Hornby TT:120 Buildings

[Dodge1965]

I saw the other day, that some of the "out ot stock" buildings have some new pictures.

Also the date for release is 2nd April, if you look at the code.  I guess we will see.

[Postman On The Rails]

The ones that have been released yet seem to have had box pics added I noticed 

[StuLarge]

Just wanted to illustrate the value of the Hornby buildings.

Likewise the rescaled home printable buildings or Metcalfe card kits as illustrated by @Dave the Busker

The growing number of Lazer cut wooden kits (or if you are as lucky as @Froobyone the potential to create your own Lazer cut buildings)

And on reflection the potential cost effectiveness of traditional scratch building.

I have taken a no longer with us station building and recreated it for 3D printing using one of the online services, picture of the 20cm long building and the printing costs of various materials below... Excluding windows/doors and fine details which need to be printed in a different material the model used the design rules for full colour sandstone (so I could get the brick textures printed, note each colour in the image is a map for a different texture).

The base price, material only, would be £92 for the shell, not priced the details yet.

The reason I opted for 3D printing were my skill set (also lack of skills), time/equipment availability (30mins at lunch over a number of days) and geometry (the curves)... Plus I am in the construction industry and a bit pedantic.

Hope this helps others thinking of 3D printing (or who also like the post grouping architecture of the southern region)

[Silver Fox 17]

So if you were selling these it would probably double in price with all the fittings and time taken to draw it up?

 

[Rallymatt]

Lovely looking building, a bit Art Deco; but very interesting points on the costs. Mass production does bring the unit costs down and the Hornby resin buildings do last, 3D Printing resins will degrade. 

[StuLarge]

6 hours ago, Silver Fox 17 said:

So if you were selling these it would probably double in price with all the fittings and time taken to draw it up?

 

I'm anticipating it hitting in the region of £175 with the detail parts raw cost and postage. 

I don't think that is a viable cost for a retailed product let alone adding a small % to gradually claw back the cost of my time. I can certainly see why the likes of West Hill Wagon Works stick to the flourish details like skip, fencing etc.

That price is a bit steep for me. But, I have a couple of ideas to reduce the cost a small amount and I have to consider that it is a bespoke niche luxury item. 

When I do the windows/ doors etc... I would consider making them available for others.

[StuLarge]

5 hours ago, Rallymatt said:

Lovely looking building, a bit Art Deco; but very interesting points on the costs. Mass production does bring the unit costs down and the Hornby resin buildings do last, 3D Printing resins will degrade. 

So many technologies from printed paper/ card to engraved ply and colourful resin.

The tech I was looking to use is like an inkjet printer but with added gypsum and glue.

The building is what they call Streamline Moderne or Odeon Style... A Post Deco Style best typified by the London Underground Station's of Charles Holden. James Robb Scott was Chief Architect of the Southern Railway at the time but I'm inclined to believe not personally responsible for this stylistic approach but either a subcontracting to tle likes of Holden or one of Robb Scott's Assistants such as Max Fry....

At this point I realise that I have gone off on one 🤪 I love the optimism and modesty of the style.

Plus there is the fond reminiscing of Dad's Tri-ang TT buildings, something I experienced well before my Architectural education.

...and yes there will be a signal box too.

[Kenneth-365689]

Hi StuLarge, looks very nice. If you were to put these out for sale, would you also be able to print it in a single colour so it could be painted by the purchaser, and, would that bring the price down significantly. Just wondering if using all those different resins /fillerments was a major cost factor? 

[96RAF]

1 hour ago, Kenneth-365689 said:

Hi StuLarge, looks very nice. If you were to put these out for sale, would you also be able to print it in a single colour so it could be painted by the purchaser, and, would that bring the price down significantly. Just wondering if using all those different resins /fillerments was a major cost factor? 

I would refer you to forum Guidelines #9.

[Kenneth-365689]

Hi moderator 96RAF, I was just wondering if it was the choice of materials that was a factor in the quoted £175. Referring to Silver Fox 17s question 10 hours ago re 'if you were selling these....'?? 

[StuLarge]

3 hours ago, Kenneth-365689 said:

print it in a single colour [...] would that bring the price down significantly.

Using the sandstone printing materials there doesn't appear to be a cost difference between coloured and non coloured.

What you would loose is the brick effect (which would be colour printed). To do this textured (like plasticards or Lazer engraved ply) for painting, the relief detail is too fine to print in this material.

I will investigate other options as I go, but not looking to advertise or sell this building publicly, particularly given that raw cost! 

Post was really intended to help others with insight in to bespoke modeling techniques and materials/cost Vs what's currently available.

Apologies for straying toward guideline territory, discussion of cost is tricky but in this instance is intended as:

1. The sort of thing you could expect if trying yourself.

2. The scale of trouble I will be in with The Boss 😬

[GMD]

41 minutes ago, StuLarge said:

2. The scale of trouble I will be in with The Boss 😬

🤣 The domestic authorities need to be kept onside...!

[Kenneth-365689]

Thanks StuLarge, never heard of Sandstone Printing up till now, will look it up on Google.. (we are allowed to say Google I hope?). We may have unintentionally strayed off side, just have to wait for the V A R....