Introduction

I went to Telford Scale Model World in 2006 and returned with my suitcases crammed with Great North Roads products. I had seen them advertised on model sites and in magazines, but the cost involved with shipping them to the states due to the weight negated the desire to purchase them directly from the manufacturer via mail order.

Now, Great North Roads has a distributor in the U.S., TankRat’s AFV Depot, which is great news to North America because his pricing structure is in-line with other manufacturer’s ‘diorama products’ readily available in the states. It won’t cost an arm and leg to have access to the full line of Great North Road’s products (and an extensive line it is).

review

The French House Ruin is a small two piece kit cast in a very strong, dense dental plaster. The kit arrived in a typical GNR cardboard box with the pieces individually secured in bubble wrap. The main (front) section of the house measures 9” (22.9cm) across the front and 6” (15.2cm) at its highest point. The ‘side’ section of the ruin measures 3” (7.6cm) along the bottom and 6.5” (16.5cm) at its highest point.

The detail is exquisite as the castings depict brick, stone block and plaster areas on the house with battle damage around several of the window areas. The side piece has a cross brace cast into it with a large bolt in its center…a very nice touch commonly seen on the old brick buildings.

Conclusion

If it sounds to you as though I like Great North Roads products, you are right. I love the high detail and subject matter that GNR produces. The French House Ruin is no exception, brilliant in its simplicity yet enough attention to detail that it is really a nice kit.