Walthers Cornerstone Car Sho Kit problem/question

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I also cross posted this to the Yahoo structures group.

I’ve been having a number of problems with the Walthers Cornerstone
kits lately, like missing 1 part, deformed part, loose parts, etc. The latest is
the Car Shop base. It is sort of bowed and no HO rail I have (3
different brands of code 100) fits into the 3 bay floor slots. I don’t believe the bowing is the problem, it’s just that the slots are too narrow.

Rail will not slide in at all. Hammering it in, from the top of the railhead works until you try another rail and then the 2nd goes in and the first pops up.

I called Walthers and got the same response I usually get: after
learning I didn’t buy it direct from Walthers but from a hobby shop,
the lady answering makes me feel like I want to steal her young
children; then she suggests I take it back to where I bought it (I
have a lot of hours into it with weathering and all and really don’t
want to do that); and finally says says she’ll transfer me to a
tech; as usual, tech not available and will call me back. Yeah,
right. Never had a call back yet from them.

My rails fit fine in the Machine Shop kit, but not this one.

If anyone else has had a problem getting rails anchored into the
bays in the base and has a solution, I surely would appreciate some
help in fixing mine.

Thanks in advance. Ken

2

Hi Ken,
Sorry, I can’t comment on the car shop kit, but if it is any consolation, I had similar problems of a warped base and even warped side walls with the Walthers Two Stall Engine House kit. It made it very difficult to get square joints on the corners. I hope someone else can help with your problem.
John

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If you have access to smaller code rail, try that; i.e., code 83 rail instead of code 100. Another possibility is to file the end of the rail foot at an angle so it will go in more smoothly.

I know this isn’t helping you solve your problems, but we have a Cornerstone Car Shop on our HO scale club layout that is almost 10 years old and I don’t remember having as much trouble with it as you are experiencing. I think they were made in Europe at the time, and your’s was probably made in China; and may be even thinner plastic now.