Woodland Scenics O Scale Buildings

[ivor13]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with Woodland Scenics O scale buildings? I'm looking at possibly using them for 28mm games. How do you like them? Was the build difficult?
They look absolutely fantastic, but I'm wondering also if not being able to game interiors (spoiled by 4ground  ) is enough to not make a purchase?

Thanks guys!

[S J Donovan]

As I understand Woodland Scenic buildings are completely built when you buy them,they are not kits.

[Melnibonean]

Oh My!!!
These look nice:

http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/A2766/page/1

http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/A2764/page/1

[ivor13]

You have two options for the same kits - built and unbuilt - at a pretty significant price difference for unbuilt, so unfortunately my bank account is leaning that way 

And agree Melnibonean, they have some absolutely amazing looking stuff and why I'm seriously considering making a purchase  

[War In 15MM]

I haven't used Woodland Scenics' building with my 25mm/28mm figures and buildings, but I have used a lot of RailKing O gauge buildings with them, and I think the O gauges works out great.  You can judge for yourself by looking at my Old Glory 25s Gangster buildings side by side with my RailKing O gauge buildings in my Victorian city layout at www.warin15mm.com/Victorian-Gallery.html

[ivor13]

Thanks Richard! I've been amazed at your work for some time now! And that you don't throw dice is probably killing a large percentage of people here 

I have a few RailKing buildings myself for my ACW board and they do fit nicely as you said. For whatever reason, I have an awful time with resin buildings. Yours are absolutely brilliant and it blows me away that they are resin 

I have the whole line of Old Glory Wild West buildings and honestly, I just hate them. They are all sitting in a box in the corner  I know it's just me and my inability to paint them correctly as you and both Dave from Pulp Alley have shown with OG's Chicago line.

I'm just wondering as well if it's possible, and how difficult it would be, to make the Woodland Scenics building interiors game-able?

[War In 15MM]

Ivor13, thank you very much for the generous comments about my work.  I really do appreciate it, and I know that the fact that I don't game must seem absolutely crazy to most of the LAF members who have seen my stuff... but there it is.  That said let me make a few of suggestions and couple one of them with a question that I as a non-gamer have wondered about for a long time.  First, in terms of the Old Glory resin buildings, the only ones I have from their Old West line are the two Empire Block buildings included in my Victorian city, but my experience with the Old Glory buildings (the Chicago Gangster Buildings) is that the biggest problem with them is getting the roofs to seat properly.  Before I take that problem on, I first clean all the excess resin out of the windows and close the openings by gluing pieces of Evergreen plastic over them from the inside.  Once I have done that, I attach the roofs which includes glue and a lot of putty.  Having said all that I understanding that I have sealed the building which denies you its interior, but that goes to my second suggestion and my question to you.  Before I get to that, let me address the issue of painting the Old Glory buildings.  Once the windows are sealed and the roofs are attached, all I do is spray the buildings flat black and dry brush the hell out of them... really nothing to it.  Biggest problem there is just selecting good colors.  Now back to the problem of the interiors.  As a non-gamer, I have never really understood why a gamer would want to be limited to the actual interior of one of these buildings which really offers very little in the way of gaming space or decorating options.  Now here's what I suggest.  Don't use the building's actual interior; build simple stages instead.  They can be made of three sheets of Evergreen plastic (floor, end wall and side wall) and when you are done with them they can be made so they can be taken apart and stored flat in sections.  This is not just speculative rambling on my part.  In my Victorian City I did that very thing with four different rooms, and I think they came out great and storage is a dream because they lay flat when taken apart.  Just for argument sake, take another look at my Victorian Gallery pics 32-34 (church interior), pics 70-73 (ballroom interior), pics 107-108 (mansion staircase), and pics 109-110 (opium den interior).  I think this stage option gives you a lot more room to move gaming figures and to provide more interesting interior decor.  Thanks again, for the kind words and good luck with your project.  Richard

[ivor13]

Agreed 100% Richard on the roofs!  As for painting the OG buildings, I usually prime in gray (or did  ) and used Vallejo paints to attempt coverage. Again, I'm sure it's just me, but I just felt they looked a bad middle school art project. But again, that's on me!

In regards to interiors, I think 4Ground have spoiled us gamers with removable roofs and multi-level floors, opening doors, etc. Here's a link to my build of the 4Ground Saloon and it's many interior rooms

http://saturdaymornings13.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-4ground-saloon.html

I have done the "staging" with the interiors to the On30 scale train we use - the absolute basic of basics with just drawings of each car interior so we could game on the train with figures - and it's worked well for that purpose. Again, though, I think it's just me being spoiled by 4Ground that I want to be able to place figures into buildings. As I say in the blog, it's a fine line we walk as gamers to putting too much emphasis and detail to the interiors of these buildings - the word "doll house" has been thrown around a lot when this discussion is brought up  - but for me, I'm a detail and narrative guy, and if I can improve my buildings I'm going to give it my best shot. Which again, is the reason I'm really drawn to the Woodland Scenics buildings. They are bursting with details and narrative - and all out of the box!

[Rhoderic]

Now back to the problem of the interiors.  As a non-gamer, I have never really understood why a gamer would want to be limited to the actual interior of one of these buildings which really offers very little in the way of gaming space or decorating options.  Now here's what I suggest.  Don't use the building's actual interior; build simple stages instead.  They can be made of three sheets of Evergreen plastic (floor, end wall and side wall) and when you are done with them they can be made so they can be taken apart and stored flat in sections.  This is not just speculative rambling on my part.  In my Victorian City I did that very thing with four different rooms, and I think they came out great and storage is a dream because they lay flat when taken apart.  Just for argument sake, take another look at my Victorian Gallery pics 32-34 (church interior), pics 70-73 (ballroom interior), pics 107-108 (mansion staircase), and pics 109-110 (opium den interior).  I think this stage option gives you a lot more room to move gaming figures and to provide more interesting interior decor.

As it happens I've recently been giving some serious thought to this idea. In fact I'm intending to do it (although not now, as I don't have any buildings on my workbench or in my terrain-making queue ATM). My reason for doing it would be, simply, that it's easier - at least when you're scratchbuilding like I am. Constructing model buildings is much more of a headache when you're having to worry about lift-off roofs/stories, making the outer walls out of sufficiently thin materials, making double-sided windows that fit snugly, etc. In the past, such projects have usually bogged down in the planning stage for me. So, next time I set out to construct a model building I'll just power through with the exterior in a more rough-and-ready manner, then relax and make my separate interior pieces in a leisurely manner.

I can't stand 2-D sketches of interiors, though. I need the "real" thing. Of course, some interior spaces are too small or cluttered to warrant modelling at all: Broom closets, outhouses, tents (excepting big, luxurious pavilions), snug spiral staircases and the like.

[Chris Abbey]

I to love to be able to game interiors. We have developed two different approaches. The first, and most flexible soloution is Terra-Blocks. This is a system of basic components, i.e single wall, corner wall, room, staircase, floor tile etc. These are all based on 1 5cm square so are completely modular. The idea is that instead of making a one off model that you might only use in a game once or twice, you have a set of components (a bit like a lego set), that you can get out and re-arrange to a different layout each time you need some interior action.



These are from our Fothrington Hall set that come with Free Downloadable 'wallpaper' interior and exterior cover sheets.
Loads more photos at : http://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/epages/950003459.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/950003459/Products/TBS03

The second approach we have taken is for our British range of buildings. We sell the buildings as a shell, because that is all a lot of gamers want, but we have made a seperate kit available for lift out detailed interior for those that want it.



Loads more photos off this approach at : http://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/epages/950003459.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/950003459/Products/PRB28_002i

[ivor13]

Those look great Chris 
Always is the good stuff on the other side of the pond