# Piko Building Kits



## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I have just finished assembling the Gravel Works building.

I am very impressed with these kits. They are extremely well made and every piece fits perfectly. They make an impressive structure when finished. I have now built about half a dozen of their kits. They go very well with my Bachmann engines and rolling stock.

John


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

What is the plastic like, soft and slightly flexible or hard? 
I was just looking at these today and was wondering if they would be brittle and crack. For their price I would expect them to last. 
I like the Sonneberg double loco shed and the goods depo. Euro, but will pass for generic brick railway structures.
The textured brick courses would be difficult to model easily.

_20.7 x 27.8 x 14.6"_[/b] 


















Andrew


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

I have one too. The plastic is somewhat flexible, and the main pieces are thick enough that it feels durable when finished. I have no idea how it would hold up outdoors, though.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Yeah I think I know the type of plastic. They are recommended for indoors and outdoors 'drinnen und draussen' so I guess they would be a good quality plastic with UV inhibitors. The pieces look quite thick. 
Larger kits cost $100s so they would need to be durable to justify the expense. I can get a plastic chair to sit on for $15! 
The Euro stuff is 1:22.5, not sure about the scale of the USA styles though. 
Shipping is a killer for me though, the boxes can be large and heavy, a bit like shipping a locomotive. 

Andrew


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Andrew,

The coal tower and water tank Piko/Pola kits have been outside continuously for at least 15 years.










Both have developed a nice patina and only have had minor repairs except for the coal tower which blew off the layout a couple of years ago and fell 3 feet. It ended up in about 20 pieces which I glued back together and it looks as good as weathered new.

Doc


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Cool, that's the durability test then. I figured there was something to the expense. As they say, you only get what you pay for. (I just dread the brittle cracking cheapo stuff like swizzle sticks. LOL). 
I must admit I posted fairly bleak industrial models because they suit a Thomas project I have in mind. 
There are some really nice looking railway stations, buildings and houses etc. although I would probably make my own wooden type structures (which may not be as durable anyway...) 

Andrew


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

at disney world there are some that have been out over 20 years and i thank that some were used before they got them 
Dick


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Where's the G-gauge layout at Disney World?


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

CliffyJ in Epcot next to Germany 
Dick


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

It is here:


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## DennisB (Jan 2, 2008)

I have Aunt Bea's Farmhouse and the Gazebo. I live in southwestern Ontario, and after 10 years, the color is fading and had to be repainted. They are very durable. However, Colorado Model Structures puts out a product that is very well priced and one that you can paint in the color you want. Regards, Dennis.


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

I have the Piko gravel works building. Mine is actually a coal mine tipple. Has been in my yard 12 months/year for several years now along with a number of other Piko buildings and has held up just fine. I did find it interesting that my "gravel works" building came with a bag of coal inside the packing. I would have thought it would have had a bag of "gravel"!!

Ed


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

Here's mine. I'd worry about the tables and benches blowing away if not secured, and the sign breaking off; the pole seems vulnerable too. 

The kit was $97, which does seem expensive. I wish the cobblestone base was included. I liked not having to paint.


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## iaviksfan (Dec 27, 2007)

I second this comment........CMS are very good and very well priced.


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## iaviksfan (Dec 27, 2007)

I just bought this kit from Kidmans Tree Farm. I am planning on using it as a station. I just liked the looks of it. I too paid around $100 or so.


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## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Some of their Euro style buildings can be Americanized and/or repurposed with a bit of bashing. I bought a used, somewhat sad looking Sonneberg loco shed a while back and turned it into a small industry. The building is pretty heavy and the plastic seems very strong. I don't have any "action" shots, but here it is in the garage just before I set it out last season.




























-Kevin.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Kevin, I like that one. It comes with a few euro signs but I think it would look the part in most countries. 
I see you replaced the roof with a gabled one instead of the factory type one that comes with it. 

Andrew


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## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Andrew- Yep, The roof was replaced. I received the building in post hurricane Katrina condition. So, I ended up changing around the order of some of the brick panels and some minor repairs. I also made a smaller scale entry door to suit my scale. The original roof was in sad shape, so I made a gabled replacement. Some of the original roof panel parts became the loading dock garage doors. I think that the somewhat generic Piko brickwork panels will work for almost any industrial building- Euro or USA. 


-Kevin.


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I am working on an new building -- the Farmhouse. My first job is to paint it a different color than the yellow molded into the plastic.

I will try to post a picture or two of the progress.

John


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## Larry S. (Dec 22, 2013)

I am rebuilding a Piko Sonneberg engine and Goods House into a factory/foundry for our railroad club outdoor layout. The engine house was assembled with what looks like a bucket of glue and clear silicone sealer. I have been scraping, filing and sanding the old glue off the wall and joining sections. I bought some parts from ePay and can start the reassembly. I need a set of prints for the brewery or the engine house so I can figure out how the saw tooth roofs go together. Does anyone have a set they could spare? 

Larry S.


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

I have several of these. In the Texas heat the roof may warp a little, but you can screw it down as the walls are thick. Mine have been outside over 10 years. I had to rebuild a few of them after hurricane Ike. I anchor mine down to avoid them being blow about in the wind.


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## Hbf (Feb 18, 2014)

*Building Scale*

I'm trying to keep everything to 1:32 scale. Putting too large of a building in a smaller scale layout just looks wrong.

That said, does anyone have the scale of the Piko Beer Garden? I like that building, but can't find the scale anywhere.

Thanks!


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

The Beer Garden is 1:22.5 (at least, the one I have is.)

When I was looking through the selection (at Nicolas Smith), I did spot some 1:32 kits.


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## Hbf (Feb 18, 2014)

Okay thanks for the info. that won't work with my Layout. Looking to keep everything 1:32, or as close as possible.


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## Lawman (Aug 4, 2013)

I'm kinda going through the "Scale Thing" with these buildings!.. Built the PICO farmhouse which is about 1/24 scale and now an old POLA "Silverton" train Station that appears to be 1/22. Trying to mesh those with 1/24th and 1/32 scale automobiles and 1/29 (and 1/32 - 1/24) scale locos is a bit of a nightmare! 

To me, the PICO buildings seem to be much more fragile than the old (Heavy) POLA buildings. The roof on the POLA kit would probably survive one of our Nebraska hailstorms! Alas.. POLA (if you can find the kits are getting rare AND EXPENSIVE!


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