Old Town Block
Faller 1:87 Scale Building Review
The Faller 1:87 scale 30 × 12 × 17 cm Old Town Block comprises seven houses and a corner section of town wall with a town gate. The interesting colouring of the plastic parts is further enhanced by weathering, using the small scale AFV weathering technique developed by Jim Gordon.
Evaluation
The seven buildings of the Old Town Block can be combined in a variety of ways. It is a good idea to strengthen the bare inside of the city wall with 5 mm foam board so that it looks realistic from every angle. Improvements of this kind are particularly noticeable at gates and arcades.
Sprue and mould lines need to be carefully removed before assembly to ensure an unobstructed fit of the mitered edges of wall sections. Only then will a permanent adhesive bond between two part be achieved.
Some of the buildings are so narrow that, apart from the necessary stairwell, they offer very little usable space. This is a typical concession to model railroaders who need to fit many interesting houses into the smallest possible footprint on their layouts. For two of the three mixed-use buildings, this means that even after closing time, they can only be entered and exited through a single door: the shop door.
The uniform brown bossage is far too monotonous for the depicted period. Historical uncut stone can range in colour from blackish-brown to dark brown, brownish-red, brick red, and salmon-colored to ochre, even within one section of rusticated masonry.
Detailing and Painting the Old Town Block
- Filling Facade Cracks, Old Town Block, 1:87 Faller B-924
- Masking Windows for Airbrush Work, 1:87 Faller B-924
- Painting Volute Gables, Old Town Block, 1:87 Faller B-924
- Weathering Brickwork, Old Town Block, 1:87 Faller B-924
- Plastering Masonry, Old Town Block, 1:87 Faller B-924
- Scratchbuild Bossage, Old Town Block, 1:87 Faller B-924
- Weathering Tile Roofing, Old Town Block, 1:87 Faller B-924
- Patinating Copper Roofing, Old Town Block, 1:87 Faller B-924
The Faller 1:87 scale Old Town Block can be found at flea markets and auctions for a song. However, used models from model railroaders are often so carelessly assembled that they tend to fall apart easily. Wargamers and diorama builders are generally faced with the task of reconstructing the Old Town Block from the ground up. The effort is worthwhile. Properly glued together, nicely painted, and weathered, the Old Town Block becomes a charming backdrop for figures and vehicles from various historical periods.