Which model buildings are best, card or plastic?

When building a model railway layout, or any diorama for that matter, you will most likely want to place at least a few buildings on it. Whether it be a simple station or an all singing and all dancing village, buildings are a big part of a layout. But which should you choose, card or plastic?

The first thing to consider is: what choice is available in your chosen gauge? Have a good think about what models you are likely to include in the future and check if they are available in card and plastic. This process alone will likely draw your eye to one or the other, but more importantly, you will discover what may not be available in your gauge.

Assuming you have done your checks and there are plentiful models in both card and plastic for your gauge, it pretty much comes down to your personal preference. On balance, card models are probably slightly easier to work with and provide quicker results as all of the details are printed onto the card, so it's simply a matter of cutting out, gluing, and enjoying your finished model.

Plastic kits are a little more involved. Kits are assembled by gluing parts together, just like the card kits, but finished models often appear plastic-like, and that's if they are pre-coloured at all, some models are provided in a uniform grey colour so if you require a finish that's even half-decent, you will have to paint your model after assembly. Having said that, if you are happy to put in the effort, this is where plastic kits come into their own.

Painting your plastic model gives you several advantages over a card kit. Firstly, you can paint it whatever colour you wish so your model will be unique. Secondly, your model can more easily portray a prototype or region of your choice. Finally, moulded detail is usually a feature of plastic models, this will be picked out during painting and weathering leaving you with a very convincing model.

There is no right or wrong answer to which is best, the only advice is that generally the two should not be mixed, but remember, it's your layout at the end of the day!