N Scale - Master Kitbasher and Scene-setter

    What started with building the structures in the Woodland Scenics Town and Factory set has grown into a modeling passion that also turns Raul a few dollars. Raul Perez began his new found hobby a couple of years ago when designing his new N scale layout. He didn't have room to begin construction, so he decided to start building structures. Raul bought the Woodlands Scenic Town and Factory set which includes 13 different DPM building kits. Raul discovered that some modelers were selling ready-made buildings on eBay and he decided to try selling some too. His first buildings were single buildings set on a small sidewalk base with a few Woodland Scenics figures. "Those did so well that I've expanded my building and sales to include multiple buildings as a set. "The people that bought my dioramas said they liked being able to buy complete, realistic looking scenes with the buildings, lights, people, and all the accessories ready to go. That way they didn't have to try to find all the "extras" themselves. Much of what I build now is commissioned work for existing customers." "I really like all the new building designs that you guys are creating. Please keep up the great work! The business names you guys come up with are awesome and very creative, considering the conservative nature of the audience you sell to. As an independent builder, I can be much more liberal in naming my stuff...like "Dirty Dingus McGee's Card Room and Lounge." I have already bought and assembled most of the "Pre-Fab" building kits that are also available as Built & Ready. I must commend your staff on the how well the Built & Ready buildings. They are very nicely done. I would buy them if I wasn't able to build similar examples myself. Raul began modeling plastic cars when he was a young boy. "I started building model cars, mostly 1/24 and 1/25 scale, back in the early 60s, and I still build them today. Almost all of my car models are custom creations of some sort, very few being built just from the box. Some were built as shiny show cars, some as rusty backyard derelicts. Many have received "Best of Show" and/or 1st place awards in their category at the larger model contests. I also build WWII dioramas and some science fiction stuff." Raul's first train layout was HO scale. "I designed, drafted and built most of the buildings from balsa wood. I was about 12 at the time and had just learned basic drafting skills. I used an HO building I had to get the basic dimensions for the doors, windows and overall size of the buildings for my designs. I wish that I still had those drawings. I got back into trains in the early 90s when I built an N scale layout for my youngest son. It's a 4' x 5' layout that is hinged to the wall. It was while building that layout that I began reading about and trying various landscaping and weathering techniques. As a boy, I was always fascinated with the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland, and wanted his layout to look as realistic as I remember the portion of that ride being when you are flying over the lighted city at night. I enjoyed building his layout so much that I then built a 4' x 8' N scale layout for myself, which I eventually sold several years ago." Raul's "Predaclaus" statue is a great example of the modeler's ever-present sense of humor. "Predaclaus is a resin figure that was sculpted several years ago by a good friend of mine. My oldest son is a big fan of the movie Predator, so I built and painted one for him for Christmas a few years ago. I had a lot of fun painting that one and he really liked it!"