NMRA Achievement Program

Here I will show you my way through the different certificates towards the ultimate goal

…..Master Model Railroader

with tips and tricks encountered during my journey

Index

Master Builder – Structures !

Master Builder – Cars !

Model Railroad Engineer – Civil !

Model Railroad Engineer – Electrical !

Chief Dispatcher !

Master Builder – Scenery !

Model Railroad Author !

MASTER BUILDER – STRUCTURES!

This was my first certificate I worked for:

For this certificate I have to build 12 structures. 6 models must earn a Merit Award of at least 87.5 pts

Model #1: Santa Fe Depot PROTECTION, Kansas

This model was judged at the NMRA British Region convention in Kegworth/GB on September 13, 2003

Construction: 30/40 pts

Detail: 16/20 pts

Conformity: 20/25 pts

Finish and Lettering: 15/25 pts

Scratchbuilding: 10/15 pts

For a total of 91 pts out of 125

Model #2: Santa Fe Depot NEWTON, Kansas

This model was judged at the NMRA Contactgroep Nederland Fall Meet October 2003 in Bunnik/NL

Construction: 18/40 pts

Detail: 14/20 pts

Conformity: 22/25 pts

Finish and Lettering: 20/25 pts

Scratchbuilding: 14/15 pts

For a total of 88 pts out of 125

Model #3: ATSF San Bernardino Sand House

This model was also judged at the NMRA British Region convention in Kegworth/GB in September 2003

Construction: 32/40 pts

Detail: 17/20 pts

Conformity: 20/25 pts

Finish and Lettering: 16/25 pts

Scratchbuilding: 11/15 pts

For a total of 96 pts out of 125

The model won also 1^st place in the structures entries

Model #4: D&RG Ore Loading Ramp

This model was judged at the NMRA Contactgroep Nederland Spring meet in Bunnik/NL in April 2004

Construction: 38/40 pts

Detail: 15/20 pts

Conformity: 21/25 pts

Finish and Lettering: 18/25 pts

Scratchbuilding: 13/15 pts

For a total of 105 pts out of 125

Model #5: ATSF Automobile Loading Ramp

This model was also judged at the NMRA Contactgroep Nederland Spring meet at Bunnik/NL in April 2004

Construction: 35/40 pts

Detail: 12/20 pts

Conformity: 22/25 pts

Finish and Lettering: 13/25 pts

Scratchbuilding: 15/15 pts

For a total of 97 pts out of 125

Model #6: Saloon

This building was completely scratchbuild, board-by-board

The model was judged at the NMRA British Region convention in Swindon/GB in October 2005

Construction: 30/40 pts

Detail: 18/20 pts

Conformity: 13/25 pts

Finish and Lettering: 20/25 pts

Scratchbuilding: 12/15 pts

For a total of 93 pts out of 125

Model #7: ATSF Bunkhouse at Summit, Ca.

Model #8: ATSF Standard Section Tool House

Model #9: ATSF Freight House Capistrano, Ca.

Model #10: ATSF Depot San Juan Capistrano

Model #11: ATSF Depot Hermosa Beach, Ca.

Model #12: Wood Bridge for a country road

Pictures of finished bridge taken by John H. Wright (all others by author)

This bridge was completely scratchbuild, board-by-board

The model was judged at the NMRA British Region convention in Kegworth/GB in October 2006

Construction: 28/40 pts

Detail: 11/20 pts

Conformity: 23/25 pts

Finish and Lettering: 15/25 pts

Scratchbuilding: 13/15 pts

For a total of 90 pts out of 125

This completes my work for my Master Builder – Structures Certificate

MASTER BUILDER - CARS

MODEL RAILROAD ENGINEER - CIVIL

Part of the following Certificates will be earned when I get further with my home layout.

But one point in this certificate requires that I build different pieces of track from scratch and demonstrate their satisfactory operation. Three pieces of trackwork have to earn a Merit Award.

I choose to build 4, just in case I miss one.

To make positioning of the ties easier I constructed a template to space the ties equally.

On my template I spaced pieces of Northeastern stripwood to a board of poplar wood

#6 RIGHT HAND TURNOUT (point) HO

I used Micro Engineering’s prestained ties and Peco code 75 track

The poplar plywood is soft enough to make spiking the nails easy. I pushed the Micro Engineering track spikes with a needlenose plier. The NMRA standards gauge is a very usefull tool to check the gauge constantly

90° CROSSING HO

I used Micro Engineering’s prestained ties and Peco code 75 track