Although made at the same high quality as larger scale model railroads such as the HO scale or OO scale, the smaller sized N scale railroads are designed specifically to be a more accessible and require less space. N scale also seems to be the right balance for many who enjoy railroads as it has the size needed for a more realistic feel as compared to the Z scale, yet it takes up far less room than the HO scale or OO scale. Plus, N scale is also well suited for “gamers” who play miniature wargames at the 1.144 scale which is common.

However, the price of traditional plastic model kitsets has gone up in recent years and the time consuming process of painting them puts them out of reach for many model railroad enthusiasts. Thanks to ModelBuildings.org, there is now a way to create a realistic setting at a fraction of the cost and time it takes to buy, build and paint traditional plastic models.

What Type of Cardboard is Best For Making N Scale Houses and HO Scale Houses?

Regular cardboard from recycled cereal boxes works best. Although the downloaded plans can be printed on expensive cardstock, then actually turn out best when printed on regular photo copy paper which is less shiny and is easier to work with. The paper plans can be glued to ordinary cardboard to make the HO scale houses (or N scale houses) resemble the full-sized equivalent you might see in a local residential street.

Model railroaders and craftspeople (and children with school projects) will get a kick out of constructing these cardboard houses, just as homeowners building a real life-sized property get a kick out of watching each stage of the construction project get completed and signed off. Homeowners enjoy observing each stage as the home they’re building comes together, from starting with pouring the foundation, through to framing and watching the cladding and roof go on as the home takes shape. Once the house has drywall, homeowners start to visualize themselves and their family living in the space and how they might use it. Homeowners start imagining what piece of furniture goes where, and how they’ll eventually entertain family and friends in the space. Making n scale houses, and ho scale houses out of paper and cardboard is obviously much quicker, less costly, and less stressful than building a regular size family home.

Those who are constructing a new home to actually live in will likely work through several steps in the process:

> Purchase the site and prepare the site
> Pour foundations
> Construct the basic framing (this might come pre made in kitset form)
> Complete basic plumbing, electrical and get any legally required sign-off from local authorities etc.
> Install the homes insulation
> Complete the drywall and interior textures
> Finish exterior finishes
> Finish interior trims
> Install any exterior driveways and pathways
> Install carpets, tiles, or other hard-surface flooring. Install kitchens, bathrooms, counter-tops, and complete the exterior grading
> Finish mechanical trims and install kitchen and bathroom fixtures (mirrors, tiles, shower doors, faucets etc.)
> Complete the exterior site garden, walkway and lawn landscaping
> Do a final walk-through with the builder

So, as you can see constructing a real house is a lot more complex than making these ho scale houses and n scale houses using cardboard and paper plan downloads. However, the finished product of these miniature scale house models can look superbly realistic and add considerable character and realism to a model railroad street scene.

Yes, this model buildings website has a fascinating range of downloadable cardboard model house kits that provide amazing realism when added to a railroad scene, while costing a fraction of the money of traditional plastic kits let alone building a real life-sized home. Simply select the scale you want (OO / HO scale, or N scale), purchase, and then download the paper models ready for printing from the convenience of your computer. All you need is a color printer and the right type of paper (regular copy paper) which can be glued to standard cardboard (cereal boxes) you may have in your home.

How HO Scale Houses and N Scale Buildings Work for Your Model Railroad Environment

There are a number of ways that downloadable scale model buildings make the perfect setting for your scale model railroad while providing other advantages as well. In fact, you may find that these particular cardboard model houses offer an even more realistic appearance that what can be created by plastic or even old fashioned wooden structures. While they will need to be augmented by other types of model terrain, such as trees, patches of grass, telephone poles, and the like, these n scale houses and ho scale cardboard houses are surprising flexible and provide a proper setting for what you want to create. They look so real because they are “photo-realistic” having been designed based on real-life structures.

If you observe the special below half price package above, you will see it comes with downloadable plans to make 6 different styles of cardboard model house models including: a brown wood house complete with garage, a gray stucco house with a garage, paper plans for a brown timber house, a white painted wood house, a yellow painted timber house complete with separate garage, and a red brick home also with a garage. All 6 paper models can be purchased in HO scale or N scale.

Ease of Assembly: All you need to do once you print the n scale houses and ho scale houses on A4 copy paper is find the right backing so that they can be set up. Many people use cardboard cereal boxes, but any thin, pliable cardboard will work. However, you can also use thicker material which provides more gravitas to your setting. All you really need to do is shape the model houses to the cardboard and they’re ready to go. Foam board is also a popular option as is corflute sheeting. Both are cheap to purchase from a model or hobby shop.

Versatility: Because the price of these cardboard houses is quite low and you can keep the masters on your computer, you can print them off as many times as you wish to create a larger residential street or town setting, warehouse district or railroad yard to match the ambition of your imagination.

Variety: Model buildings are not just limited to traditional structures. You can add realistic looking silos, shops, office buildings, engine sheds and more thanks to the sheer number and variety that these pieces offer. This means that whether you want to recreate a big city or small town, you have the variety of paper models needed to achieve your goals.

Price: Obviously one of the biggest advantages in choosing cardboard houses as downloaded paper model building kits is that it costs a mere fraction compared to traditional plastic models. So, you can build your entire town out of printable scale model buildings and other structures for the price of two or three traditional plastic versions. In addition, these particular paper model kits will never be destroyed since you have copies on your computer. This means that if the worst happens, you will still be able to recreate what you want quickly without having to buy new models. Compare that to a plastic model which has to be purchase and painted. The difference in time and effort has led more people to use the realistic cardboard houses for their model railroading needs.

Why Choose Downloadable Scale Model Buildings?

The prime reason is realism. The photographic like textures are intricately detailed and some of the printable model buildings even have cracks, water stains, dirt, grime, calcium appearing to seep through concrete etc. This is something that is hard to achieve with ordinary kits unless you are an expert with an airbrush, have remarkable skills painting fine details. The cardboard models are very sturdy after construction. They can be reinforced with additional cardboard strips inside if necessary.

Assuming you have an HO scale railroad, then the HO scale buildings can be scaled even smaller if wanted. You can scale distant buildings at 80% or 90% of the normal HO scale sizing if you want them to look like they are miles away in the distance. The same goes for N scale. Given the long history of the N scale model railroad which goes all the way back to 1927, though the modern version didn’t begin until 1962, it only seems appropriate that realistic models should exist in the appropriate size to create the environment around it.

In addition, these cardboard n scale houses and ho scale houses require little effort to clean and maintain as compared to their plastic counterparts. They can be easily picked up and the dust wiped off in a few seconds. In fact, just a little bit of dusting and maintenance is all it takes for years of use. If these prints are kept out of direct sunlight, then they will also last for many years without fading.

Finally, scale building kits are relatively inexpensive and can be reprinted at will. Having these types of structures will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the hobby. Furthermore, are simple to place and can be combined with other kits to create new, exciting worlds at a fraction of the cost and energy compared to standard plastic models.

Have a good look around this website to see the range of model buildings including Ho scale houses for sale.

Enjoy the thrill of running your scale model trains!