Potomac Junction 2008 (PJ ’08) will feature both judged and popular vote contests that are part of all NMRA and MER conventions. There will also be special contests including the President’s Award, the Chairman’s Award and The Pride of Dixie Award.

Make sure while at the Convention to stop in and vote. Even if you have not entered the contest, it can only help the camaraderie of model railroaders. The ballots will be available in the contest room after all entries have been accepted.

Model Contest

Arts and Crafts

Photography

Special Awards

Contests will be located in room 8 at the hotel. The contest room will be open for entry registration on:

• Friday from 9:00am - 8:00pm
• Saturday 8:00am - 9:00am. Judging will begin promptly at 9:30am.

The model contest Judges will gather for a mandatory short meeting with the Contest Chairman at 9:00am Saturday morning.

Members wishing to display a model can bring it to the contest room, and if there is available space we will have a table just for these models. Please check with the contest staff when you come by the room.

For security purposes please do not bring large purses, shoulder/back packs, camera bags, etc. into the contest room.

All contest items must be picked up and removed from the contest room or other contest storage area by 9:00 am on Sunday.

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Contest: Model Contest

Categories

The categories for the judged Model Contest include:

Plaques and ribbons will be awarded for first place in each model category. Second and third place awards include a certificate and ribbon. The model winning the Best of Show Award allows other models in the winning category to move up one place for a first place plaque. If your model scores 87.5 points or greater, it will earn a merit award from the Achievement Program. For more on the AP, contact Charlie Flichman: cwflich@aol.com

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Popular Vote Model

This convention will feature ONE popular vote category in the model contest: Best Model Popular Vote. You can fill out your choice on the Popular Vote Ballot. The winner will receive a plaque for his modeling efforts.

Model Contest Rules and AP-only Judging of Models

Our model contest rules are short and to the point! We follow the NMRA National Contest rules. Visit their site for a more detailed explanation of all these rules, and to download the forms needed to enter all the contests.

1. Entrants must be current members of the NMRA.
2. Contest entrants cannot be professional model builders, i.e. derive over 50% of one's income from constructing models.
3. Each model, photo or piece of craftwork must be accompanied by the official NMRA Entry Form #901, filled out and signed by the entrant. In addition, model entries must have a filled out Judges Score Sheet #902. Writeable Entry Forms and Judges Score Sheets are available at this MER-sponsored website. Go to the website, download the form file, fill out as a Word document, print and bring them with you to the contest rooms.
You may enter the contest by proxy. Whoever submits an entry for someone else, however, must present the owner-builder's NMRA membership number. This will be validated by the contest staff.
4. Entries that have won a first place in any prior National or regional contest cannot be entered in the same category at this contest.
5. There are no restrictions on the number of models entered by a member. For those modelers who wish to have their work judged for the Achievement Program only, we will provide a separate area within the contest room. Your models will be judged when the model contest is judged.

Modelers Please Note

The MER allows NMRA and Region members who wish to help judge the model contest to do so and still enter models in the contest. Those who judge and enter must, however, excuse themselves from judging the category in which they have entered a model.  Those wishing to judge or learn to judge by being apprentice judges are encouraged to contact the General Contest Chairman!

Any questions? Please e-mail the General Contest Chairman, or speak with one of our contest staff members:

• Martin Brechbiel, MER General Contest Chairman, NMRA Contest Manager (martinwb@verizon.net)
• Dick Landt, MER Model Contest Chairman
• Roger Ossman, MER Photo and Arts & Crafts Chairman
• John M. Johnson, MMR Contest Specialist

The staff will be available in the Contest Room, Room 8, during the announced hours.

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Contest: Arts and Crafts

There are three categories:

1. Rail
2. Non-rail
3. Railroad Pass

Plaques given as 1st place awards, certificates and ribbons to 2nd and 3rd place winners.

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Contest: Photography

Categories

1. Prototype Photos: Steam Related. Images of prototype steam locomotives.
2. Prototype Photos: Non-Steam. Images of any locomotives, rolling stock, structures, etc., except for steam.
3. Model Photos. Images of model railroads and related model items.
4. Artistic Photos. Pictures that have been substantially changed in terms of composition or content through computer modifications or similar processes. Pictures or images that manipulate details or the overall image beyond the capabilities of usual modeling techniques or beyond truthful prototypical reference possibilities would go into this category. It also includes images that have had substantial changes made to them, such as cloning, layered images and collages. It does not include minor modifications such as contrast, brightness, gamma, cropping and similar minor corrections. Digital or film pictures with these minor corrections may be entered in any of the first three categories, above.

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Judging

Judging will be by popular vote. Instead of just one vote, you will vote for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each of the four categories. When the votes are counted, 1st place counts as 5 points, 2nd place as 3 points and 3rd place as 2 points. This system helps equalize differences created by varying convention localities and the possible tilting of scores away from recognizing the quality images our members produce.

In addition to the 1st place plaque, 2nd and 3rd place certificates and ribbons, a Best of Show will also be chosen from all of the entries.

A three-person panel, chosen by the Photo Contest Chairman, with the advice of the General Contest Chair will choose members who have experience in photography and/or publications. They will select the winner of this award. If the Best of Show is one of the category winners, the rest of the images in that category will be moved up one place to fill all awarded slots.

Rules

1. All current NMRA members are eligible to enter.
2. You cannot be a professional photographer and enter this contest, i.e. you cannot derive more than fifty percent of your income as a photographer.
3. Participants may enter up to five prints in each of the four categories. (Slides are not accepted.)
4. The maximum size for each photograph is 96 square inches (i.e. the equivalent of an 8 x 12 photograph). The minimum size is 35 square inches (i.e. the equivalent of a 5 x 7 print). All prints must be mounted on a stiff mounting board. Maximum size for the mounting board is 154 square inches (equivalent to 11 x 14). Entries may also include an appropriate mask surrounding the image, not to exceed the mounting board dimensions. Entries may not be framed.
5. Each participant must fill out Contest Entry Form #901 when checking in photos to the contest room. Participants should try to bring their photos in as early as possible within the convention's announced hours to facilitate the popular vote process. No entries can be accepted after the model contest judging begins on Saturday morning after 9 AM.
6. Do not enter the same image(s) in more than one category. That includes changing a color image to a gray scale or vice-versa.
7. Any image that won a first place or Best of Show award in a previous MER photography contest may not be entered again. If you change a previous first place-winning image from color to gray scale, or vice versa, it is still the same image and may not be entered again.
8. If your entry has won first place or Best of Show at the National Convention you may not enter it -- but you can display it to show off your winning entry.
9. The participants of the photography contests will be totally responsible for their images and will not hold the MER, the host Division or people connected with the contests liable for damage or losses.
10. The Photography Contest Chairperson or an appointed representative shall make the final judgment on questions or questionable entries dealing with the Photography Contests.

These rules are reviewed on a continuing basis by the Photo Contest Chairperson to see if the activity can be improved even more as time progresses. If you have questions or any suggestions, comments, etc., please contact Roger Ossman at rwo1361@aol.com or 3307 Englewood Road, Wilmington, DE 19810.

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Contest: Special Awards

Special Awards are those sponsored by the MER, various Divisions within the Region and private groups:

• Best of Show is awarded to the model that earns the highest score in the NMRA judged model contest.

• The President's Award for 2008 will be chosen by MER President Hyde and given to the modeler that enters 3 different ventilated cars such as a stock car, watermelon produce car, or a poultry car, (there are other possibilities!).  The winner must receive a Merit Award with each of their 3 entries and also have the highest combined entrant judged score for their 3 entries.  In addition to being awarded the President’s Award plaque, the cost of registration will be reimbursed.  If you have any questions about this contest and award please write Mr. Hyde at chyde@cox.net

• The Pride of Dixie Award, sponsored by the James River Division, awarded in 2008 will be presented to the winning (judged) model in the category of “Roadside Vendor”. [This might be a farmer selling stuff from a truck or some sort of roadside stand].
• The Chairman’s Award will be presented to the model of his favorite passenger car equipped with truss rods, past or present, any scale.  The model can be either a Merit Award judged entry or a popular vote only entry!
• The Clyde Gerald Award, an MER award for the best kit-bashed model.
• The Philadelphia Division New Modeler Award recognizes the highest score achieved by a first time entrant in the model contest
• The Marv Kershner Award. Sponsored by the South Mountain Division, this award singles out creativity in modeling.
• Favorite Train Award
• The Blue Lantern Award. A privately sponsored award given to the judged model that contains not more than forty-five (45) percent commercial parts and which best represents branch line, short line or a private line operating equipment, and/or facilities.
• The MER Narrow Gauge Award, a privately sponsored award given to the narrow gauge model that attains the highest score above eighty-seven and a half (87.5) points in either the judged model contest, or a model judged for the AP only.
• The MA and PA Modeling Award for the highest scoring entry in the judged model contest depicting aspects of the Ma and Pa Railroad.

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Martin Brechbiel, Contest Coordinator