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'Build a loco' Challenge entries


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Once again my apologies for the delay on the poll. What we would like to do, given the quality of entries, is to feature the entries in BRM April to encourage wider reading and voting (you deserve it!) before opening the vote to co-incide with that issue. Could you therefore email me (to info@rmweb.co.uk) hi-res pics of the entries so we can get them featured in a magazine spread.

How many pictures? Just of the finished article or of various stages of the build too? What date are they required by?

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How many pictures? Just of the finished article or of various stages of the build too? What date are they required by?

 

Sorry Peter, I wasn't very clear at all really.

 

One picture, ideally very sharp and taken against a white background of the completed loco would look the best. If you could get any pictures to me by the end of the weekend that would be great.

 

Thanks, Andy

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Once again my apologies for the delay on the poll. What we would like to do, given the quality of entries, is to feature the entries in BRM April to encourage wider reading and voting (you deserve it!) before opening the vote to co-incide with that issue. Could you therefore email me (to info@rmweb.co.uk) hi-res pics of the entries so we can get them featured in a magazine spread.

 

This sounds good - and I'm looking forward to seeing other people's entries featured in this way.

 

Might there be any chance of also using the April issue (or, perhaps this site's 11th birthday - or, failing that, the "Ally Pally" show) to unveil the theme of this year's challenge - something along the lines of:

 

"Here are some amazing models some of our readers / site members have recently built.

 

Now let's see what you can do - this year's theme is ... ."

 

Well, actually, I could suggest some suitable themes - I suspect that a number of us could - especially now that BRM and NG World are both published by the same company. (Other potential tie-ups are available - but this is an obvious one.)

 

There'd also be nothing to stop you repeating last year's themes, if you wished to do so.

 

(Just to make things clear, I'm not trying to jump in with suggestions of themes, just to suit my purposes, to fit in with my personal modelmaking intentions.)

 

 

In case anyone's wondering why I've been asking if the 2016 challenge(s) could be launched in the next few weeks, some people find it easier to do "parts" shopping at model railway shows - with "Ally Pally" and "Warley" being the only large shows some people usually attend - and "Warley" being too close to the end of the year to be much use if you're trying to get parts for one of these challenges.

 

 

As someone pretty well known on here for being on here most days It has taken up to now, almost 2 months since the OP, to even notice this topic!

 

For those who have been running their build topics on a far more intermittent basis I am not surprised in the least that some may not have posted here. I would not like to see those "unintentionally excluded" and wonder if it would have been possible to simply somehow gather all the topics in the forum and post as a summary?

 

I do think as an exercise in promoting kit building/scratch building/modifying RTR it has been excellent, but wonder why it took 5+ years to get to it. I am also a little concerned that those who entered and did not finish might also feel excluded from "entering" here. Just because they have not finished to the standard of the really outstanding examples above should not distract from the achievements made through simply crossing that first hurdle of starting. We probably all have kits in a state of "unfinished" (some would say that none of mine are finished as do not paint them), some of them in that state for years. That doesn't mean that they are ignored. I never saw this as a challenge or a race to finish (at any arbitrary defined point) more as an incentive to actually have a go. To show that the "art" of kit building is not dead (as presumed)

 

I do hope that the forthcoming BRM article emphasises that point and is not simply a display of what can be ultimately achieved. The finished product displayed I think does very little to promote this part of the hobby (it is as boring as displaying the latest RTR offering). The best way to promote kit building is to show how straightforward it actually is, step by step even if it is sometimes 2 steps forward and one back.

 

As for voting, I for one am going to find it very difficult to chose a "winner" because they are ALL winners AFAIC.

 

This pretty much sums up my views on this matter.

 

Your "2 steps forward and 1 back" comment strikes a chord with me - and it actually ties in very closely with my partial build.

 

Since the end of last year, I haven't got back to my build. At the time, there was some momentum - had it not been for a number of other calls on my time, I'm certain that I could have completed it within a few days of then.

 

However, this was not to be - once I passed the end of year deadline, I saw no point in continuing to rush my build - and it's currently sidelined. I'm now thinking of alternative ways of doing the next stages of my build (some of them are actually very "alternative" - but that's another issue). I'm also starting to think of ways in which I could improve a lot of what I've already built - so I'm not planning on asking Andy to return my build thread to the "challenge zone" any time soon.

 

In fact, even before I posted any of my build stuff, I had a number of false starts - dead ends - stuff like that - I strongly suspect that everyone did.

 

It could be quite interesting to see how some of the uncompleted builds get finished - whether in a future challenge, or simply in "workshop" threads.

 

It could also be interesting to see how other people - other RMweb members - other BRM readers - go about similar builds in future. Even the people who've already entered challenges - how many of these people would use the same methods again - what lessons have been learnt from last year's builds?

 

This is why I'm wondering if there might be something to be gained by repeating last year's challenge, this year.

 

As for my thoughts about potential NG themed challenges, this could offer a way of cementing links with NG World etc - and encouraging crossflow of ideas.

 

 

I've only got my phone camera that I took the pictures on here with (Ref post number eight) so does that mean I'm now ruled out because I haven't got a decent camera? Oh well good luck everyone else

 

I wouldn't expect this to be the case for one second. After all, if all the challenge photos are expected to fit into a couple of pages, how large do they really need to be - how much resolution is actually required? I agree that large, clear, photos are nice to have - but I wouldn't expect the lack of them to be a dealbreaker.

 

 

Incidentally, Andy's suggestions about using a plain background makes sense.

 

While on the subject of photos, I wonder if there are any plans to show photos of the build process for some of these entries at a later date.

 

Assuming that build challenges of some sort are planned in future years, might it also be worth offering some suggestions for how to take "construction sequence" photos of future builds?

 

In my case, I used the black cutting mat I was working on - with some pale blue styrene sheet (bought at an "Ally Pally" show a number of years ago) to hide background distractions and provide some contrast against white parts in my build. I'm sure other people have got better ideas than me. I'm also sure that anyone who's been involved in editing and page layout of books and magazines would have a pretty good idea of what works well here. I'd welcome the chance to learn - and I doubt if I'm alone here.

 

Anyway, that's more than enough from me on the subject.

 

 

It goes without saying that I'd like to wish everyone who's entering all the best. It also goes without saying that I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of the completed builds in print, in the next BRM.

 

Good luck everyone.

 

 

Regards,

 

Huw.

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I've only got my phone camera that I took the pictures on here with (Ref post number eight) so does that mean I'm now ruled out because I haven't got a decent camera? Oh well good luck everyone else

 

Not a problem, just the best snap you've got so we have a chance of making things look as clear as possible.

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The aim was to backdate a Hornby GWR 2-8-0T to 1929 condition. I started out with a BR late crest version of the first batch of Hornby 2-8-0T because I was buying as cheaply as I could in case I mucked it up. This added complications because I had to replace the short safety valve casing and remove the smokebox number plate. Detailing came from a Brassmasters detailing kit. Cabside shutters were carefully scraped off and the bunke recess filled in. Missing/destroyed rivets replaced with Archer transfers and the cyclinder drain cocks replaced with scratch built earlier version. Resprayed Phoenix precision pre 1928 GWR loco green.

 

post-9629-0-67329600-1455900736_thumb.jpg

 

Apologies for the slight camera shake.

 

Adrian

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  • 1 month later...

What a nice selection of locos to choose from. It is a shame we have choose an order, when I think each one is a winner.

 

I have looked at the voting form about ten times so far. I am struggling to make my choice, can't I put them all in first place?

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I have looked at the voting form

 

Voting Form? What voting form? For someone who is on RMWeb most days (when I'm here) it always amazes me just how many topics I never get to see, until a chance bump brings them into view.

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....I am so indecisive about who to vote for.

"Well, it's been an easy decision. There's one out-and-out winner and rather than waste time with a speech I'll get on with the job of announcing the winner who, today, has come first in this competition to see who the winner is in the Build A Loco competition that we have all come to today wondering who indeed will it be, who wins the prize for the Build A Loco.

The winner of this year's Build A Loco competition is...."

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At the top of the page is the link in a green stripe

 

 

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

 

My only defense is that I have come to ignore most of the top of the RMWeb page as it is just annoying and contains little of relevance to me: the search bar is of little use compared to a direct search on any decent search engine; most of the banner ads I already use direct links (bookmarks) to those of interest where I support and shop; do not use the main menu (rarely if ever visit the homepage, the blogs don't work, gallaries ditto, the rest who knows I gave up); View new content is a bookmark on the browser; that irritating and pointless notice in red about javascript ... in fact as most times I enter from the link in the email which takes me to the latest unread post, I never even see the top of the page.

 

and, I guess I was expecting a link to be posted here.

 

Anyway link followed and topic found, thanks. Yet to make up my mind as there appeas to be a few entries I was not aware of that require considering.

 

The challenge has been great and the entries are all an achievement - the temptation is not to vote and single one out of the many.

 

I was a bit dissappointed not to se a vote in each category, as I do believe that the categories were quite different and that will sway my voting.

Edited by Kenton
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It's definitely working, 100+ people have voted to date.

 

My bad. I thought the link would take me direct to the vote rather than to another topic that has a link to the vote within it.

I've now voted and resisted the temptation to vote for myself.

Well done to all that entered, they all look great.

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My bad. I thought the link would take me direct to the vote rather than to another topic that has a link to the vote within it.

I've now voted and resisted the temptation to vote for myself.

Well done to all that entered, they all look great.

I have now voted and as you resisted the urge for the self vote. I just wish I could vote a few more times.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Last day and I put my vote in. Like the others also not voting for myself. Well its not the done thing.

It was a difficult choice, and only having 5 that also had to put in order.

 

I just wanted to say that it was fun and that I enjoyed reading everyones progress. Its a shame that many didn't get to the end.

 

Now what is the next challange?

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Wouldn't have dared vote for my own! :O

My choices were easy as I had followed their progress with admiration and not a little awe all the way through. Good luck to all, I say!

JF

Edited by Jon Fitness
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