Achievement Program.

There are 11 achievement categories in which a model railroader may demonstrate skill and obtain recognition.  They are:

• Master Builder - Motive Power – you know, engines, the things that pull the cars (railroad of course) from place to place,
• Master Builder - Cars – the things that get pulled from place to place and, in real life, earn the money needed to keep the railroad in business,
• Master Builder - Structures – yep, buildings – everything from the lowliest outbuilding to the loftiest skyscraper,
• Master Builder - Scenery – the stuff that your trains run over, under, around and through,
• Master Builder - Prototype Models – building a model of something that exists in the real world and actually looks like it,
• Model Railroad Engineer – Civil – trackwork, planning and installing it,
• Model Railroad Engineer – Electrical – using electricity to bring your model to life,
• Chief Dispatcher – this involves operating a model as it would be if it were a real, commercial enterprise and includes putting cars together to form trains and delivering them to their intended destinations,
• Association Official – serving in elected NMRA office(s) at the national, regional and/or divisional organizations one of which must be at the national level,
• Association Volunteer – serving the association in either an elected, appointed or purely voluntary capacity,
• Model Railroad Author – this award involves accumulating points based on how much you write (a page is about 1200 words) and where it is published.

In subsequent articles we will look at each of the certificates in greater detail.  You will see that planning your modeling activities with the requirements of each of them in mind will allow you to progress toward their acquisition as an almost unavoidable consequence of your modeling activities.  We will develop a checklist of things to include in your layout plans and construction activities that virtually assure that all the pieces will be in place to satisfy the certification requirements.  But before we do that, we will take a look at the award that most of you are probably qualified to receive already - The Golden Spike Award.  That will be will be the topic of the next article in this series.

Click here for the Nationals AP form page and download whatever form or information you need.

In the meantime, if I can do anything to assist you in your AP efforts don’t hesitate to write.  If I can do it, I will.  If I don’t know the answer, I probably know where to go to get it.  And, if I don’t know, I’ll find out.  There is a tremendous amount of willing and eager support available through the NMRA and its membership.

Norman Frowley MMR- AP Chairman for the GSD

Contests

The forms we use in all our contests are the North East Regions standard forms. We ask that you have these filled out complete with any attached data BEFORE you come to the meet. We have limited time and the judges wish to see the clinics and such as well as you do so please have your models and forms ready to go when you get there. You will need both forms listed below. please the appropriate from link here or go to the NER website link on the sidebar.

Photo Contest Entry Form       Model Contest Entry Form

If entering a National Contest, check with the host region to see
what forms they will be using to save yourself some time, always have the
forms filled out before you go there.

Introducing the Paul Mallory Award

As you read in the Whistle Post, it is a division award for the modeler in our division who exhibited excellance in modling skills. The award is open only to division members. For more info see the Spring issue of the WP available online by clicking here or going to the newsletter page of this website.

Click here to downmload the Application form and the Addendum form.