Hey All,
I would like to have a state park campsite on my layout, my layout is set in the modern era, the problem is I can’t find any modern SUV’s or traveltrailers, are there any companies that would have these models??? I’m working in Nscale, now I don’t mind having a few vintage vehicles, as in the real world some people have and love retro trailers,
Thank You and Happy Modelrailroading!
This is a fair question, as although I don’t model in N scale, I could use a modern era (post turn of the century) travel trailer in HO scale myself.
So I checked the N scale offerings on Shapeways (for the OP - and to see what may be available in HO as well) but you seem to be correct - all the offerings seem to be stuck in 1980s Germany (and one old school Airstream, of course). However, I would say continue hunting around for other 3D printing vendors, hopefully someone is on the ball.
It would be a shame if mfgs and vendors are using the flexibility and agility and scalability of the 3D printing process to produce…more of the same old thing over and over again (think the 1957 Chevy Bel-Air debacle in HO - I think we were up to 5 different manufacturers releasing this same model at one time or another).
There are a lot of difficulties in getting licenses from Automobile Manufacturers to be able to produce models of modern vehicles.
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The companies that can get these licenses normally do not produce models in 1:87 or 1:160.
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We need to become a larger market.
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-Kevin
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Sorry I can’t answer for N scale but you should try eBay because you never know what you might find. You will find items there from manufacturers which are not in a model railroad store or catalog. I have found a few for HO scale. Anyway please post pictures when you are finished.
Thanks guys anyway, I will continue to look around and see whats out there, I wish GM, FORD, DODGE, WENNABEGO, LANCE, AIRSTREAM, would wake up and make a deal with these modeling companies!!!
In HO scale I have models of Airstream trailers, Winnebago motorhomes, and cars from all of the car companies. It’s just that N scale is not that big of a market and HO scale has a lot of crossover products that people who are not building model railroads will still buy. It’s the model makers that just don’t make them.
Here are a couple of pictures from my campground in progress.
There is going to be another campground also which will be located at another location. A couple of Winnebagos and a couple of different trailers will be there.
Keep searching and maybe you will find some models and maybe one day the model makers will make more vehicles in N scale.
Have you tried Trainworld? Woodland Scenics offers a traveltrailer with a vintage station wagon, https://www.trainworld.com/manufacturers/woodland-scenics/woodland-scenics-as5328-thompson-s-travelin-trailer-/ and Atlas makes some modern extended cab pickup trucks (late '90s), https://www.trainworld.com/manufacturers/atlas/atlas-2948-ford-1997-f-150-pickup-truck-red-tan-2-pack/ I’d also try some of the other manufacturers as well.
I think there is a reason that the OP’s response last Saturday was kind of ‘thanks, but no thanks’ - they wanted Modern (to me that means 1990 or later) travel trailers and SUVs in N scale. SUVs are somewhat doable (the Atlas pickup mentioned above) but Modern trailers (and RVs for that matter) do seem lacking.
Does anyone know of 3D-print manufacturers beyond Shapeways?