Ladders... arrrggghhhh!

The "completed" ladder prior to trimming the top and bottom to length. but with all other detailing added

One of the great frustrations of marketing resin kits is trying to maintain consistency even as the components that are needed to produce kits come and go. Perhaps the ultimate manifestation of this is ladders. There have only been a few choices for ladders even in the best of times. However, with the unavailability of the Branchline parts and the demise of the Details West 8-rung ladder, a huge void has opened in the ladder aftermarket. When you design a kit with a specific ladder in mind, it can be crushing to be unable to obtain that part.

The basic ladder frame with grooves and spacers, awaiting the addition of the rungs

Etched ladders are an option, but I intensely dislike the two-dimensional look of them, for both the rungs and the hardware to attach the rungs to the stiles. The rungs look flat and the hardware is either flat or absent. (Note: etched stiles with grabs are a great way to replicate Wine ladders, so etchings are not without some applications, in my opinion.)

After the addition of the first rung, but prior to the removal of the first spacer

With these obstacles in mind, I have decided to try a new approach. My next kit incorporates cast resin ladder parts with grooves for the rungs. The rungs are created using either 0.010" or 0.012" wire that is glued in the grooves. The ladders are "pre-spaced" so that the only necessity is to cut away the spacers as the rungs are added. Once the basic structure of the ladder is complete, a "face" with the appropriate detail is added to finish it off.

Three rungs in place and one spacer removed

Yes, this entails extra work. That's the downside, although it takes less than ten minutes to make a ladder and about five once you get the hang of it. The upside is that the detail looks good, the rungs are durable, and the spacing is exactly correct for the prototype.

After removal of the second spacer

I'd love to hear others' thoughts either in theory or after you have a chance to give it a try. These will debut with the Ann Arbor single sheathed box and auto cars.

Fourth rung added and third spacer removed

Six rungs down, one rung and one spacer to go!

All seven rungs in place, spacers removed, awaiting the addition of there "face"