Innovative Hobbies is a company that’s trying. They make card stock models of buildings and other details that are specifically designed for and marketed to slot car racers working in “HOSO.” The idea behind their product line cannot be impugned: affordable scale models for those who can’t find them for their 1:64 and related layouts. I give them an A for effort.
https://www.innovativehobbysupply.com/
As for their grade on results? Welllllll…..
Case in point:
I have been wondering whether to move my early 1980’s Matchbox “Sounds Of Service” garage out of the toy room, where it was integrated into my Drag City Mk II Tyco track, and reuse it for the same purpose on the new larger AFX track. I tried it out for a few days, but as much as I liked it in its original home, somehow it wasn’t working out as well on the new layout. In addition, my plan was to leave it in the toy room as part of a Matchbox-only display I’m planning to build there on the table where DC Mk II was. The whole idea behind using the garage in the first place was that it was supposed to be the track’s official inspection station, but as cool as it is, its probably a little too big and grandiose for that purpose. So a while ago I bought the “Pre-Race Inspection Station” cardstock building from Innovative Hobbies. I spent a weekend day putting it together, and when it was done, I thought…
Meh.
So I cast it aside for a couple of weeks, but recently I decided to remove the Sounds Of Service garage from the new layout and give the “Pre-Race Inspection Station” another shot in a different part of the track, with a different orientation and a different “tableau” surrounding it. Somehow it appeals to me a bit more now. What do you think?
This is actually the second building from Innovative Hobbies that I bought; before popping for the bigger, more expensive Inspection Station, I tried this smaller 4-bay garage, intending to use it as the nesting garage for the track’s emergency services vehicles. My reaction to the finished kit was similar to my reaction to the Inspection Station, but because it is a smaller detail item I was still content to put it in the corner of the layout (where I had always intended for it to be) and stock it with the appropriate vehicles and personnel.
Just tonight I bought their smaller ticketing booth. I’ll give that a try and see how I like it. Honestly, my own jury is still out on this. Open to suggestions, dear readers!
I think that building looks pretty good. That’s impressive!