03/05/07

This area of the web site will be editorial in nature and I'll be providing my opinions on some of the model kits I've purchased and built.  Please note these are only the opinions of an uniformed math geek who has both limited modeling and intellectual skills.  Your experiences will likely vary.

I will only be listing items that I think are above average to excellent.  There will be no negative reviews here because there's too much flaming already on the net and this is only a hobby.  I recommend all of the kits discussed on this page.  The real purpose of the ratings is to pass on favorable experiences with some of the smaller manufactures so others try their products and they stay in business to provide me with future kits.  You see, it's really all just about me.  I may revise the "no-pan" rule in the future if some product or vendor is truly awful or I become really cranky as I age.

Rating Format:

Kit's will be rated in one of two categories - either "Highly Recommended" or Recommended.  Those kits that are rated "Highly Recommended" are ones which I think you should go out right now and buy for your layout.  "Recommended" kits are above average kits which I think you would be happy with, but aren't necessarily "got-to-haves".  Please bear in mind that I have a penchant for waterfront modeling and my opinion maybe biased in that direction.

I used to employ a 5 point numerical scale (with two decimal points!) for ratings but realized that such ratings are a bit arbitrary and creates a situation where there is a forced ranking - with numbers some kit will be mathematically first and another last.  I realized I was being overly precise with my two decimal point rankings so I decided to simplify it to the two categories discussed above.

There may come a time, due to the onset of age related crankiness that I post reviews of kits that are either average or below average or even truly awful.  Right now I'm happy just pointing out the kits I think are worthwhile.

Ratings Summary:    

Highly Recommended: Go out and buy them now!

Kit                                    Manufacturer

Gritty McDuffs                  Bar Mills Scale Models

Foss Landing                    Sierra West

49' Utility / Buy Boat        Maritime Art

Kit-O-Mat                       KingMill Enterprises

Recommended: Give'em a try

Kit                                  Manufacturer

Bomar Utility Barge         FOS Scale Models Ltd

Varick Freight                 FOS Scale Models Ltd

68' Steam Freighter         Frenchman River Model Works

Rusty's Radiator              Bar Mills Scale Models

Nella Grocery                 KingMill Enterprises

Earl's Oil                         Bar Mills Scale Models

Highly Recommended Kit Comments

Gritty McDuffs:

Gritty McDuff's is Bar Mills first "monster kit" and consists of 5 structures that model a building supply business.  The kit comes in a wooden box with a sliding top that is really useful post build for storage.  The overall quality of the kit is superb and there is a very generous supply of "detail" parts.  The instruction book is well laid out but is a bit chatty - I tend to prefer diagrams over text.  There are a few minor errors in the instructions and I needed replacement parts for some doors on the wood shed structure.  Neither of these issue is material and all where dealt with promptly by Bar Mills.  In fact, I received the replacement doors before I had to ask for them.  Gritty's was a big task for me and took about six months to complete at my glacial modeling pace.  I really enjoyed building the kit and think that it, along with Foss Landing, are the centerpieces of my layout.  In terms of customer service, I find Bar Mills to be superb to deal with.  The building shapes where very interesting - especially the wood shop and the main building.  The kit is very versatile and can be configured in many different ways.  I saw one build that had a maritime theme that was really well done.

Foss Landing:

Foss Landing is a four structure kit from Sierra West consisting of two buildings, a lobster boat and a shed.  The instruction manual is superb and provides an excellent overall reference work for modeling - I still refer to it for modeling hints long after I've built the kit.  In fact, I find the Foss manual to be a more useful general modeling reference book than any of the modeling books I've bought.  The detail items are the best in the business in terms of both quality and quantity.  I built Foss almost two years ago and I still have a few details items to use.  The workshop details (shelves and workbenches) are the best I have ever come across.  All of the kit components are well laid out and the laser cutting is great.  This is still the most rewarding kit I've built to date.  I would score it a tad  lower than Bar Mill's Gritty McDuff's because of the wait time to get my kit was a bit frustrating.  Sierra West is a one man operation and Brett, the owner, has never sacrificed quality for quantity (which is a good long term decision for the modeler) but he can be slow to get orders filled.  Think of all the parts that come in a craftsman kit box, now think about keeping track of all that - doesn't sound to easy does it?  I haven't ordered anything from SW in the past few years but I have heard via the Rail Road Line Forum that order turn around times are much better.  I will be ordering the upcoming Foss Boat Yard kit from SW when it becomes available and if there is a bit of a wait, it will be worth it. 

49' Utility or Buy Boat:

Maritime Art is another exceptional provider of HO scale boat kits and they have a wide variety of boats kits to select from.  This outfit is owned and operated by a gentlemen named Art Johanssen and he is a pleasure to deal with.  I have purchased three of Art's kits and have built the Buy Boat.  A really nice Maritime Art feature is the inclusion of a CD with each kit that contains detailed photographs of the build process and photographs of the real thing to help the modeler figure out color schemes and weathering.  I found the CDs to be invaluable.  Art's products represent boats that are found on the Chesapeake Bay, which is perfect for my Maryland based layout.  The construction of the buy boat went very smoothly, although I did have to fill-in some air bubbles on the resin cast hull.  The kit contains a lot of very small detail parts so be prepared for an involved but rewarding build process.  Some of the thinner resin casting can be delicate and don't take kindly to falling on the floor (I found out the hard way).  I really recommend Art's kits.

Kit-O-Mat:

Kit-O-Mat isn't really a kit, it's a basic CAD system from KingMill Enterprises that allows a user to design a custom building and  then submit the plans to KingMill for Laser cutting.  So far I've purchased two custom buildings from KingMill using the product and have been very pleased with the results.  The product is very easy to use and there is a wide selection of material types one can use.  The window and door design feature is great - you can specificy window size, style and the number of panes of glass etc.  As you add details and feature to your building a cost estimate is continually updated.  The ordering process is well integrated into the software - you simply push the order button in the upper right corner of the screen and the software sends the plans to KingMill for a final quote .  The "human" review of the design by Chris Jessee (KingMill's owner) is important as that's the last time you can make corrections before cutting.  Turn around times from pressing the order button to receiving my kit have been 5 days or less.  I am sure there are much more sophisticated cad programs available but this package does a great job of tying the entire process together. 

Recommended Kit Comments

Bomar Utility Barge:

This kit is a must for the waterfront modeler and it offers a lot of options for customization.  The kit builds a work barge with a crane and it has a lot of detail parts (including coal!).  The barge itself is roughly 2 inches by 3 inches and fits in very tight spaces.  The building of the kit couldn't have gone any smoother, although the instructions confused me a bit.  Once completed, the barge is perfect for adding a little interest to a water front scene.  I plan to have my barge pulling something interesting out of the water - perhaps a car or a sunken boat.  The crane that comes with the kit is the standard Tichy crane but it works very well for the kit.

Varick Freight:

Varick Freight is a simple background building from FOS Scale Ltd'd "Quick Kit" line.  I was able to finish the model in about four hours and was very satisfied with the build.  Outside of 2 stove pipes and a chimney there are no detail parts.  This kit would make a very nice introduction to craftman's kits for a beginner.  I added a freight dock and brick foundation to my kit.  While a great kit, I do think its price of $37.00 (from the FOS web site 11/26/06) is a bit high given what you get.

68' Steam Freighter:

Outside of Tug Boats there are few boat kits available in HO but Frenchman River Model Works has a nice selection.  The Steam Freighter kit consists of resin hull and decking and a handful of brass and other detail parts.  This kit was the first time I've used etched brass parts and it showed.  The Hull and deck castings where in great shape (no air bubbles and almost no flash.  The instructions are a bit spartan and could be more informative.  I had a heck of a time attaching the rear brass railing to the deck until that 5 watt light bulb in my head finally went off and I realized that brass glues in place better if you curve it to fit the space before hand - Dooohhh!  I could not get the brass ratlines in stay in place and decided to model the kit without it.  While the kit comes with thread for the rigging lines and such, I replaced it with EZ line from Berkshire Junction Model Railroad Supplies.  EZ line is elastic and is much easier to tie in place with a taught look.  It's also durable and can take a lot of abuse.  The finished model gives the impression of a much larger ship than it is and it really enhances a waterfront scene.  The model is based off Scottish type of ship and I'm not sure if any where used on the Chesapeake Bay - but who cares? - it looks cool on the layout!

Rusty's Radiator:

Rusty's Radiator is what I would call an average sized Bar Mills kit.  It comes in the standard clear plastic box (which is very useful for storing small parts post build - keep it around!  The kit is interesting as the main building is 5 sided and has one wall in significant disrepair.  The overall look of the completed building is great and it fits in as a small business struggling to get by on the "other side of the tracks".  I was a little nervous about the wall fit with this but didn't have any issues at all.  Lots of nice angles also add interest.  The detail parts are adequate and I added to them to make my final scene using some Bar Mills fencing and an Outhouse from KingMill Enterprises along with several other items whose manufactures I have forgotten.  Overall, this is a nice kit and a good addition to any urban layout.

Nella Grocery:

KingMill Enterprises is a relatively new kit manufacturer and they have a limited but growing selection of kits.  Nella Grocery is a small, rural store that will fit almost any scene in a layout.  The layout of the structure is interesting and there are a load of detail parts - metal castings, cardboard boxes, newspapers.  The kit is very reasonable priced and its a good, quick build.  The size and window structure of this kit makes it a good candidate to try and model a buildings interior for the first time.  The role of the structure can also be easily changed from a small grocery store to anything you'd like.

Earl's Oil: 

Earl's Oil is a smallish kit from Bar Mills.  I enjoyed building the kit but it didn't "rock-the-house".  One feature that I didn't like was that the corrugated roofing material was a printed paper product (from Papercreek).  The printing is great and it looks fine from a distance of 3 feet or more.  If you get up close you can notice the lack of texture.  The detail parts in the kit a really good - the oil tank castings are superb.  The kit went together very smoothly and was fun to build.  If you get this kit you should pick up some alternative roofing material.  The completed kit is a great "off-to-the-side" building that provides some interest away from a "main event".

Comments? Please Email us at:

Bosco@clarksville-balt-and-ohio.com