North Raleigh Model Railroad Club

Module Certification Requirements

This publication was authorized by the Standards Committee on September 2, 1992, and proposed to the general membership. It was ratified by the Club on October 7, 1992.

It is intended that all modules (new, repaired or renovated), whether member-, club- or visitor-owned, undergo certification before being included in a Club Show or Operating Session. In addition, all modules must be re-certified every five years. This publication provides the agreed upon Check List by which modules will be tested for certification; the pass mark is 100%. It is based on requirements set out in the NTRAK Manual and Club Standards. The Club Secretary will maintain a list of certified modules.

Certification testing is the responsibility of the Standards Committee to carry out. The Committee may test as a body or may designate at least two (2) Members to perform the tests. Following testing a module will be awarded one of three classifications:

• Certified: Meets all requirements and passed all tests

• Certified with Exception: Meets all requirements and passed all tests, but has some unique but acceptable variance due to some special feature.

• Not-certified: Did not meet all requirements and/or pass all tests.

For modules not receiving certification a full explanation of the reasons for denying Certification must be given to the owner. Modules denied Certification may not be incorporated into a Club Show or Operating Session layout, unless specifically authorized by the Show Superintendent.

Visiting modules meeting NTRAK standards but not Club standards, such as skyboard height, may be certified for use in Shows.

Module certification will normally be carried out at the start of set up for Shows; modules to be certified must be present within 15 minutes of the designated time for starting set up for the Show, as published in the Club Newsletter, and stated at the Club Business Meeting prior to the Show. If a large number of modules are to be certified, a special session devoted to certification may be scheduled separate from a Show.

Any corrections or suggestions for changes or improvements to this Standard should be directed to the Chairman, Standards Committee, North Raleigh Model Railroad Club.

Certification of a module is mandatory before it will permitted into a Club layout at a Train Show or an operating session.

Mechanical Certification
Mechanical certification covers the basic construction of the modules. Conformance ensures ease of set-up and sturdiness during Club Shows and Operating Sessions. Table 1 provides the check list.

Track Certification
Track condition is vital to the successful, reliable and smooth operation of trains over the module. Conformance ensures operating ease and pleasure for all. Table 2 provides the check list.

Electrical Certification
Second only to track in assuring reliable, trouble-free operation, electrical conformance to the required standards is also required for safety reasons, and because electrical problems can be extremely difficult to track down and fix once the module is installed and connected into the layout.

Scenery Certification
The intent here is not to judge scenicking on modules (see Grading, below), but to ensure a minimum standard is met in terms of minimally acceptable completeness, no damage, consistency, etc. Table 5 provides the Check List.

Instructions for Certification Check List
Following are instructions for completing the Module Certification Check List. When complete, copies of the check list should be given to the module owner and the Club Secretary. The module owner can use the form as proof of Certification or as a list of items that need to be corrected. The Club Secretary will use the form for updating the list of certified modules. The original will be retained by the Standards Committee as record of the Certification.

• Check each item on the check list sequentially in the order listed.

• For compliance simply place a check mark (4 ) in the appropriate box on the form.

• For total absence of an item, simply write "no" or "N/A" in the appropriate box on the form.

• For non-compliance, enter a number (sequential numbers for more than one item of non-compliance) in the appropriate box on the form, and, using the same number as reference, write an explanation of the non-compliance in the "Notes" section (Section 6) on the form. This provides a full explanation to the module owner of the item(s) of non-compliance.

A complete and printable Module Certification Checklist form is available. The form is a Microsoft Word file and can be opened and printed from the web, or downloaded to your computer. The file is formatted to print on a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printer at 600x600 dpi resolution. If you are using a different printer, download the file, then open in Preview mode and adjust the margins as necessary. The Module Certification Checklist form should print on two pages. To open the file from the web, left-click on the link below. To save the file to your computer, right-click on the link below, then click "Save As" in the dialog box that appears, select the location to store the file and then click OK.