Modify · Combine · Individualise
Kitbashing Model Buildings | Creatively Modify Building Kits
Turn familiar kits into individual buildings: recombine walls, extend industrial halls, reposition windows, change roofs, add extensions and use polystyrene sheets and profiles to adapt the result precisely to your own model railway layout.
An existing kit becomes raw material
What Does Kitbashing Mean on a Model Railway?
Kitbashing means using an existing kit in a different way instead of simply assembling it according to the supplied instructions. Parts are modified, rearranged or combined with components from other models. Two factory halls can, for example, become one long industrial building. The rear wall of a house can become a side wall, a shed can receive a different roof or a small window can be replaced with a large workshop door.
Kitbashing model buildings by creatively modifying kits is particularly useful when a finished model is basically suitable but does not fit the available space. A station may be too long, a factory too short or a building may have the wrong window arrangement on its visible side. Instead of beginning a completely new scratch-built structure, the existing parts are altered to fit.
Several complete kits are not necessarily required. Individual wall modules, windows, gables, roof sheets and profiles are often enough. The Auhagen modular system is particularly useful because walls, gables, columns, windows and roofs can be combined individually. Evergreen polystyrene sheets and profiles can close gaps, extend roofs or create technical extensions.
Kitbashing can also be applied to vehicles, bridges and industrial equipment. This guide focuses on buildings and architecture, where wall modules, windows, roofs and universal plastic profiles offer especially broad possibilities.
Even small modifications prevent the standard-kit appearance
Which Modifications Are Particularly Suitable for Kitbashing?
Extend a Factory
Place several matching wall modules next to one another. Columns, downpipes or extensions can conceal the transitions between modules.
Build a Half-Relief Structure
A front wall and short side walls are sufficient for many background buildings, creating a convincing urban or industrial scene with very little depth.
Reposition Windows
Close openings that are not required and create new window axes. This can completely change the character of a familiar kit façade.
Change the Roof Shape
Convert a gable roof into a mono-pitch roof, add rooflights to an industrial hall or use a new roof surface to connect several building sections.
Add an Extension
Polystyrene sheets can create storage rooms, stairwells, workshops or machine rooms without requiring a second complete kit.
Combine an Industrial Complex
Halls, pipes, supports, loading ramps and chimneys from different models can become one coherent production complex.
Between standard kits and complete scratch building
What Is the Difference Between Kitbashing and Scratch Building?
Kitbashing starts with existing kit parts. Scratch building relies more heavily on raw materials and an individual drawing. In practice, the two methods frequently overlap. If a kit wall is extended using a new section made from polystyrene sheet, the same model already combines both techniques.
| Method | Starting Point | Typical Example |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Kit Building | one complete kit | Assemble the building largely according to the supplied instructions. |
| Kitbashing | one or more existing kits | Extend a factory, exchange walls or recombine building sections. |
| Scratch Building | raw materials and an individual plan | Construct a completely new building from polystyrene sheets, profiles and individually selected windows. |
Define the new silhouette before making the first cut
Plan the Kitbash Before Cutting the Kits
First define the required footprint directly on the layout. Then arrange the available wall sections without adhesive. Photographs or scans of the façades can also be printed, cut out and combined into a quick paper mock-up.
Matching heights are particularly important. Parts from different kits are easier to combine if their eaves, floors or building bases are approximately aligned. Small differences can be concealed with foundations, roof structures or connecting extensions.
Also check the wall thickness. Components from different manufacturers can vary considerably. Polystyrene strips or angle profiles on the rear make it easier to align the visible front surfaces and reinforce the joint at the same time.
From a standard kit to an individual building
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Kitbash a Model Building Step by Step
Choose the Donor Kit
Starting Point
Useful Components Matter More Than the Catalogue Image
Examine wall lengths, windows, gables and roof surfaces. A kit can be highly useful for kitbashing even if the intended finished building would not suit the layout at all.
Dry-Fit the New Façade
Design
Combine the Parts Before Cutting the Plastic
Rearrange façade sections on a flat surface. Experiment with rotated side walls, repeated modules and offset extensions before committing to a final design.
Mark the Cutting Lines
Modification
Cut Along Existing Joints and Architectural Divisions
Cuts are less noticeable when they follow building corners, brick joints, columns or cornices. Avoid cutting directly through prominent visible details whenever possible.
Separate the Wall Sections Cleanly
Tools
Match the Knife, Fine Saw or Scoring Technique to the Material
Thin polystyrene parts can often be scored and snapped. Thicker walls are better separated with a suitable fine saw. Finish the cut surfaces flat and dry-fit them again afterwards.
Reinforce the New Assemblies
Stability
The Rear Surface Can Be Functional Rather Than Beautiful
Polystyrene strips, angle profiles and sheets behind the joints keep long walls straight. Large industrial halls can also use cross walls or floor slabs for permanent reinforcement.
Adapt Openings and Roofs
Architecture
This Is Where the New Building Function Emerges
Windows can be closed, doors enlarged and roofs extended. New sheets and profiles fill areas for which no suitable kit component exists.
Visually Unify the Joints
Finish
Paint Turns Several Kits into One Coherent Model
Fill joints or conceal them with columns, downpipes and extensions. A common base colour followed by consistent weathering visually unifies differently coloured plastic components.
The best cut is barely recognisable in the finished conversion
Hide Cuts, Joints and Transitions When Kitbashing
A joint between two kit walls should resemble a genuine architectural division wherever possible. Corner columns, brick friezes, downpipes, wall piers or a small extension are especially useful. They not only conceal the cut but also have a believable architectural function.
Auhagen · H0
Gables & Corner Columns
Ideal for finishing newly combined wall sections and building corners.
View Product Details →
Auhagen · H0
Columns & Brick Friezes
Piers and friezes structure façades and conceal transitions between modules.
View Product Details →
Evergreen Scale Models · All Scales
2.0 mm Angle Profiles
Suitable for internal reinforcement, clean building corners and visible technical profiles.
View Product Details →
Universal construction materials expand the possibilities of every kit
Polystyrene Sheets, Profiles and Replacement Parts for Kitbashing
Universal polystyrene components are particularly useful when a required part is missing between two donor kits. Smooth sheets extend walls and roofs, thin strips create frames and cornices, angle profiles reinforce building corners and I- or H-profiles form visible steel structures.
| Material | Typical Kitbashing Task | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Polystyrene Sheet | Close gaps and create new wall surfaces | Extend a factory with a scratch-built annex. |
| Angle Profile | Reinforce corners and wall joints | Join two shortened façade sections at a clean right angle. |
| I-/H-Profile | Add technical structures | Build industrial hall supports, canopies or steel frames. |
| Windows & Doors | Change the function of the façade | Convert a residential wall into a workshop or warehouse façade. |
| Roof Sheet | Cover the modified footprint | Add a continuous roof to an extended industrial hall. |
Kitbashing is not limited to H0
Kitbashing for Z, N, TT, H0, S, 0, 1 and G
| Gauge | Scale | Particularly Useful Kitbashing Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Z | 1:220 | Half-relief and background buildings; use especially fine profiles. |
| N / Nm | 1:160 | Factories and urban backgrounds with little depth; dedicated N-gauge windows make modifications easier. |
| TT / TTe / TTm | 1:120 | Railway stations, industrial buildings and extensions; many H0/TT accessories are explicitly suitable for both scales. |
| H0 / H0e / H0m / H0f | 1:87 | Very wide selection of donor kits, wall modules, windows and profiles. |
| S | 1:64 | Universal polystyrene sheets and profiles are particularly useful. |
| 0 / 0e / 0m | approx. 1:45 | Combine commercial kits with scratch-built parts; joints require more detailed finishing. |
| 1 / Im | 1:32 | Large extensions and technical additions using sheets and profiles. |
| G / IIm / II | approx. 1:22.5 and larger | Modular industrial and garden railway buildings; check material suitability for outdoor use separately. |
Combine kits and raw construction materials effectively
Manufacturers for Kitbashing and Custom Building Construction
Auhagen provides modular walls and architectural components, while Evergreen Scale Models offers universal polystyrene sheets and profiles. FALLER, Kibri, Vollmer, Busch and PIKO add a wide selection of donor kits and building components.
Current kits and components directly from the webshop
Search and Filter Kitbashing Products Live
The product finder searches current building-component, building-board, donor-kit, manufacturer, adhesive and tool pages. Every discovered product detail page is then checked individually for kitbashing relevance and archive status. Archived products are not displayed. Prices and availability are deliberately omitted.
Current kitbashing products will be checked when this section comes into view …
From donor kit to the final profile
Related Product Categories for Kitbashing Projects
Building Components
Walls, windows, doors, columns, profiles and individual parts for modifications.
Donor Building Kits
Buildings as raw material for new footprints and modified façades.
Building Boards
Brick, natural stone, roof textures and neutral sheets for extensions.
Industry & Craft Buildings
Factories and workshops with many components suitable for modular modification.
Adhesives
Join plastic, cardboard and mixed materials with suitable adhesives.
Tools
Knives, saws, files and modelling aids for clean modifications.
Paints & Patina
Visually combine components from different donor kits into one coherent building.
Building Accessories
Gutters, lighting and small details for the finished conversion.
A good kitbash looks planned rather than assembled from unrelated pieces
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Common Kitbashing Mistakes to Avoid
Cutting Without a Trial Layout
Combine wall sections on paper or dry-fit them first. A façade section that has been cut too short is difficult to extend again cleanly.
Ignoring Wall Thickness
Components from different manufacturers may sit at different depths. Rear strips and profiles create a common alignment.
Leaving the Joints Visible
A hard dividing line across the middle of a façade reveals the conversion immediately. Columns, downpipes, extensions or structural joints can conceal transitions.
Leaving Donor Parts in Their Original Colours
Different kits often use visibly different plastic colours. A common paint finish and consistent patina create unified architecture.
Frequently asked questions about modifying and combining kits
Questions and Answers About Kitbashing
What does kitbashing mean?
Kitbashing means modifying an existing kit or combining parts from several kits into a new individual model. The result is intended to differ from the original standard model.
What is the difference between kitbashing and scratch building?
Kitbashing starts with existing kit components. Scratch building begins more strongly with raw materials and individual construction. Many projects combine both methods.
Which buildings are particularly suitable for kitbashing?
Factories, warehouses, locomotive sheds, town houses and railway stations are particularly suitable because their walls are often modular and extensions can look architecturally convincing.
Can kits from different manufacturers be combined?
Yes. Check the scale, wall thickness, architectural style and material. Profiles, columns, extensions and a common paint finish help unify the transitions visually.
How do you extend a model factory?
Separate wall modules at architecturally sensible positions and insert additional façade sections. Polystyrene strips on the rear reinforce the joint.
How can windows be repositioned during kitbashing?
Close unwanted openings with suitable wall material. Cut new openings according to the actual dimensions of the intended windows and carefully adjust the fit.
Which material is suitable for closing gaps?
Polystyrene sheet is particularly practical when the surrounding kit parts are also plastic. Texture sheets can then reproduce brick, natural stone or another matching façade surface.
How do you hide joints between two kits?
Position cuts at building corners, piers or existing joints wherever possible. Columns, gutters, downpipes and small extensions can conceal the transition further.
Is kitbashing suitable for N and TT as well?
Yes. Dedicated buildings and components are available for TT and N. Universal profiles simply need to be fine enough not to appear oversized at the smaller scale.
How can the finished kitbash look visually consistent?
Finish or conceal the joints carefully. Then give the visible building parts a common colour palette, suitable mortar joints and consistent weathering.
Turn Standard Kits into Individual Architecture
Kitbashing starts by asking which parts of a kit are genuinely useful. Recombined walls, altered window arrangements and additional polystyrene profiles can turn them into a building that fits your own layout precisely. Content and links reviewed on 11 September 2026.