Scratchbuilding Advice

[nkp_174]

After two shows, one in Rockford, Il. and Trainfest, in Milwaukee, trips that my old modules made for 20 years without damage, the freight house, the coal tower, and two of the new styrene kit structures suffered fairly extensive, similar, damage. The scratchbuilt wood shed and dock, on the old modules, still "good as new" is 48 years old.
The difference? Because of the larger size ( 30" vice 24" ) of the new modules, I wasn't able to secure them in the trailer as well as I could the old ones......it's a case of, the modules were coming down, as the trailer was coming up.
The impact shock didn't care about wood, or styrene....it broke both, with equal enthusiasm.

Back in the 1990s, my local county historical society mounted a campaign to save the NYC branchline freight station. For the grand opening, my father loaned them a brass On3 caboose and a wood On3 boxcar. He was concerned about the boxcar...but it was the caboose which came home broken Evidently, it was dropped on its end resulting in the ladder being badly bent, the cupola knocked out of place, and the rear roofwalk lost.