In 2017 we published the results on November 17th, in 2018 on December 9th, and in 2019 on January 6th of 2020. This year it is January 24th. Partly this is due to ever more busy lifes of our editors and judges, but partly it is also due to the ever increasing level of the builds. Every year it seems to be more difficult then the last year to judge the entries, which is great to see!
Just as the previous years we really enjoyed all the WIP stories of this year, and the entries as a whole. Making OcTRAINber a two-month edition really worked this year, both for the quality of the builds, the ammount of entries, and the higher quality WIP stories. This means we are pretty sure that a two-month OcTRAINber will again be a thing in the coming installment.
Prizes & Judging
In total, there are five prizes to be won in this years OcTRAINber. One Grand Prize (meaning the winner of winners) and four category prizes: Small, Medium and Large Real Life Entries, and one Digital Entry. The Grand Prize this is the Lego Crocodile 10277, this year sponsored by BMR. The other four prizes are a PFx Brick + XL Speaker (two times) and a set of R104 switches by BrickTracks (two times). Also, all winners will get one set of BMR Knuckle Couplers. Lastly, and this is new this year, all winners will receive a BMR OcTRAINber printed brick.
For judging, we have set up a couple of rules to give every creation the best chances of winning. We decided on 3 categories on which we would assign points:
- Credibility of the prototype. This means we will be looking at how much the build represents the real life prototype. Both the diorama itself, but definatly also the train that is on it. If you are sending in a fantasy model, we will look at how credible the build is; would it fit in, does the backstory make sense?
- WIP story. This refers to both showing off your building process, but also to how and why you decided to model a certain prototype. The better the story and the more updates you give and the more elaborate your building story is, the better.
- Diorama Factor. This is all about how you build your diorama. is it extra funky, does it have strange connections, is everything build on it’s side, is everything off grid… The more creative, the better, but as always with OcTRAINber, it’s about quality first, and quantity second.
Every of the three categories were assigned points between 0 and 10 by our 4 judges, independent from each other.
Due to unforseen circumstances, Glenn Holland had to decide to not take up his Jury duties this year. We were very sad to hear so, but in the person of Erwin Jacobs (Ervvin) we found a very fine replacement.
Prizes will be handed out on basis of total points given by all four judges. This means that the Grand Prize Winner will be the entry with the most points aggregated. When there is a tie with a Digital Build, the Real Life Entry will always have priority, because of the mission statement of BMR. The other four prizes will be on bases of choise by the winners, with the builder with the most points having priortiy, then the one with the second most points, etc.
So now that we have established the prizes and the judging, let’s go on to the awards!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Hod Carrier: „Home Signal“ – 100,5 points
Robwd12: „Point of Rocks Station“ – 102 points
Popider: „Mini Ludmilla“ – 99 points
FlipUS: „Hogwarts Express on Viaduct“ – 98,5 points
MTM_Leipzig”: „Marten Brewery“ – 95 points
Thomas Reincke: „DB Trolley Klv12“ – 93 points
Denis Garnier: „Gantry“ – 92 points
WINNER: SMALL DIORAMAS
Britishbricks: „The Quarry“
104,5 points
| Erwin | Falk | Gerbrand | Cale |
| The diorama has a really organic feel to it, and feels like something one could see at a modeltrain show! | + Very detailed + very realistic/natural + interesting building techniques + technically well done + Motors in engine and dispenser + lighting + good WIP story + Nice presentation, inkl. Video | This builder shows an amazing WIP story, where you can see that even his terrain kept on evolving. The use of mock-ups is pretty inspiring as well. The quarry itself really looks like one of those model railroad diorama’s, and I can see myself play with it the whole day. The only thing it lacks is a little bit of backstory, but hey, beggards can’t be choosers. | There are several neat details to this diorama. The track has that barely maintained, sparsely used, industrial track in the middle of nowhere look. There is animation and lighting, The structures are as ramshackle and rundown as the track serving it, and the little engine servicing the quarry is quite charming. |
WINNER:MEDIUM DIORAMAS
Narrow_Gauge: „Woolshed Flat“
111,5 points
| Erwin | Falk | Gerbrand | Cale |
| Narrow_gauge: The round shape and rotating base make it a real display piece. I keep on finding new details to explore. | + interesting building techniques + very good WIP story + very Nice presentation + Train model designed specifically for diorama + Train motorized despite small size/gauge + Landscape itself rotating | Amazing WIP story, that does everything a WIP story should do: Show the lowest lows and the highest highs of a build. The builder really showed how he came to his design. For a pizzadesign this is very credible, and its definatly a diorma. Impressive stuff. No wonder the builder tends to end in the top 3 of OcTRAINber every year he enters. | Alexander is no stranger to OcTRAINber, he has won previously, and for good reason. His models are always stellar. His Woodshed Flat diorama is no exception. It’s an amazing little fully operating layout. His back story and documentation is second to none, and there is just so much great detail picked into the small space. |
WINNER: LARGE DIORAMAS
Scruffulous: „The 17th Hole“
116 points
| Erwin | Falk | Gerbrand | Cale |
| WOW, what else can I really say, I love everything of this! | “+ funny idea for a diorama + nicely composed landscape + very detailed, fun stuff + great train model, built especially for the diorama + Wip story + good presentation ⁃ trees | This builder shows that you can achieve the full 30 points in OcTRAINber. Thanks to the backstory with pictures, the layout is very credible, even though normally a train running through a golf course should make no sense. The WIP story really shows the hurdles the builder had to take, and also the corners he had to cut due to time constraints. As a diorama it also sticks out, it really is a stand-alone piece with a story. I’d like to ace that hole, or whatever you should call it. | Just epic! I’ve never been to Australia, but this is what I imagine Aussie railroads to be like. The scene just goes on forever, the landscape has that perfect Australian character, and the back story is as good as the model. The diorama is huge, but all the detail is there in perfect ratio. Amazing! |
WINNER: DIGITAL DIORAMAS
2007_boy: „Newcastle Castle, Black Gate and Railway Viaduct“
116 points
| Erwin | Falk | Gerbrand | Cale |
| Excellent use of colours, the fact the base isn’t round too really adds! I keep on returning to see what I’ve missed. | + wonderful buildings + incredibly creative story + incredibly realistic build, „off the grid“ + very thoughtful use of different techniques + nice vehicles + great presentation & storytelling + Wip process This model defines a league of its own in terms of both creativity, presentation, designing and building skills! | Stunning WIP story, stunning diorama with a lot going on, and pretty credible as well, seeing how the prototype looks like. Also, with a lot of interesting building techniques and also a lot of off-grid building, AND incorporating 7 wide building plus the Legoland / Miniland athmosphere (without making it feel unbelievable) this one really tops the charts for me. | A digital model that does not look like a digital model. The rendering quality is top shelf. The structures are huge but so well detailed, the train is full of character, the landscaping works perfectly with the scene, and there are some great hidden Easter Eggs scattered around. Everything is so well presented, and well thought out. I would love to see this as a real model. |
WINNER: GRAND PRIZE OVERALL
Scruffulous: „The 17th Hole“
116 points
Both 2007_boy and Scruffulous had exactly 116 points, proving that big diorams, real life builds and digital builds are all succes factors. Knowing the layouts that our community builds, shouldn’t be a big surprise to anyone! Since there was a tie between both, as per the rules we have decided that Scruffulous, who build an amazing IRL diorama, will be the winner of this years OcTRAINber!
Excel File
Different from previous years, we also have compiled an Excel file with all of the aggregated scores, and remarks from all judges. This to inspire all contestants and to give them feedback, so that hopefull next year they will be on top of the boards as well. You can download the file here.
Final words
We cannot say this enough, but we would really like to thank all contestants. We as BMR had a blast seeing all those entries, and we as judges were actually happy that with many of the entries and categories it was such a close call.
We are very gratefull for our two sponsors, BrickTracks and FX Bricks. Without them this would have been a contest without prizes, and what’s a contest without prizes?!
Last of all, we would like to congratulate all the winners of OcTRAINber. Also, we will contact you on short notice on picking your prize and shipping it to you.
Thanks again for running the competition. With three Australian winners, you obviously timed the announcement to come out on on the morning of Australia Day (26 Jan). Very clever!
It’s such an honor to win the Large Diorama category, and even more of an honor to win the Grand Prize (by a whisker, on a technicality). Congratulations to all the other entrants and winners. Many thanks to the organizers for providing me with the motivation to get my act together at least once a year, and thanks to my local LEGO train enthusiasts (including, but not limited to, some of the other winners) who collectively provide me with the motivation to keep improving. For a niche area (trains) of a niche hobby (LEGO), how lucky am I to live in a niche location (Melbourne) where there is so much talent?