Probably falling into the category of “inflation buster” AHM prodcued this interesting group of cutout buildings on 4 large format cardboard “leaves.” The whole thing folds up like a book. You cut it out, although there is some die work on parts of it following the directions penciled in around the edges. I got some styrene to mount parts of it on. There’s a schoolhouse freight station, bank/postoffice and other small structures like a set of crossing gates and various signage.
Did AHM make more of these? Maybe like Suburban, Nouveau Rich, Barely Middle Class, or - best of all - Spent It All on Trains, with a cardboard basement with its own cut-out layout?
I know RMC did some in Mag building cutouts for a while, I think they sold a book like this for a while. AHM may have followed the lead and did the same. The crossing gates seem to be a little too high tech for this, perhaps it should be just some aged crossbucks, but then maybe the railroad had a mishap with a horse and buggy…
Seeing those buildings dates from 1900-1940 in rural Appalachia a crossbuck would have been better or a crossing guard if that was a busy main line.
Fun facts these buildings was popular with logging and narrow gauge modelers.However,the majority of the modelers thought those was well suited for a child’s 4’x4’ “toy” layout but,not for the more “serious” layouts.
Even back then some thought $1.98 was too much for a book containing cardboard cutout buildings.
Why would you say that? ALl they need is some dulling down of the bright ink color. Make the bends with a metal ruler so they are nice and crisp, and they’ll look as good as anything. How are these that different from the techniue of building a plain box structure and then glueing on printouts of pictures of the actual structure? You’ve probably seen photos of layouts where some of the structures are printed cardboard and never even knew it.
There were other makes of such things, and you can still buy printed sctructures like that. Whole books of them. The newer trend is to just sell you the files to print yourself. There is even at least one program designed to allow you to design and print your own structures.
In the 1973 catalog, AHM had 4 sets, 2 of 30’s era buulldings, and 2 of old West buildings.
Randy,I agree some toning down of those bright colors and those cardboard buildings would blend in.I would call that “Hollywood prop effect” modeling since you are fooling the eyes in seeing a detailed building when its nothing more then a toned down cardboard building.
Fast forward to today and you can buy cardboard building flats that is already weathered that blends in quite nicely with the structures in the foreground…
I would use these structure today in a background setting, in “Two shakes of a lamb’s tail”! Yes, I would add to the weathered appearance, if I felt it was needed. I guess I’m not in that “Majority” Brakie mentioned; or, Milepost 266.2 is such a strong proponent of!
Similar to thse, in the 70s, there were cereal boxes that had "Structures’ at the bottom of the boxes one could cut out along the “roof tops” and use as “buildings” on a train layout {O scale}. I believe they were Captain Crunch or some such-maybe cheerios?. I believe they were mostly a western town “vintage”…
I still “have them” as they are still somewhere at my father’s iF they survived all these years.
They were used for “back drop buildings” on the layout…far and away in the very back wall.
Exactly, a little weathering and touchup - they may not be foreground model quality but do you really need that level of detail for a building way in the back behind some others that you can only see if you tilt your head just right to catch a glimpse through some open space? Add a few 3D detail parts, like gutters and downspouts, and a set of steps from the porch or something, and you really have something. Again, certainly no contest quality model, but plenty adequate for fill in among the really nice ones.
Thanks to Randy and DSchmitt for the tips. I found both Western Town cutout sets for well under $17.
Hey, I know it’s not FSM level stuff, but I’m on a budget and these fit. Now I’ll have a much bigger town for well under $20. With a little bit of care, detailing and weathering, these are just what I needed. They’ll serve as background (mostly) flats behind lots of 3D foreground structures. Will post some pics once things comes together. I may end up mounting them on one or more pieces of black foam core for convenience’s sake.
For just under $15 total, I ended up with the Hillbilly and 2 other Western structure books. For reference:
It was a snap to put together the buildings I needed for my downtown in Crater Lake. The cardboard seems stiff enough to hold up, so I didn’t bother with mounted them on plastic first.
I did a little touchup in a few spots with markers and added some wood post to the fronts of several of them as called for in the instructions.
