Mixing PIKO Town Buildings - How Do They Look?

4477 Views 12 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Guest, Apr 2, 2008

Discussion Starter · Mar 9, 2008

Hello, I have spent this past winter assembling a number of PIKO town buildings. I have the bank, evening post, and steakhouse completed, and hope to have purchased and finished the pharmacy, barber shop and theatre by April when the layout gets up and running for summer. I will likely buy the remaining ones over summer to make a nice little "tourist" town like Truckee, CA, or Leadville, CO along my Amtrak mainline.

I've also noticed that PIKO makes a line of smaller, cheaper town buildings as well.

While I've never been fond of the western look of the general store, fire station, school, etc., I have noticed when visiting their website that in 2008 PIKO released three new buildings in this line that I do like - music store, book store, and coffee house.

I would also be interested in the LGB store as well.

My question is this. Do these buildings look OK when mixed together despite their difference in size and era? Has anyone used both together before? If so, can you post some photos so I can get a feel for how they look mixed before I buy the smaller, cheaper ones.

Thanks!

Ed

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Duncan

· #2 · Mar 9, 2008

Ed,
I don't have experience with both of the manufacurers, but have a few things for thought...
Since you are running some more modern stuff (Amtrak) it wouldn't be unreasonable to see buildings that have varying eras of pedigree and or style.
Look around at any town or city that has been in existence since the 1800's (or early 1900's), and you'll see a variety of styles, shapes and sizes.
In the early 1900's (and earlier) 9' - 10' ceilings were fairly predominant. That alters the total height of a building.
Additionally, before wide spread use of electricity, many buildings had lots of windows to take advantage of natural lighting.

Now if there is a distinctly noticeable difference in "scale", you can also group one brand of buildings in one area, and the other a bit further away.

By putting the larger buildings in the foreground, and the smaller ones towards the back, you are acheiving an effect of "forced perspective". This makes the smaller ones look like they're further away than they really are.

I guess what I'm saying is, if you like the buildings, get 'em, and sort it out later...

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blackburn49

· #3 · Mar 9, 2008

Posted By Duncan on 03/09/2008 11:25 AM
Ed,

By putting the larger buildings in the foreground, and the smaller ones towards the back, you are acheiving an effect of "forced perspective". This makes the smaller ones look like they're further away than they really are.

I guess what I'm saying is, if you like the buildings, get 'em, and sort it out later...
I have to agree with Duncan. I have done what he suggests to achieve a very satisfactory effect. It is all in the placement.

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ohioriverrailway

· #4 · Mar 9, 2008

The little ones look a tad small next to the regular ones. I'm building a 7 foot stretch of them at the moment. If you go to thre "What are you building" thread here I recall I posted a picture of the progress as it was at that point. Will get a web page up one of these days . . .

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blueregal

· #5 · Mar 9, 2008

Its your railroad do what you want and what pleases you! After all in the end you have only yourself to please right?

They look fine neato! The Regal

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stevedenver

· #6 · Mar 26, 2008

i have mixed pola and piko, and full size piko with the xmas village small stuff-

all work, but you have to use some sense in mixing and placement-the small ones are great for tight sapces, and can also help with forced perspective whem moved to the back of a scene- i try not to place a pola full size next to a xmas village-unless i wish to emphasize the difference in size-they can be used in transitions between areas quite nicely

they can also give a one horse town town feel as well- i mix these with tom muellas extraorindary g scale 1;24 buildings -

these inexpensive piko xmas village-sized buildings are possibly the best for a tight indoor US layout-they are about 1/3 the size of a pola or piko footprint US flatfront type building-much more shallow in depth as well as narrower and lower -plastic is not as thick or robust but i have had no problems

i happen to think the piko x mas village buildings offer great potential and value with a little add on by you with details and most importantly-paint

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Mik

· #7 · Mar 26, 2008

The thing to remember on these is they are SMALL.....5-1/4" x 8" -- Which scales out to 10' 6" x 16' in 1/24, 9'10" x 15' in 1/22.5 or a miniscule 8'10" x 13'6" in 1/20.3..... Here are the ones I have/had on my layout. I gabled the false fronts on the houses for a more Eastern US look.

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stevedenver

· #8 · Mar 30, 2008

mik very nice indeed

-and your layout demonstrates how wonderful these small buildings are for giving the feel of a town or shop area without the huge area similar full sized offerings would require-

love the trees too-while obviously not final (still bundeld in sack cloth) -the size and overhang gives the feel of many more trees surrounding the town area just by the overhang and enclosed feeling

these small piko buildings are used in a very similar fashion by my local shop-caboose hobbites in a overlapping loop rr-about 8x10-with the feel of an entire town and station as well as a river gorge, mine and tunnel- all in a very compact space, but creating a fell of distance and proportion

-i think disney used the same aspect in the main street and other town areas at both DWorld and Disneyland-all the builidngs there are 75% scale, with the second floors being compressed as well--but they give the feel of the real deal in much less space-

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dhamer52

· #9 · Mar 30, 2008

Ed, The question you should be asking is " Do you like them?". In the end that's all that counts. Everyone has an opinion about something. I find that if I like something and I think it would look good on my layout then I buy it and if someone comes over and doesn't like it then they can leave.

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Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 30, 2008

It isn't a question of liking them or not. I don't have any of the smaller version so I can't compare them to decide if I like them or not. I was hoping to get some photos posted showing the two together so I could see how they look side-by-side. Only then can I decide what I prefer and buy the smaller ones or stick with the big ones.

Ed

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tmejia

· #11 · Apr 1, 2008

Ed,

Pulled some buildings for some Spring Cleaning and took some pictures for you.

Hope this helps

Tommy

Rio Gracie

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Semper Vaporo

· #12 · Apr 1, 2008

Nice buildings. Kind of difficult to decide which arrangement is best. Normally, I really like symetry, but the 1st and last setups are just wrong. Somehow or other the 3rd arrangment is the most pleasing and realistic to me.

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Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 2, 2008

Thanks Tommy!!!!

That's exactly what I was looking for. I think they will work mixed. My goal is to create a small town with a line of buildings along a main street like the ones you see in Truckee, CA, Leadville, CO, etc. I can have larger stores, banks, etc. and smaller shops like the music store, bookstore, and LGB store.

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