1/144 (N Scale) Castles

[JR 500系]

I was looking though HS site (a hobby of mine to drool at the models they listed) and came across this:

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10090055

 

Castle models! This one looks really impressive with all the interior walls... Wonder if anyone has a nice castle model?

 

I know there are lots out there by Woody Joe, that are at 1/150 scale, but there doesn't seem to be any pictures on HS site.

 

There are paper structures out there for Castle too, but definitely preferring plastic models since they look more realistic?

 

Any other nice sources for N scale (1/144 or 1/150) castle models out there? Thinking a castle would look nice in the town ~~

[katoftw]

Yes I have been eyeing off the castles for some time.  But most come in at the $250-$300AUD price mark.  So way down on the list of things to get.

 

I also do flick through Hobby Searches pages and drool over the castles.  Don't tell no body else! haha

 

Woody Joe do some awesome plastic castles.  HS sells them also. Make sure you are sitting down when you see the prices.

Edited August 19, 2014 by katoftw

[Martijn Meerts]

Not sure if it's this one, but I seem to remember Jeff (cteno4) has one of them with the entire interior and everything..

 

Not sure about he scale, 1:144 might make it look a little too big if you also use 1:160 buildings on the layout, but there are ways to get around that of course (like, build a garden around the castle, so it's nowhere near any 1:160 buildings ;))

[cteno4]

Yep thats the monster i have. its an amazing model, you can pull it apart to see all the interior. painting is a nightmare! 570 parts and a book for instructions. at 1/144 its a bit big, but because its so different from regular modern buildings it would be hard to tell scale that closely. might feel a bit big right next to a 1/160 building, but as martin noted the castles usually have many courtyards with walls (to make a longer path for attackers), gardens and grounds surrounding the castle, so you wont have modern buildings right up next to it. More of a thread on it here with Picts of the kit:

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/2183-1144-kumamoto-castle-model/?hl=castle

 

I think all the woody joe kits are wood, not plastic. I know hs has plastic kit labeled on them, but when you read the description you see laser cut wood as the main materials. I have a few od their older temple kits and they are mainly wood with a few metal details. Everything I've seen from woody joe in shops has been wood based -- hence the name.

 

Being laser cut wood there is not quite the detail you could get in cast plastic, but a very nice crisp wood effect that plastic does not get you. The kits I have are older and less detail, but high quality wood kits.

 

http://www.woodyjoe.com/catalog/kenchiku.html

 

Plum did have some 1/200 castle kits cheaper:

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/search_e.asp?Typ1_c=102&scope=0&scope2=0&itkey=Castle+plum

 

Just need to put them in the rear for a forced perspective.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

Edited August 19, 2014 by cteno4

[JR 500系]

Thanks Jeff! The Matsumoto Castle really looks grand! It's hard to resist, but it's really big!

 

Wondering if the PLUM models at 1/200 will fit into a N scale model? Will it be too small? Last we would like is for the majestic castle to look at a mini shrine...

[Martijn Meerts]

I think 1/200 would work if you build it in the background, and do some scenic work in front of it to make it look like the castle is off in the distance. I've even seen H0 layouts using N-scale trains in the background to simulate trains off in the distance.

[cteno4]

Many of the castles are not as imposing as some of the larger ones. If set back from other buildings at a distance and have lots of vegetation between them it works well. I've seen 1/300 castles used well this way on n scale.

 

To give a bit more forced perspective use the 1/200-220 Chinese architectural figures around it.

 

Forced perspective like this works best if you have the space or physical layout to separate the different scales and let the mind's eye then push the depth out.

 

The Kumamoto castle model is really a monster. Not quite sure how I will eventually use it, but just could not pass it up with its ability to come apart and see the interior! At some point I want a woody joe as I would love to see how the laser cut model comes out.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[cteno4]

Has anyone gotten one of the newer woody Joe laser cut wood castle models or seen one built up close? Curious how they look, they keep calling to me when I see them on ebay...

 

Jeff

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/search?typ1_c=104&cat=&state=&sold=0&sortid=0&searchkey=Woody+Joe+castle+150

 

http://www.woodyjoe.com/catalog/kenchiku.html

[velotrain]

_{Not Japanese, and HO scale, but another attractive and complex wood kit:}

 

_{http://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/dusek-1.html}

 

 

 

[katoftw]

I've been looking around recently for some N scale Japanese castles.  The 1/144 and 1/150 ones.  But the prices even for the plastic kits is insane.  It is one thing you never see on a Japanese model train layout.  But I think there needs to be more.  The castles are a known Japanese highlight.

 

I have been thinking of biting the bullet and buying one of the 17,000 yen castles.  And a week later, Tomytec will announce there own version at 5,000 yen. haha

Edited December 22, 2015 by katoftw

[cteno4]

I've seen a few Japanese layout with them on it. One was the big 1/144 Kumamoto castle I have. The problem with this one is that you can open it up and it screams to have the interior detailed, so I have delayed working on it as its a very big job! I am looking at if I can build it and detail the interior later.

 

The smaller woody Joe do look nice for exterior only kits.

 

I doubt a castle of much size would be that cheap to produce due to the plastic and mould sizes needed. Tomytec seems to stop at a certain sized structure, but you are right I've thought at times tomytec waited until I started to scratch build something before they release it! ;-p

 

Lasercutting aint cheap either nor the materials.

 

Jeff

[Bob_NZ]

As mentioned above an out of scale object can add to the perspective.

 

Here I have added a basic plastic castle to give the illusion of distance and in this case to bring back  the Japanese theme into the view.  The foreground sawmill was rebuilt after the war to a US design and with US backing.  It didn't look Japanese until the castle was added.

 

 

 

 

[gerryo]

Does any company build plastic models of the castles?  I like the Nagoya Castle or the Iwakuni Castle, both by Woody Joe>

 

I just don't think I could build in wood, so plastic is the best way for me.

 

gerryo

[tossedman]

Does any company build plastic models of the castles?  I like the Nagoya Castle or the Iwakuni Castle, both by Woody Joe>

 

I just don't think I could build in wood, so plastic is the best way for me.

 

gerryo

 

Gerry the link in the first post is to a plastic castle.

 

Todd

[cteno4]

Gerry,mthe Creos Kumamoto castle was the only 1/144-1/150 I've seen. There are some smaller 1/200 that would work in the distance to do a forced perspective. I'll get those links later for you

 

 

Jeff

[gerryo]

Sorry.  But I thought he was asking for plastic models too.

 

The idea of putting a 1/200 model on an N scale layout is kind of neat.  I'll go through that list and have a look.

 

Jeff:  Your link to Castle Plum is just fine.

 

gerryo

[gerryo]

I have just completed a purchase of a Castle Plum 1/200 scale Matsumoto-jo Castle.

 

This is a fairly large one and should fit nicely into one back corner of my layout.

 

Thanx Jeff

gerryo

[Mudkip Orange]

Doyusha is your go-to manufacturer for castles in a bunch of scales.

[cteno4]

Gerryo,

 

That looks like a nice little model and quite good sized for the price!

 

This is called forced perspective where you put things in the background at a smaller scale. It can make the scene feel deeper this way. You can also do this with larger scale objects in the foreground. It can be a little tricky to do well.

 

The Castle is particularly good for this as its something harder to judge scale in relation to the foreground objects so the mind's eye accepts the forced perspective a bit easier. If you can do a row of trees between the foreground stuff and the castle (not right next to the castle walls though!) it can help ease the scale change with something neutral and have the castle sticking up in the back scene. Could even use the Chinese architectural 1:220 figures back there as tourists all over the place and make the castle seem a bit bigger! Also a corner will work well to make the area back there feel bigger than it is.

 

I love these fun tricks you can do with playing with the viewers' mind's eye to make them think they see more than they really do as the viewer's mind and memory steps in and fills in details or embellishes the scene with more depth, size, etc.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[kvp]

Imho the row of trees works even better if you have gradually increasing rows or continous (dense) foliage.

[gerryo]

I agree, kvp, the increasing height of the trees will make the mountain top seem higher.

 

Thanx Guys.

gerryo

[cteno4]

Yep lots of fiddling you can do with forced perspective, but it requires playing with it for your particular permutation of sight lines, space, shape, scenery, etc.

 

Corner is a good place for it as the sight lines are sort of focused to the corner where you tent to get the vanishing point effect.

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

Yes placing a 1/200 castle in a far corner would work.  Shame there isn't more 1/150 at a more decent price.

[gerryo]

What is the difference between the Kumamoto Castle and the Matsumoto-jo Castle?  They both look the same to me, just different sizes.

 

gerryo

[kvp]

Both were histroically important castles and they have a different layout, but represent the same building style:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsumoto_Castle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumamoto_Castle

(Matsumoto castle is actually the original wooden version, while the Kumamoto one is a modern reconstruction with less flammable materials)