As some of you might know I am involved with the Banning Centennial Train Festival. This will be held on October 19th and 20th in the Southern California town of Banning, formerly on the SP Sunset Route and now on the UP.

One of the features of the Festival will be a judged model contest. The purpose is to introduce the general public to the best efforts in the hobby as represented by "contest quality" models, provide a "wow" factor and reward the top model builders with cash prizes.

The Festival Committee is still working on the details for the model contest but the First Place prize for each contest category probably will be $50.00. Any modeler may enter the contest.

One category will be for freight cars, which is where refrigerator cars will compete. I am considering awarding an additional special prize for ice bunker and mechanical refrigerator cars entered by members of these three Yahoo groups:

The Citrus Industry Modeling Group
The Reefer Madness Group
The Steam Era Freight Car Discussion Group

Entries would have to exhibit a considerable degree of alteration, weathering, additional details, lettering, scratch-building or kit-bashing. The prize probably would be a $25.00 hobby shop certificate.

There would be a limit of two entries per person and no proxy entries would be allowed.

Before I go ahead with this special contest within a contest I need to gauge the interest by members of these three groups. If you are interested in participating contact me OFF LIST at chiefbobbb@... and I will send you the contest entry forms and rules when these become available.

Write "Reefer Contest" in the Subject Line.

Thank you.

Bob Chaparro
Moderator
Citrus Industry Modeling Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/citrusmodeling/

Train Festival Website:

http://banning100birthday.com/2012/11/26/centennial-train-fest/