I would like to attempt building my first car. Any suggestions for a beginner? My main scale right now is N, but would be willing to start larger if encouraged strongly enough to do so. What kind of kits are out there and what would be a good solid not so complex first foray? I have built the N scale pump jack, and have modeled balsa airplanes and rockets for years.
The overwheming majoriity of N scale rolling stock is ready-to-run. Here and there are some "craftsman" kits and there are lots of stucture kits of pastic and laser cut wood. There are a number of passenger car kits now that have brass or plastic sides of a specific prototype that are attached to "core" kit. Several of these sets of sides will also fit the Con-Cor "Budd" carbody which serves as the core. A good line of brass sides is made by M & R Sides and available through N Scale Supply of Colorado. There is a growing fraternity of N scale "kit-bashers" who make custom one-of-a-kind models. Tom
Fine N Scale makes a number of resin freight car kits. I have done a few and liked them. http://www.finenscale.com/index.html
Intermountain kits should give you an experience with handling small parts. They range from wood-sided reefers to cylindrical hoppers, so your time period would be covered by something they make.
