# These model bldgs are for the birds



## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Saw a story on this guy in Architectural Digest and thought, "Wow, I should be this good." I know many of you admit to bashing birdhourses for you garden railway (I know, they're cheep, right?), but this guy takes it to a whole new level.

http://www.tfburkebirdhomes.com/portfolio.html


----------



## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Wow Joe 
What an Idea, Thanks, great looking buildings 
Dennis


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Awesome! Just chop down the pole! ;-)


----------



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

wow--those are great!

We have a bunch of birdhouses on our layout from Maple Hill designs. In this photo, the gazebo and the house in the lower left, with the Purple shutters, are from Maple Hill


----------



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

We have been using bird houses for a number of years. In addition to bird houses we have found some buildings in craft shops that are reasonably priced and of appropriate size.

Chuck N


----------



## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

I e-mailed Tom Burke with a few questions and he sent a very nice reply. Concerning scale: whatever looks right, although to me it looks like somewhere around/between 1:20.3 and 1:1. Tom said the window openings have to be pretty big so the birds can get in. As for price, he said they have sold for as much as $12 thou.


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Totally carried away, I'd say.


----------



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Here are some pictures of the buildings that Nancy and I have found in craft stores and at Williamsburg, Va. I have put two LGB figures in the pictures to show that they are close to a usable scale for us, especially if you believe in the 10 foot rule. The two Williamsburg buildings are birdhouses that are styled after existing Williamsburg buildings. They are sold in the gift shop as birdhouses, but we special ordered them without the hole.

Williamsburg houses:










We have also found cabins and barns at craft shops in West Virginia. The cabin and barn came from a shop in Hillsboro, West Virginia.











The barn came with a chopping block with axes, wagon, and canoe with paddles. There is even a pile of split fire wood.






























This log cabin is a bird house that we bought at Tamarac in Beckley, West Virginia. Tamarac is a large craft store that is run by the State of West Virginia. All items sold at Tamarac are made in West Virginia. I strongly recommend visiting it if you are traveling across southern West Virginia.










The log cabin has a $79.99 price tag on it. I think that the house and barn were each less than $50.00, but I can't be sure.

I think that the Williamsburg houses were a little over $100.00.

Keep your eyes out and you'll be surprised where you will find buildings that you can use. Nancy is very good at spotting these things.


Chuck N


----------



## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, those will work. Good find.


----------

