Review Summary
The reviews highlight that this kit offers impressive architectural detail, particularly on the moldings and brick surfaces, which can be enhanced through careful painting, though it may require patience and skill. Assembly involves some prep work like sanding or trimming to square the pieces, and additional effort is needed for elements like roof supports and signage, which are not fully provided. While the kit is generally well-regarded for advanced modelers and integrates nicely with similar structures, some users noted the lack of finishing touches like window treatments or extra roof features.
Buyer Beware
This Building like all Landmark structures have some nice architectural detail, but lack window treatments, decals and a sign to finish the building and let you know this is the Building that the Label says it is. Some sides requiring squaring to assemble. The instructions recommend sanding, but I found it easier to use a small Modeling plane to trim the sides by taking light passes until I get a shaving the complete width of the side. Although, sanding may be easier if you are not familiar with using hand planes it will certainly take a lot longer. The roof has supports that have to be trimmed to length and are not long enough for all sides,so you have to put small pieces on each side (would it have hurt them to add enough support strips)? The Roof itself has to be cut from a sheet is white styrene they supply. There is some nice architectural detail, but unless you paint it to bring up that detail it would be difficult to see if the structure is more than 18 from the front of the layout. The Kit would have earned a 4 star rating if they would have added some signage or something to say it is J. C. Nickels.
A Solid DPM Building
I really liked this DPM building, and it will look great with other DPM buildings in my town. As with any DPM building, you have to do some prep work on the walls to remove the beveled edges that result from the mold process. The instructions appropriately guide you on this, so it shouldn't be any surprise to have to do it. Once prepped, the model assembles nicely with little trouble. The details on the mold are very nice, and reward the patient painter. I did the entire front of the building by hand with three paint colors that (I hope) work well together. The trim details on the front give you nice options on paint design. The side and rear walls are brick surfaced, and a nice result can be achieved using spray paint as a base and a white acrylic based wash to bring out the mortar. I would be nice if the model had some additional roof features, but you can always either mod your own, or use stuff from the DPM modular roof details kit.
Great Kit
This DPM kit leans toward the more advanced modeler. It does take a bit more time in squaring the pieces and painting but is well worth the effort. A special solvent should be used to construct. Highly Recommended.
