950-65, fan of station architecture esp. from 1920-70. In single point perspective, where do track lines meet?
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TheFatTick		#40 Posted : 03 March 2013 15:41:43(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 11/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 46		On a related note, which figures are the most effective and realistic? I am building my first kit ( a Faller brewery) and want to put some workers around the brew pot but I have no reference on which figures are the best.
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petestra		#41 Posted : 03 March 2013 16:04:56(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 27/07/2009(UTC) Posts: 5,862 Location: Leesburg,VA.USA		Originally Posted by: TheFatTick On a related note, which figures are the most effective and realistic? I am building my first kit ( a Faller brewery) and want to put some workers around the brew pot but I have no reference on which figures are the best. Hi, I have the Vollmer Brewery on my layout and you can see photos on my layout pages. I placed some flat bed trucks by it with barrels , etc. As for the figures I use workers who are lifting, etc. Since it is a "Dinkelacker" brewery, I was able last year to find a Dinkelacker truck too. Cheers,Peter ps- I use the same kind of figures for inside the brewery too.
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Mark5		#42 Posted : 05 March 2013 09:50:10(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,422 Location: Montreal, Canada		Originally Posted by: TheFatTick On a related note, which figures are the most effective and realistic? I am building my first kit ( a Faller brewery) and want to put some workers around the brew pot but I have no reference on which figures are the best. My vote would be for Preiser, but there are many companies with really good figures. It depends the kind of layout and look your are going for, I'd say. - M @Peter... can you point out the link for your photos of the brewery in question?
		DB DR FS NS SNCF c. 1950-65, fan of station architecture esp. from 1920-70. In single point perspective, where do track lines meet?
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petestra		#43 Posted : 05 March 2013 16:10:19(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 27/07/2009(UTC) Posts: 5,862 Location: Leesburg,VA.USA		Some Brewery photos. Vollmer kit. Peter petestra attached the following image(s):
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Hoffmann		#44 Posted : 05 March 2013 16:41:24(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 25/11/2004(UTC) Posts: 1,106 Location: Guelph, Ontario		Hi, Vollmer would by my first choice for Plastic Models however since lasercut is now more available I may change to those MFG. Someone likes Dinkelacker I myself like Schwabenbraeu or Stuttgarter Hofbraeu . Martin
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pab		#45 Posted : 08 March 2013 16:47:21(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 03/11/2007(UTC) Posts: 2,764		The new lasercut buildings made by Busch are also very pretty. It's a combination of wood, plastic and paper. Beautiful results. See the pictures of a signal box and a telephone post on my lay-out
		With kind regards Piet Brijs Website: http://home.kabelfoon.nl/~pabrijs Topic in Marklin-users.net: https://www.marklin-user...pics/18-Me-and-my-layout Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/pietbrs?feature=guide
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keigwin		#46 Posted : 14 March 2013 18:39:55(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 07/11/2010(UTC) Posts: 43 Location: Boston, MA		My 2 cents on the topic: I like Faller and Vollmer equally, but I like the plastic pre-cut windows of Vollmer better than cutting the plastic sheets of Faller kits. Also, as has been noted above, Faller has more variety vs. Vollmer. I have built a few of the Kibri kits, but I think the detailing and overall quality is better with both Faller and Vollmer. Finally, I built the Trix Dammtor Station kit and Extention kit, but IMHO the fit on these is terrible! Does anyone know if they have improved on the fit for this year's Trix Kits and / or are they laser cut? regards, Mark
		All Marklin Digital Era II - V with CS2 60214
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kbvrod		#47 Posted : 14 March 2013 19:11:38(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,597 Location: Beverly, MA		Originally Posted by: keigwin Finally, I built the Trix Dammtor Station kit and Extention kit, but IMHO the fit on these is terrible! Does anyone know if they have improved on the fit for this year's Trix Kits and / or are they laser cut?regards,Mark You did a fine job on the kit! Did you weather the thing yet? Dr D
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keigwin		#48 Posted : 15 March 2013 16:44:41(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 07/11/2010(UTC) Posts: 43 Location: Boston, MA		Originally Posted by: kbvrod Originally Posted by: keigwin Finally, I built the Trix Dammtor Station kit and Extention kit, but IMHO the fit on these is terrible! Does anyone know if they have improved on the fit for this year's Trix Kits and / or are they laser cut?regards,Mark You did a fine job on the kit! Did you weather the thing yet? Dr D Thanks Dr D, No, not yet. I keep going back and forth about it. I'm afraid of messing it up, and if I weather the station, then do I need to do the other models? If not it will look out of place. I really have had fun this winter continuing to build other models. I keep adding buildings around the station to give it more depth. If the new Dammtor kits have better fit, I would be tempted to build it all over again with the knowledge I gained in building it the first time.
		All Marklin Digital Era II - V with CS2 60214
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kbvrod		#49 Posted : 15 March 2013 20:48:05(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 23/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,597 Location: Beverly, MA		Originally Posted by: keigwin Originally Posted by: kbvrod Originally Posted by: keigwin No, not yet. I keep going back and forth about it. I'm afraid of messing it up, and if I weather the station, then do I need to do the other models? If not it will look out of place. I really have had fun this winter continuing to build other models. I keep adding buildings around the station to give it more depth. If the new Dammtor kits have better fit, I would be tempted to build it all over again with the knowledge I gained in building it the first time. Hi all,K, Even light weathering goes along way to show age.Remember the light black wash we talked about?Just a little around the base and in the stone seams can give a good illusion of age.IMHO is if you weather the roof(s) it can again give the illusion that everything is weathered. Then again it maybe time for Dr Dirt's tips to weathering,.... Dr D
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TheFatTick		#50 Posted : 15 March 2013 22:59:33(UTC) Retweet
Joined: 11/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 46		Petestra - That's a fun brewery! Great job of making it a working endeavor.
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