Boy, some really nice work here by everyone who has posted photos of their own projects! Great work all!
@Jackshobbyhut, others have mentioned putting the paper over foam core or Masonite. Or STE mentioned using paper card stock. So are YOU using some type of material like foam core behind your outstanding structures?
I've always been intrigued by this whole topic. Before the 3-rail train makers started doing so many scale proportioned products, I've seen older wood kits at train shows and ebay that had printed paper sides to be glued on to the basic wood based car. There was recently still one firm on ebay advertising cardstock printed sides for scratch built rolling stock.
One of our forum members, Gandydancer, had taken some plug door 027 box cars, redid the sides and made reefers out of them using printed sides. That's a project idea that inspired me and am working on one right now as I write.
Again, great work all.
I don't know that these are necessarily better than plastic. BUT they certainly are more cost effective and more importantly, offer a method of having unique structures that have not been offered as plastic kits by a manufacturer - and maybe never will because of sheer economics of tooling costs versus potential sales revenues.
