12-09-2010, 07:15 PM
I would agree completely with the first post. I've seen Galen's (ocaliecreek) modeling up "close and personal" when he lived here in So Cal and was a member of the modular club. I also have a bunch of old Athearn blue box reefers that I didn't know what to do with until I saw what Dr Wayne did with his Athearn ice bunker reefers.
I am an NMRA member and glad to be a member. I also won't bad mouth anyone who earns the MMR designation, but I won't do it unless the NMRA changes the criteria considerably. As it stands now, the basis of judging models for an MMR certificate is the same as contest judging. The problem is that it can be as subjective as up to the individual judge, with virtually no objective requirements. I know of one modeler who received a certificate for a diesel engine that had very few details installed, and had numerous runs in the paint! I also attended a meet where the judges who were judging locomotives were steam enthusiasts and just did not think any diesel was worth modeling. Finally at the 2008 NMRA National Convention, there were many very nice models of locomotives both steam and diesel in the contest room, yet not one of them received enough points by the judges to qualify for a certificate that would lead to an MMR. As things stand now, I just say NO to NMRA contests.
Of course one other thing that has arisen along with the plethora of r-t-r to the loss of availability of kits, is the new availability prototype modeling for track.
I am an NMRA member and glad to be a member. I also won't bad mouth anyone who earns the MMR designation, but I won't do it unless the NMRA changes the criteria considerably. As it stands now, the basis of judging models for an MMR certificate is the same as contest judging. The problem is that it can be as subjective as up to the individual judge, with virtually no objective requirements. I know of one modeler who received a certificate for a diesel engine that had very few details installed, and had numerous runs in the paint! I also attended a meet where the judges who were judging locomotives were steam enthusiasts and just did not think any diesel was worth modeling. Finally at the 2008 NMRA National Convention, there were many very nice models of locomotives both steam and diesel in the contest room, yet not one of them received enough points by the judges to qualify for a certificate that would lead to an MMR. As things stand now, I just say NO to NMRA contests.
Of course one other thing that has arisen along with the plethora of r-t-r to the loss of availability of kits, is the new availability prototype modeling for track.