Newsletter 11/14


 

Newsletter Column Index

November 2014

AP


The contest at Wasatch Rails was a good experience for me. I really enjoyed looking at the models entered and seeing all the details in them. I am especially grateful to Rick Luther for his assistance and the others that provided guidance. When not too many models were checked in Friday night, I decided to bring a few of mine that I thought might not be ready to have judged. (The next day I was happy to see there were more entered.) I was glad I brought them because I was able to earn enough points to earn a few merit awards towards my AP certificates! I wasn’t expecting that outcome but I’m glad I brought them. It reminds me a little of the experience I shared last month that happened to me many years ago.

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The highlight for me was the Parking Garage model by Robert Arnesen. Robert has been modeling for quite a few years but just recently joined the NMRA. He is part of the N scale club and has several modules. One can tell he knows what he is doing and I am glad he is going for his Structures AP Certificate! It is models like his that inspire me to do better and I want to use some of his techniques. What really gets me is that I didn’t even realize it was N scale until the next day! The whole time I was looking at it there was so much detail and it all fit together so well as a scene (even though it was just one structure) that I didn’t notice it wasn’t HO which is what I’m used to looking at.

One thing he did was to add a mirror on the back wall inside. It’s really creative because it then made it a “whole” structure on the inside and from the outside you wouldn’t know it was “less than whole”! It works perfectly. It got the most AP points in scoring and deserves the title Best in Show!

Even if you don’t plan to enter a contest (you can get your AP certificate without entering a contest; some of the structures just have to be judged) I urge you to look at the models in detail. You can learn a lot from them that can help you be a better modeler yourself. If you get a chance to talk to the modeler of a particular model you like, even better! It will help encourage that person to know they did a good job and will inspire them to keep working hard. Take time to bring something to the Division Meeting to share. It’s fun to see what others have done and that way we can enjoy the journey together!

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