Having read a few threads around here and other forums regarding the new Walther’s Conerstone Modulars building blocks, I thought it might be helpful to some to post a review of my experiences working with them. I’ve just purchased a set to get me started on filling in some of the cracks on my layout with new industries. Given my layout requirements (smallish holes to fill) and a lack of experience with kitbashing, I thought the Modulars might be a good avenue for me.
If you have questions about my experiences with the product or any of the steps I’ll outline in this review, please be sure to post them and I will do my best to answer them. Given that I’ve just gotten the product in hand, this review will take place over several posts on this thread that will include pictures of the product and my efforts in various stages of completion. I won’t be spending time talking about weathering or other universal techniques but only those steps required to work with these kits. Please let me know if you find this review helpful. If no one posts any interest, I will likely leave my review with just this installment.
Product Overview
The Walther’s Cornerstone Modulars are a series of kits designed to work together to allow modelers to create their own building shapes. Kits include walls, roofs, foundations and other pieces designed to work together in a variety of configurations as designed by the modeler.
First, I’d like to clear up some misconceptions about what you can and cannot do with these kits. On the downside, you must purchase several different kits just to complete a single building. I’ve read threads on this and other forums about how it might be nice to buy the wall pieces to throw together a building or two. This is not possible as viewed from my initial exposure to the product. You must purchase a minimum of three (3) kits to complete any type of building (walls, roof and wall colums/caps). These kits are not cheap. List price for each is ar
Thank you for your preliminary review! It amazes me that when I went to the Walther’s website and downloaded information on this new modular approach, I still didn’t get a clear understanding of what can and cannot be done. For instance, your point about the foundation sections is a big help…I didn’t realize that they weren’t modular.
I built computer systems for 22 years at a large insurance company and even the best systems relied on the “procedures writers” to clarify what the system can and cannot do for the end user. Unfortunately, myself included, we thought we considered the job done when the system was completed amd tested and sometimes didn’t follow through with the proper procedures. That seems to be the case with the Walther’s people…build a new modular system but I’ll be ***ed if I will worry about clearly marketing the product.
Anyway, I would like to hear more from you on these kits as you progress.
The foundation sections ARE MODULAR. If I erred in my original post, I apologize. They can be configured in any shape (provided you have enough of them). However, there are no ‘curved’ foundation or other peices so we’re stuck with right angels everywhere.
Thanks for the info. I was planning on buying these kits to fool around with and make some small “filler” structures when I get some spare time. Please continue to post your experiences. It seems these may be perfect for my needs.
sounds interesting so far . i think i’m going to have to scratch build the major industry on my layout , a copper smelting complex . no kit i’ve seen so far is even close as far as size and complexity .
i have a question … can single story buildings or sections be built ? everything i’ve seen so far has been 2 stories , like the photo in your review .
You can build a one-story building with the kits. In fact, given the limited number of walls you get with the different wall kits (14 in the small wall kit), you couldn’t build anything but a one story building if you wanted to use one of the larger roof peices (they require 12 per floor) if you only had one wall kit.
Very timely info for me as I am about to the point where I will be constructing bldg. I have many odd shaped areas that I need to design bldg for and was considering the Mod sys. I wasn’t exactly sure what kits did what so thanks for clearing it up for me. I now have a better idea of what I would need to get started. Look forward to your next post.
Terry
Good question. I wish I had the answer already but until I determine the design of both buildings, I won’t completely know. That, however, is a lame answer. I am guessing I will get two buildings out of this initial purchase. However, I may have to dip into the well for additional walls in order to complete the second one. So, for $60 or so, I will likely have 2 buildings. That’s a rather large drawback for these kits, they’re expensive for the number of structures you end up with.
but on the up side after awhile you would have bits and pieces left over from various kits you could probably put together another bldg. I have been concentrating on bench work and track work up to this point and will eventually need about 15-20 bldg. So from what you have said this would be a very costly way to go about it. Maybe I will just use the mod sys with the odd shaped or sized bldg and get conventional bldg for the rest.
Terry
second question … are there various building styles available or is there just the one type of wall ? i’m wondering if this would be a good system for building many structures on a layout , or if they would all look too similar when you got done ? (unless that was the builders intention of course)
Unfortunately, there is only 1 style available at this time (basic brick structure). Walther’s has indicated on their website that new “fronts” would be available in the fall but don’t have any other details (or pictures). You could obviously paint the brick different colors for each building but the window styles and basic look would get monotonous. I also think this would be a VERY expensive way to populate a layout. There are just too many good looking existing cheaper kits and prebuilts to go this route for a whole layout. These might be nice for an industrial park where we would expect numerous buildings to look the same but have differing sizes/shapes. Otherwise, these are likely best used to “fill in” places on your layout that you cannot find a structure for.
Now that I’ve had a few minutes to play with the different pieces that come with the modular kits, I’ve been able to rough up a few designs that I might create with them. The easiest way to go about this process is to focus on the individual wall pieces you have a available in order to see how they might fit together into a workable design.
For my purposes, I wanted a “thin” structure that would fit between two tracks on my layout to serve as an rail industry client. Originally, I intended to have the structure be just one “small wall” thick, four small walls wide and two walls high. Unfortunately, given the number of pieces available within the kits, this left me with an odd number of walls to use on any second structure. So, I have a choice, keep the original (albeit simple) design and live with having extra pieces laying around when done or change my structure in an effort to use up my inventory.
Being the cheapskate that I am, I immediately discounted a third option (the one most favored by Walthers) to buy yet another kit (or three?) to expand my use of the remaining walls, etc. Instead, I elected to lay out a slightly larger initial building (a tight but workable fit on my layout) in order to “use up” my parts inventory. That left me with just a few smaller wall pieces but enough to create a one-story structure whose purpose and location are yet to be determined.
Here is a picture of the basic layout of both my large and small building structures.
Big Building:
Small Building:
Wall Fittings
There are a few things to note about these initial designs. First, you can see that the large wall sections (top of the building front shown low and the entire back come fitted with pilasters between the wall sections. I might have p
I think these kits are interesting, but I’m going to wait until more items come out before I fool with em. Personally, I’m just too big a fan of DPM modules to be really impressed with the Walthers version. It’s really hard to see how one could improve much on what DPM has, other than different window styles. The exception of course would be to have a modular system for wooden structures, or block/stone buildings. With DPM you’re stuck with brick. I think Walthers would be able to make some real inroads in this area if they’d come out with stuff along those lines rather than try to find a way to copy DPM without breaking patent/trademark law.
To chase a rabbit for a moment, personally I love kitbashing, so figuring out how to build a structure that fits an odd space or special needs it one of the most enjoyable aspects of modeling.
I found an old Kalmbach book at the LHS by Art Curren that featured 23 different kitbashed/mingled structures, and I have to say it’s a must-have for anyone looking for some unique ideas for their layouts. Don’t remember the full title and the book is in my basement right now (yes, I’m too lazy to run down there now). Just do an author search on Amazon and you’ll find it.
Art Curren was THE MAN as far a kitbashing structures is concerned. Each of his projects resulted in truely unique structures in which it was almost impossible to figure out what the base kit(s) were. I also really enjoyed reading his articles. Very well written, easy to understand and filled with great photos and drawings. I never finished one of his articles with the feeling that I couldn’t do the job. I also really enjoyed the names he came up with! Talented, artistic, technical and a sense of humor. Art was truly one of the highlights of the Model Railroading staff.
I wholeheartedly agree! It would be great to see MR reprint some of his project articles. Seems like there aren’t too many lately that focus on the structure-building of the variety he was such a master at. The articles on modifying car and loco kits is fine, but as far as buildings go, the last I know of was really basic (hence the title, “basics of kitbashing”) . The real tear-em-down-and create something you never thought was possible kind of features have been noticeably absent.
One series of structure kits that definitely blurred the line between kitbuilding and kitbashing were Roundhouse’s “Victoria Station” series–they did a line of modular walls, windows and doors, along with other components, intended for use as a modular building system. Typically a kit included a couple of instruction sheets, showing the types of things you could build with them. I picked up a bunch at a discount from one of my local hobby shops, and will keep an eye out for them–I don’t think that they will be produced any more, but I could be mistaken: if the Cornerstone modular system takes off, it woold behoove Horizon/Athearn/Roundhouse to promote their already-existing line of “modular building components” to modelers.
I would like to see walters make each part availible in it’s own card. So I might be able to pick up a number of wall sections like loading doors and dock peices instead of buying the required number of whole building kits.
Great thread. I’ll have lots of places that will end up being “custom design”. I have some of the Walthers Cornerstone N scale kits (New River Mine, & Superior Paper Co.) and have tried to kitbash a unique structure but have had much better success with the DPM components. If only I had a better choice of siding and windows.
Thanks for your review. Anyone know if N scale modules are in the future from Walthers, or anyone else?
