Hi All,

I'm looking for a station + platform for my layout, and I'd like your opinion on Faller, Vollmer, or Kibri or....
In fact, up to now, I have not seen many of them, except in catalogs, or still in the box (i.e. not built).
What I feel is that Vollmer models look more realistic than Faller, and both better than Kibri?
Is that true?
Also, is it necessary to paint the buildings if we want a good result?

Thanks for your help

Fred

Vollmer I think are somewhat better detailed. We have built models from all three companies, and I like Vollmer a little better then Faller, and a lot better then Kibri.
Stephen(USA)

I don't see a lot of difference. I have built all three. I tend to prefer Faller, but I don't really care for Faller's new windows which are a sheet of thin acetate or other thin transparent material you cut to size, unlike the old molded clear plastic windows. Here is the Faller "Bonn" station I built:

[image]http://www.sem-co.com/~rschaffr/trains/era_iv/bonnovw.jpg[/image]

About the windows, I think that is only true for the old Pola models that Faller produces. If that is the case, you have also more work to make the items fit.

Hi all,

Any of the three companies offers good quality building kits, and it's just a matter of choosing the kits you like best. Even you can add pieces from one kit to another to make it look different

My personal preferences are:

- Kibri for typical Swiss alpine houses, some town houses and single-family houses, and some industrial buildings (oil tanks and factories).
- Vollmer for town buildings, industrial buildings and railroad engineering (loco or freight sheds, cranes and steam coaling).
- Faller for country houses, military buildings, tunnel portals, bridges and viaducts.

And, of course, you can always improve its looking by adding some painting or weathering. Sometimes the model you buy doesn't look like the one that is printed on the box, but you can even make it look better painting some parts.

But always keep in mind that a building kit must be suitable for your layout placing and era

Best regards.

I have found all of Faller kits to be good and most of Vollmer and a few of Kibri.
Not too keen on the larger Vollmer stations. Faller has an excellent selection of stations and also a good choice of platforms of different sizes. Even one where passengers move around.
David

Thanks for your answers.
Do makers give color suggestion, or best painting references, in the kit manuals ?

Ron, even in my dreams, I can't imagine making something so perfect!
(the same when looking at some pics posted in this forum: model railroading is a world of artists!)

David, Timaximus, do you know the references of this Faller platform?

Regards,

Fred

The number of the Faller platform with passengers moving is 120200 and it can be extended by adding 120201 (nothing moves on this one)
The separation between the tracks is 7.6mm and if you are using turnouts between tracks you would also need C track 24094. (if you are using C track of course)
Might be an idea to get a Faller catalogue where you can see the different types of platform available along with sizes. Lighting unit 180644 is also available for these platforms and is very effective.
David

Hi

I have built several kits, mostly from Faller, but also from Vollmer and Kibri (and several others).

I think that all of them have very nice and realistic kits and also others that are not so nice. It's difficult to have a general and definite opinion.
I have Faller platforms that look reasonably good, but I think the Vollmer ones in general look slightly better (but they are also different...). The one I prefer the most, though, is the passenger bridge by Pola (now Faller). It's really lovely.

I think Faller's coal crane is very nice.

I have two Faller stations Swartzburg, which looks great, and Waldbrun (not sure about this name) that is not so good. I also have a station by Vollmer, Baden-Baden that is magnific (still finishing it).

About railway buildings apart from stations, I have two superb kits from Kibri: the water tower and the merchandise terminal. These look very realistic. The merchandise terminal is the best kit of all, simply marvelous.

About painting, I don't think you need to do it, just some "patine" to make them look old (which I haven't done yet).

About the instructions, I think Kibri is terrible, Vollmer is reasonable but the best one is Faller, no doubt about that. Very clear instructions, you don't hesitate a minute.
Oh yes, I almost forgot: Marklin kits instructions are even worse than Kibri's!

Last time I went to USA I bought some wooden kits (US country and city houses), but I have not built them yet. However, I saw some of them built in the shop window and they looked so nice that I had to buy them. Probably they do not go so well mixed with the german type of buildings, but I don't care, I will find a way to put them in the layout somewhere, because they are really nice looking.


Cheers,

Nuno

Thanks for all informations, and quite interesting internal links: I see that topic had already come in the forum! Sorry!!

Fred