Tomytec 009-3 C3, N-scale downtown factory set

My "coffee table N-scale layout" project is not really moving forward very much. It got warm outside and the time is now right to focus on my garden railway. Still, I do not mind making small steps for that tiny miniature world, too.

I've decided to assemble a new industrial N-scale structure. And of course I also wanted to try something new at the same time. That's why I've purchased a Japanese construction kit made by Tomytec company. The model does not look extremely Asian and should fit a European layout quite well.

The set comes in a small square, cardboard box. The content is not very big, either. It's just two bags full of parts and a manual.

The assembly guide is actually just one page. One page exclusively in Japanese. Luckily half of that page is a picture, so it should be helpful after all.

Here's the content of the first bag. It's a base-plate and the main walls. All the parts are already cut out, polished, painted, and even the transparent "glass" layers are already applied. Seems like there won't be much to do here...

The second bag contains the roof, some small details and a few larger elements that have to be separated from the mold by the modeler. Finally something to do (but still not that much).

The build is very short. It takes literally half an hour and that's only if you're very thorough. If you hurried, you could probably complete it under 15 minutes. Here's the assembled model.

Well, I wanted a building that would not look very Asian. This one does not... or does it? Difficult to say, but I think it will fit my layout after all.

Some aspects caught my attention...

The base-plate is pretty thick. This means I probably won't be able to put it on the top of the layout base. I will need to cut out a hole. That is fine as long as you have some soft surface to work with. I think all the Tomytec buildings are designed like that, so it's something to consider before the purchase.

A large portion of the model could be assembled without any glue. The plastic parts feature latches and holes and they all hold together very nicely. On the other hand - even if you use glue everywhere, they still do not fit perfectly. It's not a big issue except if you add some interior illumination. In this case the light is going to leak out. It's easy to fix, but you have to plan it ahead.

Other than that, the model looks really good. I'm not convinced I'm a fan of such quick builds, as it lowers the feeling of an achievement for me. But on the other hand it is an efficient way to add structures to your layout.

The overall quality of the product seems very good. I will definitely consider other Tomytec models in the future. Of course only as long as they fit my layout, since Asian towns are not really my main theme.