I took on a project some years ago.
To recreate one of Revell's Box Covers with art by John Steele. I bought the U.S.S.Randall for that purpose. Not to recreate a dio, but just the ship itself. Never mind the nets or boats alongside, My goal was to recreate the ship with proper rails ladders and other equipment. Also to try my new to me, E.Z.Line for rigging!
I don't remember the true Scale, I think it was around 1/456 or something like that! Good old Box Scale for sure. I also tried something else. I wanted to show the ship modeler that you don't need to go broke buying Brass(If you could get it) in that size too! Sadly most of the photos didn't survive the move to where I live now.
I crossed some lines and bought opened kits of "Z" and "N" Scale Tichy Train Group and other company's stuff plus some Railroad Junk that would work! At a local Train Show. I won't go into where that took me other than the ship. This stuff might work! So, taking the Tichy Steel and Iron Elevated walkway Grate sections and sanding them paper thin, and then glued them after measuring and cutting, in place for rails, ladders etc! All the goodies cost less than Ten Bucks!
Omigosh! it actually looked pretty good considering where they came from originally! Sure, after that much sanding and then cleaning and trimming what the carpet didn't eat!(I hope the darned thing got indigestion!) it proved passible and I Weathered her and finished her out on a nice wood base(Oak) with a Modge-Podge sea just around the edge of the ship's bottom. Six train Shows later I sold her to the Fellow that had the Tichy Train Parts booth and He told me he would show it to the company's founders, but he bought it for his dad!
Don't laugh, I have sold more small model boats at the train Show than anywhere, even My Hand carved 1/24 Ski and Speed boats! Weird Venue for that, But You Can still cross the lines and build a beautiful model and not buy over priced and maybe hard to get brass. Give it a shot, Oh! and before I leave, don't forget this works on those 1/400 freighters made overseas too. and also Paper Models And with the paper you even have patterns then! DOC