The Sailor’s Dilemma
By Mike Stella

A decade or so ago the National NMRA Convention came to Southern California and it remains to this day the best train show I have ever attended. I could tell you many stories on many topics derived from that weekend and the first would be about the fantastic modeling efforts of hundreds of railroaders in all scales. It was at this meet that I decided my Lionel Railroad needed to take the wrecking ball to the Plasticville town and "rebuild" with a number of detailed structures made by Downtown Deco. I started to build a few of these hydrocal casting kits taking a lot of time to follow the detailed instructions regarding painting and finishing to get the look I desired.

A year or two later I spotted an article in a magazine about a company sponsored "kitbash" contest using standard kits to create something different. It took me weeks of planning and "kitbashing" to come up with my entry (I didn't win) and the two photos show the results of my effort. I combined a small BAR kit with a building that could be fitted out as a REDEMPTION CENTER to create a "SAILOR'S DILEMMA."

My nine years on active duty with the U.S. Navy made this an easy choice to model. Home from an eight month WestPac cruise our sailor stands on a corner where a choice must be made. You can make up many stories about what happens next. I have him going for a cold beer, tripping over the sleeping bum, falling into the arms of the beautiful girl, and…well, it WAS a long cruise!