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.

USA Trains R17615A, G-scale pipe load flat car

I would not really be myself if I brought only one souvenir from a business trip. That also applies to my most recent Californian adventure. In addition to the Piko hopper car, I've also bought another piece of rolling stock made by USA Trains. And this time my choice was a flat car with a pipe load in an eye-catchy yellow livery.

The product's number is R17615A and it was priced at around $60 (excluding shipping). I've ordered my piece from the OnlyTrains online store.

The unboxing experience was much nicer compared to my previous USA Trains box car. There was no "cheap plastic smell" at all. The model seemed fine, just as I expected.

The product includes some extra elements that need to be installed by the owner. There are more pieces of those than actually required, so we're safe even if we break a thing or two. Replacement knuckle couplers are also included in case anyone uses those.

Further opening of the car revealed a very unfortunate fact. The product arrived broken. One of the bogies was completely off.

The reason for that was a crack in the underframe. So the bogie itself was fine, it just wasn't holding onto the car at all. This has probably happened in the transportation, despite very good packaging provided by the retailer.

I've done a quick fix with a slightly longer screw and was able to continue the adventure with my new toy.

Once I had added all the extra details - the handrails and the brake wheel - I could finally enjoy a complete model.

Well, the model is definitely an interesting one. For one, it does feel considerably heavy. So if the weight was any indicator of the quality (and from my experience it very often is), it would mean we're dealing with a good product.

The pipes are not permanently attached to the car. They are actually held by the little chains with the little springs underneath the platform. It is quite an impressive idea, although it also means you have to be a little careful and not wave the model around too much.

The load itself is however nothing special. I believe those are just real-world PVC pipes cut to a desired length. I could actually even spot some stains on those, which is fine after all as it makes the model look more real. The stickers attached to the load do not make a great impression. I'm not sure if there's anything really wrong with them but for some reason I'm not convinced they will last.

The paint job on the other hand is perfect. The labels are razor sharp and the vivid yellow base color makes the model truly stand out. It is worth mentioning that this is an updated version of a USA Trains pipe load flat car. The older version featured slightly less painted elements, and the cargo was not tagged with stickers, either.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the model arrived damaged, I am really happy with my purchase. For just $60 I got a really nice piece of rolling stock. It's much more original and much more detailed than similarly priced products from other manufacturers. I will definitely be buying more items made by USA Trains in the future.