Thanks all for your insights and suggestions.
I am still learning the ropes of 3D modelling in Vectorworks so, for me, all of these options are useful as it helps me understand the various workflows you can use to create any one thing.
But, for this particular project, I only need an approximation of the railings. They form part of the architecture of a house but I am designing the garden, not the house, so they don't need to be exact.
@Elite Exhibits thank you for the example - could you briefly outline the steps to create this?