JULIAN LILLEY takes a look at what is available to add modern houses to your layout.
With the release of the GM409 Fordhampton Detached House, below, I thought it was a good time to take a look at what kits are available to represent houses from 1960 onwards.
At the end of the article,you will see some of the more outlandish uses for these kits, by artist James Cauty.
This Mock Georgian detached house is of a style seen from the early 1960s onwards, so it will be at home on layouts based on the later days of steam and early diesel era, right up to the current day. If you use them in multiples, you can build up a complete estate.
GM409 Fordhampton Detached House
Again, like the kit abouve, this house can be use individually or to build an estate. This previous article by my colleague Terry shows you how you can modify this kit.
GM405 Fordhampton 1960s Three Bedroom House Kit
With regrettably many village stores and pubs closing, this model could be easily converted into a house as many of them are now or left as what it was originally intended.
As with the previous two kits, this kit pre-coloured - this one also comes with a red phone box. Additional painting and weathering could be added for extra realism.
GM408 Fordhampton Village Stores/Public House Kit
So, why have I featured a thatched cottage in a 'Modern House' article?
Well, simply because they are still being built! The house in the image below is part of an estate just up the road from Gaugemaster, finished in 2000. On the outside, many could be mistaken for being three hundred years old but on the inside you can be six foot plus and not keep knocking yourself out on the beams!
GM411 Fordhampton Farmhouse/Holiday Cottage Kit
Whilst talking local, this bungalow kit from Walthers Cornerstone - although based on an American style - is almost identical to three houses next door to my humble abode which were built in the late 90s (1990s or 1890s? - Ed).
Although described as a four-unit apartment building, this Walthers Cornerstone kit is very similar to that of executive houses built in the early eighties and are still built to this day.
WH933-3781 Four Unit Brick Apartment Building Kit
Whilst not in the noughties, this rather smart prefabricated single storey house by Faller from the eighties, complete with a double garage with a raised terrace particularly caught my eye.
FA130641 Prefab 1980/90s House Kit
And bringing us right up to date is this light and airy modern house, also from Faller.
To accessorise your houses the following products will add that extra bit of realism to your layout.
First up is this soon to be released Building Interiors kit. The pack contains interior equipment for office rooms, sitting rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and entrance halls. Room lighting (3 LEDs) is included.
GM490 Fordhampton Building Interiors Kit
Only just released this week, is this new pavement set which is ideal for your housing area, also available in a value pack.
GM382 Embossed Pavement Set OO Scale (2 x Ends/2 x Straights)
Moving house? Put a 'sold' sign outside one of your houses and add these figure sets from Preiser:
PR10714 Furniture Clearance (5) Figure Set
PR10568 Carpet Fitters and Accessories Figure Set
James Cauty is best known for burning a million pounds as an 'Artwork' and was part of the very successful pop band, The KLF.
In 2011, he produced a series of 58 re-enactments, all of a riotous nature, and staged in upturned jam jars. These had extensive coverage in the national press at the time. Most of the figures used were converted Preiser HO figures mainly from the British policeman set. They were produced on a small, limited edition run with a starting price of £700 for a few figures raising to over £8,000 for the larger works. I am in the wrong job!
In 2013 he followed on a similar theme and produced a very large diorama, seen above on exhibition under a railway arch in London. It later went on tour around the UK and Europe.
I was lucky enough to be invited to the opening of 'The Aftermath Dislocation Principle'.
You will see from some of the pictures I took, the housing estate section comprise of mainly two kits.
The houses used were our GM405 Three Bedroom House. You will see that the partly demolished house has floorboards and joists which are not part of the kit!
The very impressive blocks of flats below were in fact made up of over 30 Piko PK61146 Prefab Apartment Block Basic Set Kit.
James Cauty working on the flats.
Whilst the diorama had a serious political message, the Drive-Thru McDonalds featuring the Vollmer kit did make me chuckle.
In the next article, I'm going to look at how to model houses being built and building sites.