08-12-2009, 12:09 PM
Howdy all. I've got this big open space on my new layout that I've been toying with what kind of industry to put there. If you've been following my layout thread, you will have seen that it pretty much came down to either a cement factory or a refinery. Up at the LHS the other day and I noticed that Walthers has re issued the refinery for a limited production. So I got one.
What was I thinking!!!!!
Upon opening the box and looking at the instructions, it was not overwhelming. The instructions were well laid out, simple and easy to follow. However, in several of the steps, the sheer magnitude of pieces needed to complete some of them, I thought could have been broken down just a bit more. I had to bring out the highlighter on a couple steps so that I could tell what I'd done and what was left!
Quality
The pieces were well laid out on the sprues and each one was easily identifiable with easy to read numbers. Most pieces had little to no flashing that needed scraping off. Several of the railings however were twisted or warped making it nearly impossible to get them to fit right in their appropriate positions. I tried bending them to resemble their intended shape but sometimes you can only bend little plastic railings so far before they.... brake. Luckily, I knew when to stop and broke none.
Ease of construction
For the most part, this structure went together very easily. I wish that the multiple cylinder halves (stacks and tanks) fit together just a little better. The seems between the halves are very visible and I was too lazy to take the time to fill them and sand them back down. I also found it difficult to keep the stacks and cylinders perfectly perpendicular to the ground plane. It seemed stuff would move as the glue dried despite my attemps to keep them from doing so. This problems also followed through with each platforms, railings and ladders.
I thought I was going to have a lot of problems lining up all the little pipes and fittings but I did not. They went together smoothly for the most part.
Colors
When looking at other refineries, and comparing them to the pictures on the box, the silver structure with white stacks and cylinders and yellow ladders, platforms and railings seemed a bit odd to me but also seemed correct so I went with it. I wish now that I'd not painted all the yellow stuff yellow but more of a tamed down color. I think I will apply a thick coating of black wash to this structure before I'm done.
For some crazy reason, I also painted the base black and now I wish I had not of. Too late.
Complaints
The only part of this kit that really bugs me is the size of the safety railings. They are huge! Still I guess when your working with N scale, there is a limit. Tweezers were a main tool of construction on this kit for me!
Now that I've built one and am familiar with it, I wish that I could go get another and do it again the RIGHT way. But.... that aint'a going'ta happen now and I'm just gonna have to be happy with how it turned out.
Satisfaction
For the kit on a scale of 1 - 10, I give the kit a 9+. for my ability to build it and have it look proto, I give myself a 5.
Have a look!
![[Image: Refinery021lowres.jpg]](http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g151/TrainNut/Refinery021lowres.jpg)
![[Image: Refinery024lowres.jpg]](http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g151/TrainNut/Refinery024lowres.jpg)
![[Image: Refinery023lowres.jpg]](http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g151/TrainNut/Refinery023lowres.jpg)
What was I thinking!!!!!
Upon opening the box and looking at the instructions, it was not overwhelming. The instructions were well laid out, simple and easy to follow. However, in several of the steps, the sheer magnitude of pieces needed to complete some of them, I thought could have been broken down just a bit more. I had to bring out the highlighter on a couple steps so that I could tell what I'd done and what was left!
Quality
The pieces were well laid out on the sprues and each one was easily identifiable with easy to read numbers. Most pieces had little to no flashing that needed scraping off. Several of the railings however were twisted or warped making it nearly impossible to get them to fit right in their appropriate positions. I tried bending them to resemble their intended shape but sometimes you can only bend little plastic railings so far before they.... brake. Luckily, I knew when to stop and broke none.
Ease of construction
For the most part, this structure went together very easily. I wish that the multiple cylinder halves (stacks and tanks) fit together just a little better. The seems between the halves are very visible and I was too lazy to take the time to fill them and sand them back down. I also found it difficult to keep the stacks and cylinders perfectly perpendicular to the ground plane. It seemed stuff would move as the glue dried despite my attemps to keep them from doing so. This problems also followed through with each platforms, railings and ladders.
I thought I was going to have a lot of problems lining up all the little pipes and fittings but I did not. They went together smoothly for the most part.
Colors
When looking at other refineries, and comparing them to the pictures on the box, the silver structure with white stacks and cylinders and yellow ladders, platforms and railings seemed a bit odd to me but also seemed correct so I went with it. I wish now that I'd not painted all the yellow stuff yellow but more of a tamed down color. I think I will apply a thick coating of black wash to this structure before I'm done.
For some crazy reason, I also painted the base black and now I wish I had not of. Too late.
Complaints
The only part of this kit that really bugs me is the size of the safety railings. They are huge! Still I guess when your working with N scale, there is a limit. Tweezers were a main tool of construction on this kit for me!
Now that I've built one and am familiar with it, I wish that I could go get another and do it again the RIGHT way. But.... that aint'a going'ta happen now and I'm just gonna have to be happy with how it turned out.
Satisfaction
For the kit on a scale of 1 - 10, I give the kit a 9+. for my ability to build it and have it look proto, I give myself a 5.
Have a look!