Joel, There are two ways to have your work merit judged, NMRA contests, and Regional or Division merit judging. Each Division has an Achievement Chair and each Region has an Achievement Program

Mike Fleming wrote: Mike, you may not know this, but NMRA officials repeatedly treated RPM with great disdain and even hostility at NMRA National after National in the 1990s and in some cases

On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:46:35 -0500 (CDT), Joel Holmes wrote I have no idea. Well actually I have some idea, I presume it would have to be at an NMRA event of some sort. Most RPM meets are not.

On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:35:02 -0700, Anthony Thompson wrote Jimmy Booth prodded me back in the roaring 90s to give Sn3 a try, even took me on some really fabulous layout tours at Madison in 97. I

Mike Fleming wrote: "The NMRA model contests have had and still have a purpose, and I find it very distasteful that many of you are trashing it. I would also find it distasteful on an NMRA group if

Well said, Mike. That pretty well covers it, perhaps we can move on now to Steam Era Freight Car Issues and concerns. Pierre Oliver

Andy, How does one get judged for NMRA achievement programs? Joel Holmes

I have done my best to stay out of this one but sadly here goes. The model contests and AP program were created to to help model railroaders inprove their skills. Has it been perverted or distorted,

Andy Harman wrote: Reminds me of a PCR contest a few years back when there was a Yosemite Valley log car in the contest. Naturally one's first thought is, "Jack Burgess," but it was S scale, so

On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:21:45 -1000, WILLIAM PARDIE wrote They probably couldn't figure out how to bundle it with a "boxcar sound module" so they could get $100 for it so they dropped it. Andy

Another detrimental aspect of contests that may not have been mentioned are the indirect effects of "so-and-so always wins" syndrome. At the aforementioned 1988 N&WHS convention, Dean Freytag brought

On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:19:24 -0700, Jack Burgess wrote It was merely a suggestion that might provide useful information to the NMRA. The NMRA seems interested in "fixing" the contest, when the

I cannot speak from personal experience having avoided the NMRA contest arena and not knowing how Bob Hamm's reforms have worked, but one of my other objections (in addition to those stated so

I've been enlighten about GN painting practices. Seems the medallion I used on my kitbash was introduced in 48, same year they decided to paint the entire box car mineral red. In the Photo Section

Kurt Laughlin asks: I'm not sure the issue is like or dislike but obviously from the messages some like them, some don't. I can take them or leave them although my experiences as a judge and contest

Does anyone know what happened to the Broadway limited NYC steel boxcar project? Did we on the list scare them off or have they engaged in major retooling? Bill Pardie >

Andy... I think we have all agreed that we like the RPM meets the way they are without contests. (I stated that a couple days ago.) You obviously don't like contests, although some of us do or have

Now you know why judging doesn't work. eric/past NMRA president

On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:32:40 EDT, tgregmrtn wrote Well as I'm sure you're aware, one doesn't need a trophy to have an ego. Everybody does. If I've done anything right at all, at least I admit it. I

On Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:26:50 -0700, Anthony Thompson wrote No matter. Subjectivity and contest protocol is for those who care about contests to debate so I probably shouldn't have said anything.