MR track plan contest

[nachoman]

That's a shame. I really think you have a creative plan, and wished it got more consideration than it did. You presented it professionally, and obviously put a lot of work into your design. I still think it was a positive thing that you enetered

Now for my broader commentary:
Sometimes I think the judges and editors of these concepts have the winners in mind before they even look at the first entry. This limits the objectivity of the judging. This is not a critique of Model Railroader or Kalmbach, because they are in the business of selling magazines. Obviously, they will choose the winners based upon what fits their editorial philosophy and which entries they feel will sell the the most magazines. There were probably many entries that were as good as yours, but simply did not fit the mold of what they were looking for. Had this contest been held in 1975, i think your entry would have received much higher consideration. I am not saying your design is in any way outdated; but the focus of Model Railroader and the hobby has changed since then.

In 1975, people were happy simply having a GP-38. Now, they worry about specific details and phases, and get frustrated when manufacturers get something a little off. In 1975, the 4x8 oval was on the way out, but in its place were trackplans based on visual curiosity, but still contained the continuous running. Free-lancing was more in vogue, and the trackplans you saw in Model Railroader reflected those values. Today there seems to be more of an emphasis toward prototype modeling. Manufacturers have become more specific in their offerings. Trackplans reflect this too, as Model Railroader tends to publish around-the walls shelf type layouts that may or may not have continuous running via a duck under or lift-out. The plans seem to have a mainline that only crosses a scene once, and more prototypical siding arrangements and spacings.

In 1975 it seems like the emphasis was on doing something different and being creative, and now the emphasis is more towards being faithful to the prototype. My guess is the judges of this contest saw the multiple scales of your layout and thought that was too nontraditional for their contest. That doesn't mean it was a bad idea or not something the majority of readers would have enjoyed; it simply means it wasn't what the judges were looking for.