Nice job, 7793.
I confess I have a big soft spot for this kit. Yes, it's old. (So am I, it seems. I remember when it was originally released. Ouch.) Yes, the guns are awful. Yes, the railing stanchions are out of scale. (But how many kits of that vintage had individual rail stanchions at all?)
On the other hand, the basic shapes are right. And take a look at the detail on the vertical surfaces, like the superstructure bulkheads. The bulkheads are separate pieces, and they include such things as fire extinguishers, coiled hoses, electrical cables - even a rack full of decks swabs, all molded neatly in relief. And those mysterious round bumps molded into one of the 3" gun tub shields are, I think, the helmets for the gun crew.
This kit quite obviously was designed by people who (a) knew what they were doing, and (b) were interested in something other than meeting the minimum standards of the typical purchaser. Those people were artisans, and the kit, in my opinion, has a strong claim to being considered a work of art. I, for one, would be happy to see it on the market again - and I'd love to dress it up with the set of photo-etched parts Gold Medal Models offers for it.
Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.