One contest is a popular vote contest where the convention attendees vote for their favorite model in each category, thus the alternative name for this contest of Favorite Model Contest. Both models and photos can be entered in this contest.

Categories for models are: TBD

Categories for photos are: Model Color, Model Black and White, Prototype Color, and Prototype Black and White.

The other contest is a judged contest, where models will be judged by individuals who have been trained as judges and who are judging by the rules based upon the NMRA judged contest rules. Here is a link to the NMRA contest rules upon which the convention judging rules will be based. If we have time we will post the convention judging rules to this web site only if they are different from the NMRA rules; if the convention judging rules are not different from the NMRA rules we will post a link to the NMRA rules. This contest is a model contest (whether photos can be entered is TBD) and has the following categories.

Whether a model can be entered in both the Favorite Model Contest and the Judged Model Contest is TBD.

Note to those who have already volunteered or who will later volunteer to be a judge. Model contest judges have said that the judging process where models were critically discussed with other judges was one of the best ways they learned about building better models. So there is real pay off for the judging work. If you would like to volunteer to be a contest judge, please contact us.

Suggestions for Success in the Judged Contest

Prepare in advance a detailed write up of the prototype you modeled and of the model you built. Include drawings and photos. The more information the judges have to evaluate your model(s) the better off you are as a contest competitor.

Things We Need to Know in Advance

In order to accommodate your models in the contests and to manage the contests, we need some information in advance of your arrival at the convention:

1. If you will be entering more than two models in the contest, we need to know what they are and how big they are so we can plan space to accommodate them. When deciding which models to enter in the popular vote contest, you might want to consider that while many models are impressive, the viewer of them may have difficulty choosing which one of them to vote for.

2. If you will be entering something larger than a large O scale locomotive.

3. If you are entering the favorite train contest, how long is the train.

Help promote our hobby! The O Scale Kings is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation whose mission is to promote 2-rail O scale model railroading. For more information, click here.