I was just sent a set of the new Crescent Root 15mm Series II Railroad set. The entire set includes a train engine, a few types of railroad cars, some train cargo and a railroad track section. The train and cargo are all done in Crescent Root’s hybrid method, primarily using 3D printed plastic resin. The track section is made of neoprene (mouse pad material). The materials are all lightweight. As with all Crescent Root offerings, everything is fully assembled and fully painted. The track is printed on top and black foam on the bottom.
The set is designed to represent a 1930’s European train design. The target audience is clearly WWII gamers. However, it perfect for any 15mm gaming from the 30’s to the 50’s. Spanish Civil War or Russo Polish War anyone?
I received the train in the normal timely fashion. Like all Crescent Root offerings, you order each item ala carte. There are no color options for this line, so you get what you see on the website. If you have the earlier factory set or other buildings from Crescent Root like me, these blend in fine. If not, being a stand alone feature, you will have no problems. This is definitely a nice accessory for any 15mm gamer.
I am including a photo of each item in this article for you to get a better idea of scale. For more information, you can go to the Crescent Root site.
So, on to the Box Car score!
Ease of assembly 5 out of 5 Box Cars.
All items come pre-assembled and painted (with a little weathering to boot!). All “loose” pieces are for game play or customization.
Ascetic look 5 our of 5 Box Cars.
All the train pieces are nicely painted and weathered in the same style. This provides for a uniform look that looks great on the table. No need to do any touch up painting! The railroad track is printed to a high quality and is a reasonable choice for those that do not prefer to use other railroad tracks.
Ease of Use 5 out of 5 Box Cars.
Since these are all single pieces, just take them out of your storage box and stick them on your gaming table. With that you are done! Reverse the process and pick up is a snap. If you wish to have the train moving, you will need to move each car separately, as they do not have a way to lock into each other. As they are fully cast pieces, they do no roll either. However, they are smooth on the bottom, so placement is easy, with no need to “line up” wheels.
Flexibility 5 out of 5 Box Cars
As each car and accessory is ordered separately, you can mix and match how ever you like. Since the cargo is separate, you can vary the look of your train by mixing it up or just leaving carts empty. Of course there is no reason that you cannot use other items you might have in your collection as cargo too! Being 15mm, they do not take up much room. Being made out of light weight materials, the train is easy to transport and store with existing models.
Price 4 out of 5 Box Cars
Generally speaking, you can never say a finished terrain piece is inexpensive, as you always have to pay for the finishing. For those that enjoy building and painting their terrain, you can probably find a toy train and save some money. For those of us that either have limited time, skill or do not get enjoyment out of terrain building, the painted versions are golden. Further, as with most of Crescent Root’s offerings, you will find that these are some of the least expensive painted modes on the market (cheaper than some unpainted offerings), so your wallet will not suffer too much!
Overall 4.8 out of 5 Box Cars
As you can probably tell from my other reviews, I’m a huge Crescent Root fan. Each generation seems to get better and better. These look great, they are easy to store and transport and they do not cost a fortune. Now with the addition of more and more “accessory” items to add to their extensive building lines, what’s not too like. I continue to be a very happy customer! Mark Neimeyer from Crescent Root Studios is very responsive and very helpful. In summary, the railroad set is well sculpted and painted and will look great on any battlefield. Worth checking Crescent Root out!
– Manteuffel