Weekly Photo Fun 3-13/3-19
- Thread starter jeffrey-wimberly
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Alan,
You sound like a very fair and understanding person in this circumstance. You're above post hits the nail right on the head. Emotionally invested? You bet! Although I don't enter contests, I too create some for extra cash for my toys. And by the time I'm finished with them, my wife has to practically pry them from hands to get me to part with them. For anyone who spends time, fabricating, painting, detailing and other miniscule tasks that only a few notice, it is a tough row to hoe. I like the engine and thought it would do well. But in the end, If you're happy with it.........What the hey!
Nice work,
Johnny
Josh;
Is this another one? Seems like this would be the 3rd or 4th survey in the past 10yrs. One of the major reasons that there has been a drop-off, (hasn't been here) is folks claim they don't have the "time" anymore to build a model for the contests.
I personally believe that the "no time" excuse is a poor substitute for someone not having the basic modeling skills necessary to enter a model and expect to do well.
Now you understand why I've been on my hiatus!
(Course I've been rather ill for past several years as well. 
) I still paint for others, but its very limited now by choice. I still get e-mails from some old customers wanting me to paint more of their equipment. Some I accept and some I don't.
Several guys I painted for in NOLA, Pascagoula, Biloxi, and the Moss Point area during the 1980's and 90's, contacted me almost 2 years after Katrina went through and asked me to repair, restore, and repaint their brass, about 300 pieces total. I turned it down.
Now, I do about 4-5 pieces a year, and am perfectly happy doing just that little!
They asked if the way they did conventions was old, I said yes.
They asked if contest judging needed a face lift, again I said yes (heard way to many of these stories).
The asked if the NMRA was still relevant, I said yes...
Some other stuff, but is seems like (from the people who forwarded me it) the general consensus was the merit awards were either outdated, or just to plain harsh (maybe due to the rise of RTR?), and that contests were loosing their fun.
Hey I like those Rock Island SD60's, Did you paint those? And also are you the guy that has that Rock Island Railroad site, Man those are cool.
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jeffrey-wimberly
Dr Frankendiesel
enjineerbill
Avid People Watcher
OK guys, the moral support is great, and thanks, but in all fairness, here's what happened. I do custom painting both for fun and to pay for toys
I don't do much with NMRA contests, mostly because the division meets are pretty far from where I live, about an 80 mile round trip. In this instance our club layout was going to be on the division layout tour, and the model I was working on just happened to be finished. I was going to be in the neighborhood so to speak, so I decided to have it judged. It has been years since I did anything in a contest. They didn't really "fry me" so to speak, unless you count a very low (IMHO) point count. The things that bugged me about it were: no explanation, no comment of any sort. In previous contests I have gotten suggestions on how to improve the model, or things I should add. This time nothing. There was also no disrespect, no rude comments, or anything even remotely unprofessional.
It seems that there were things on my paperwork that were missed somehow. Having three judges miss the same things is weird, but I suppose it's possible. CJ and a few other friends of mine in Birmingham are involved with NMRA AP judging and I'm going to take the model as it was judged, along with a fresh set of paperwork, and let them have a look at it for their opinion. I'll also take the paperwork I submitted here & we'll compare everything afterward, as it is my job to explain what I did. You can't count on the judges being experts on what you're modeling.
It is possible that as a tempermental artistic type I overreacted, though I didn't get any input on what ever it was that they didn't like. Any modeler should be told what the problems were & be given input on how the model could be improved. What bugged me the most is that it's all a mystery
. I don't intened to slam the NMRA here. I've been a member since 1992 and the core program is a pretty good one. My friends may have the same opinion of the model, and if they do, so be it. But they will tell me what is wrong, or what other things I need to do. All I'm after is an unbiased opinion that I trust.These guys are my friends & have been for years, but they'll cut me no slack (and I wouldn't want them to
The thing is we get lots of hours into these models, and when you put it out there and it doesn't do as well as you think it should, well, you're awfully emotionally invested, know what I mean? Too close to the situation
I'll let you all know what happens in round 2
Alan,
You sound like a very fair and understanding person in this circumstance. You're above post hits the nail right on the head. Emotionally invested? You bet! Although I don't enter contests, I too create some for extra cash for my toys. And by the time I'm finished with them, my wife has to practically pry them from hands to get me to part with them. For anyone who spends time, fabricating, painting, detailing and other miniscule tasks that only a few notice, it is a tough row to hoe. I like the engine and thought it would do well. But in the end, If you're happy with it.........What the hey!
Nice work,
Johnny
Thanks Johnny. One tries! I can relate to not wanting to turn them loose. I have a couple of fellows I do work for that are pretty demanding. They basically want museum quality work. I did this one for me because I was tired of so much of my best work going across the country so someone else's house! The pay is pretty good, but it's hard to get 60-80 hours into a model like that one then send it off, no matter how big the check is! There are several things not evident in the photos, like the working tender footplate, the cab curtains, and the detailed cab interior. I'll let you know how the second judging goes!
I can relate to not wanting to turn them loose. I have a couple of fellows I do work for that are pretty demanding. They basically want museum quality work. I did this one for me because I was tired of so much of my best work going across the country so someone else's house! The pay is pretty good, but it's hard to get 60-80 hours into a model like that one then send it off, no matter how big the check is! There are several things not evident in the photos, like the working tender footplate, the cab curtains, and the detailed cab interior. I'll let you know how the second judging goes!
jeffrey-wimberly
Dr Frankendiesel
WT fan
Member
I'm busy with my module Diamond Valley, here's the fourth segment. With the scrap yard to the right.
And here's my switcher working the scrap yard.
Wolfgang
And here's my switcher working the scrap yard.
Wolfgang
jeffrey-wimberly
Dr Frankendiesel
Cjcrescent
Master Mechanic
Alan;
Having a model "crushed" by the judges is always a disappointment. I feel for you. I got bashed at the last Chattanooga convention in the early 1990's. (I wasn't there even though I was the SER Contest Chair. I had to be on call for the OR at the hospital so I couldn't go.)
I got bashed for no cab interior! Never mind I had explained that due to boiler size, both length and wideth, it would have been impossible to even attempt to include one. I even had crewmen to help hide the fact.
The Captain, who was my sub for the convention, made the judge re-read the write-up and then asked him if he was wrong. He said no he wasn't. The Captain made him change it. When the model got back to me and when the Captain related the scene at Chatt. I had the Captain change the score back to the original. I never would change a score on a model unless I felt that the team was wrong. Then the model was just re-judged for an individual merit award. The contest score remained. I got my merit award.
I felt the judge was right for several reasons but also wrong for one other. He was right in that he gave me his opinion as to why I didn't get more points, and what I maybe could have done to get some simblence of an interior into it. The interior of the boiler precluded his suggestion, but he followed the rules I had developed for the region. He was wrong in only the awarding of only 10 points in the detail category.
Except for the cab detail, every part on the prototype was on the model. The proto photos that Larry had let me borrow proved that. While not "fully detailed", (25 points), it was detailed to the point that it really qualified for 15-20 points.
For those who don't know this, in the NMRA, the detail category isn't based on how well something was detailed, but strictly on how much prototypically correct detail was applied by the modeler. How well it was done was judged in two other categories, Construction and Finish and Lettering.
Alan, you know that the Captain, Larry, and I will judge your model fairly, based strictly on its merits. You also know that each of us will give you comments in each category as to why you recieved what you did.
But just a friendly reminder:
You had better assume we don't know anything about steamers and that prototype in particular.
Having a model "crushed" by the judges is always a disappointment. I feel for you. I got bashed at the last Chattanooga convention in the early 1990's. (I wasn't there even though I was the SER Contest Chair. I had to be on call for the OR at the hospital so I couldn't go.)
I got bashed for no cab interior! Never mind I had explained that due to boiler size, both length and wideth, it would have been impossible to even attempt to include one. I even had crewmen to help hide the fact.
The Captain, who was my sub for the convention, made the judge re-read the write-up and then asked him if he was wrong. He said no he wasn't. The Captain made him change it. When the model got back to me and when the Captain related the scene at Chatt. I had the Captain change the score back to the original. I never would change a score on a model unless I felt that the team was wrong. Then the model was just re-judged for an individual merit award. The contest score remained. I got my merit award.
I felt the judge was right for several reasons but also wrong for one other. He was right in that he gave me his opinion as to why I didn't get more points, and what I maybe could have done to get some simblence of an interior into it. The interior of the boiler precluded his suggestion, but he followed the rules I had developed for the region. He was wrong in only the awarding of only 10 points in the detail category.
Except for the cab detail, every part on the prototype was on the model. The proto photos that Larry had let me borrow proved that. While not "fully detailed", (25 points), it was detailed to the point that it really qualified for 15-20 points.
For those who don't know this, in the NMRA, the detail category isn't based on how well something was detailed, but strictly on how much prototypically correct detail was applied by the modeler. How well it was done was judged in two other categories, Construction and Finish and Lettering.
Alan, you know that the Captain, Larry, and I will judge your model fairly, based strictly on its merits. You also know that each of us will give you comments in each category as to why you recieved what you did.
But just a friendly reminder:
You had better assume we don't know anything about steamers and that prototype in particular.
Cjcrescent
Master Mechanic
Josh;
Is this another one? Seems like this would be the 3rd or 4th survey in the past 10yrs. One of the major reasons that there has been a drop-off, (hasn't been here) is folks claim they don't have the "time" anymore to build a model for the contests.
I personally believe that the "no time" excuse is a poor substitute for someone not having the basic modeling skills necessary to enter a model and expect to do well.
Cjcrescent
Master Mechanic
Thanks Johnny. One tries!
Now you understand why I've been on my hiatus!
(Course I've been rather ill for past several years as well. ) I still paint for others, but its very limited now by choice. I still get e-mails from some old customers wanting me to paint more of their equipment. Some I accept and some I don't.Several guys I painted for in NOLA, Pascagoula, Biloxi, and the Moss Point area during the 1980's and 90's, contacted me almost 2 years after Katrina went through and asked me to repair, restore, and repaint their brass, about 300 pieces total. I turned it down.
Now, I do about 4-5 pieces a year, and am perfectly happy doing just that little!
Last edited by a moderator:
jbaakko
Diesel Detail Freak
I filled out an online survey, and selected "no time" due to the fact that I cannot make it to conventions.
They asked if the way they did conventions was old, I said yes.
They asked if contest judging needed a face lift, again I said yes (heard way to many of these stories).
The asked if the NMRA was still relevant, I said yes...
Some other stuff, but is seems like (from the people who forwarded me it) the general consensus was the merit awards were either outdated, or just to plain harsh (maybe due to the rise of RTR?), and that contests were loosing their fun.
joshjefflawn
Espeerailfan#1
Hey I like those Rock Island SD60's, Did you paint those? And also are you the guy that has that Rock Island Railroad site, Man those are cool.
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