Last month the annual BrickTrainAwards where held for the third time. A competition that is organized by the LNUR and LLMTC with participants from all over the globe. With around 700 entries this year it’s time to look back to the competition!
Categories:
This years competition had a whopping 15 categories where participants were able to enter in. Each category had it’s fair share of entries but there are always some more popular ones like the steam locomotives entries and the best freight wagon! The level of builts this year was a all time high which made judging all the entries a difficult and long task. To ensure fairdom on the judging, multiple judges from around the world where ask to join in. Resulting in a true global event!
Sponsors and prices:
This year was again sponsored by many well know L-gauge related companies. These included TrixBrix, Habricks and trainedbricks.com which provided all the winners with unique prices that would hopefully inspire them to build new and unique models! Where are very grateful for these sponsors and there willingness to help us out with organizing this event!
New for this year’s BrickTrainAwards was the Best Community Project, this award recognizes a project in the LEGO train fandom which benefits the community. And was awarded this year to the Open L-gauge project. Open L-Gauge is a community library for LEGO® train models, available for free, to anyone. The goal of Open L-Gauge is to encourage the sharing of ideas, and make the LEGO® train hobby more accessible to newcomers. A idea and project we heavily support and we hope brings along a new generation of L-gauge builders.
We have a long list of winners on our website. And we also recoded a video where we announced all the winners for this year’s BrickTrainAwards.
Thank you for all who entered this years competition! Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Every year, OcTRAINber gets bigger and bigger, with ever more participants entering models of increasingly high quality. It’s been amazing to see all the creative, well-executed models each year, and boy did 2021 bring a LOT of good stuff to look at.
It’s been a busy season for those of us here at BMR, but at last we’ve finally got the results for all of you. Your judges for this year were Cale Leiphart, Chris Stone, and Matt Csenge from the BMR team. There were a lot of very cool Critters to look through, and I’m excited to share which ones have won. Before that, though…
Cartoon designs do not generally transfer easily into a medium as ‘square’ as LEGO, but Katy Caboose was realized very well. Good work on the shaping of the roof and steps stand out the quickest, but the solid effort put into the rest of the texture detailing is impressive; as is the way Katy’s “mouth” is represented on the doors. Great work, Trained Bricks, and hats off as well for meeting our somewhat tongue-in-cheek challenge to motorize a bobber caboose!
What we loved the most about this little bobber caboose is the amount of texture and detail packed into a small space. This bobber features a full interior that is quite clever. It was certainly a close second for our favorite bobber.
This impressively executed Critter somehow managed to get better each time we looked at it. Asperka managed to fit a Circuit Cubes battery and motor into a small cabin, powering a narrow-gauge drive, and still leave plenty of space in and around the model for all the appropriate detailing. The amount of open space left in the model for tools, and the fact that the cab windows are very minimally obscured, is amazing. Very well done!
Honourable Mentions
MOW turned out to be one of the most creative categories this year. We really sweated the voting on this one, and so we have three models we felt worthy of Honorable Mention.
Quite possibly the crappiest model in the OcTRAINber competition. The jokes write themselves with this one, and we could not stop laughing. Well played Hod Carrier.
These little 2 axle coal wagons have a huge amount of detail. But what impressed us even more was the motor, battery, and Power Functions receiver used to power the train they make up are so perfectly hidden with them. You would be hard pressed to tell where the mechanical/electronic magic is in the train. Well done.
This model would have maybe been a better fit in the MOW category, but we still thought it was great. The wagon is well done, and mini excavator is on point for scale and detail.
Thomas’ Ka 4015 is deceptively small. It rides low enough to the rails that the buffers are nearly halfway up the locomotive’s body, with great shaping, and also powered by Circuit Cubes – we’re seeing little bit of a trend! We were very impressed by how compact the motorization solution was. The engine sitting so low leaves little room to fit the electronics, but Thomas pulled it off with a very good amount of space left for his cab and crew.
Sven aka Tenderlok took the bold step to build a critter in a scale larger than the default mini fig scale we are all used to and the result is a wonderful little electric critter.
The KöF is perhaps among the most-often built LEGO locomotives, and it’s not hard to see why – it’s a very nice looking engine, and the fact that LEGO themselves own one for shunting work makes it a fun subject to model. With all the many, many KöF out there, it’s hard think of one catching attention the same way something a little more novel might.
With that said, Ts__/ Thomas’s KöF caught all of our attention immediately. The shaping, proportions, detailing, and texturing are all masterfully executed. The engine hood is a nice and slim 3 studs in width, features a tapered nose, and captures the complex yet subtle shapes of the side panels. On top of all of that, it’s powered as well. This model has certainly raised the bar for LEGO KöF builds, and it’s raised it quite high.
The Guinness Brewery No. 13 feels just about as “Critter” as a steam engine gets. A narrow-gauge steam engine with the pistons mounted atop the boiler like a steam tractor, it also had special haulage carts it could be lowered into to do shunting work on the broad-gauge rail.
Ewoutro’s rendition of the locomotive is very well done, built to run on narrow gauge track as well as standard LEGO track through the use of a haulage cart, just like the real engine. This dual-mode operation is a very cool detail to see realized in a tiny LEGO model, and though it’s not powered, the execution and engineering put into it is impressive all the same.
What a great model. The colors grab your attention right away, but dig deeper and this is a solid locomotive. A unique, inside frame, narrow gauge locomotive with plenty of character and detail, this is a very well presented model.
We had a lot of submissions this year with very impressive and creative motorization implementations. It was very tough to choose a winner.
Brett’s “PeeWee” isn’t the model with the most motors, or the most functions, but it is a very well-executed Critter with a very unique feature: The drive train contains a 2-speed transmission. This transmission understandably means the engine is chock-full of gears and drive axles, in addition to a motor and power solution by Lifelite’s “Studly Trains”. Somehow Brett has managed to incorporate these into the engine detailing so that when you open the hood doors, it feels like you see an engine and not just a cluster of gears. On top of that, behind the front radiator grille he’s included a spinning radiator fan.
This blending of the motorization feature into the aesthetics of the build represents a very smooth and well-realized combination of both function and form, while delivering something novel in a small package. It was a hard-won victory, but “PeeWee” managed to win it.
Final Words
Firstly, we would like to thank you all for participating in OcTRAINber again this year. It’s always great to see how inspired everyone gets, and you too inspire us in turn.
We’d also like to thank you for your patience with the results. OcTRAINber’s been getting a little slower every year – and this year was no exception. It almost didn’t happen this year; with Gerbrand stepping away after OcTRAINber 2020 it took a little bit to find a balance with it again. OcTRAINber is very special to us all, and we wanted to make sure to keep the tradition going.
Looking forward towards OcTRAINber 2022, we are hoping to have this one run much smoother overall and we are also hoping to get the judging finished in a much more timely fashion. We’ve already picked out a theme (Which I for one am quite excited for, look for an announcement in September), and we’ve got ideas for how to get the schedule a little tighter so we can get the judging wrapped up before the mass of Holidays and Shows that eat up the end of the year. We understand that a wait this long is difficult to endure, and it’s on our minds.
Congratulations once more to all the Winners of OcTRAINber 2021. We will be contacting you soon regarding the Prizes.
Submissions for OcTRAINber 2021 are now closed. Thank you to all who have built a model, there has been some amazing work shared.
In the next few days we will be compiling all the entries and setting up for judging. There is clearly some work to do as you fans did not hold back and really poured on the coal. We will be announcing further details soon.
Hello train builders. October is here and you may have noticed that we’ve been a bit quiet on our annual OcTRAINber build challenge event this year. Life as, it sometime does, has kept us busy with things other than LEGO® trains. However, we didn’t want the community to miss this years OcTRAINber. So, we decided that for the fifth year in a row, OcTRAINber must go on!
Last years OcTRAINber, “Dioramas, Dioramas Everywhere”, was a big one. Both in scope, and work for builders and us judging. Since we have not had the big pre announcement of theme, and run up to October allowing builders to plan big projects ahead of time, we have decided this year to head in the opposite direction and pick a theme much smaller in scope.
This years theme will be “Critters”.
“Sweet Toot” a critter style locomotive built by Plymouth for the Domino Sugar co. Now preserved at the B&O Railroad Museum.
Loosely defined, a critter is a light-duty or industrial switching locomotive between 300 to 1000 h.p. weighing less than 100 tons, although most tip the scales at less than half that weight. These small locomotives are usually built to fill a specific need for each customer. This results in these tiny engines often having an odd look about them. They can be found in most industrial settings, such as a steel mill, but can be seen hauling coal at a power plant, clay at a brick factory, as well as junk yards and lumber mills. Some are used by the railroads as shop switchers to move dead locomotives around for maintenance or repair. Critters have been manufactured in standard or narrow gauge. Critters can be diesel electric like their “big brothers”, some are pure electric running on trolly poles or even battery power, and others are gas mechanical with a transmission.
Reading shop switcher 1251 certainly fits the spirit of the critter locomotive.
While smaller steam locomotives are not typically thought of as “Critters”, there are abundant examples throughout the steam era that fit the critter mold perfectly, so we’re going to throw them in as well.
A battery-powered shop switcher at the Chessie System/C&O terminal in Huntington, West Virginia is seen here during May of 1984. The little critter was built by General Electric in 1917 for the Chesapeake & Ohio and today resides at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum. Rob Kitchen photo.
But wait, there is more. Locomotives are fun, but rolling stock can be great too. And what use is a locomotive if you have nothing to pull with it? So we adding small rolling stock categories in as well. This can be anything from a mine cart, to a small caboose. Any type of rolling stock that is a bit smaller than usual.
Lehigh Valley 2606 is a classic “Bobber” style caboose. Short in length and with only for wheels. These cabooses were not the best riding cars, but they are iconic of early 20th century railroading.
Like the previous installments of OcTRAINber, the idea of this building challenge is to actually challenge builders. To get us out of our comfort zones. We Trainheads build a lot of trains, but we too often focus on the big fancy trains. The big freight locomotives and the first class passenger trains. But there is a whole world of interesting railroad subjects that while smaller in stature, are just as hard working and important. This is your mission, to build the little unsung heroes of the train world. Unleash the Critters!
Rules
Ok, we do have some rules to go over first. Our intent is to keep things simple here and let you have as much creative freedom as possible, but do have to keep things orderly and fair, so bear with us.
Entries must be original models. No stealing. This also means no MODs (thus also no sets), only original MOCs.
One entry per person, per category. You can enter as many categories as you like, but you can only enter one model in each category. We want quality over quantity. So pick your best model and make it shine.
Third party parts are allowed, clone bricks aren’t. We know this can be a thin line, just walk it wisely, and we’ll do our best to judge fairly on this.
We are making no rules for the scale you choose to model in. We are welcoming models of 6, 7, and 8 studs, and anything in between or beyond! However, we appreciate detail and accuracy. Reasonably sized models are usually better for that, but we don’t knock anything or anyone with serious skill.
NEW BUILDS ONLY. We are willing to accept anything unpublished or anything that was not published before August 1st 2021 as new. We want to inspire and promote a challenging build, entering an old model doesn’t quite work in that regard.
Entries MUST be made on our Flickr group in the appropriate thread. This is the ONLY place we will be looking for entries, nowhere else. Sending photos to us on social media or showing us in person do not count as entries! These threads will open on October 1st.
We will be accepting entries from Midnight on October 1st to Midnight on November 15th (meaning November 14th, at 23:59 PDT). That’s right, you have six weeks of OcTRAINber. Why the late deadline? Well in the past we’ve announced the theme ahead of time, giving builders time to plan and order parts if needed. Since we did not have a pre announcement this year, were giving you all an extra two weeks bast the end of October to get your entries in.
Digital entries are allowed. Keep in mind though that digital entries are competing in the same categories as real physical models. So to be fair we will be looking at digital models as if they are genuine physical models. Ask yourself, can this be built in real life? If not, then it may not fair well in judging. This is where showing your “work in progress” will really be important.
Categories
This year there will be six categories you can enter in. Three for locomotives, and three for rolling stock.
Locomotives
Any locomotive weighing less than 100 tons and producing less than 1,000hp, not typically used in main line revenue service. Think industrial, mining, shop switcher. Think small.
Steam – 0-6-0 or smaller. Usually a tank style locomotive. Sometimes fireless. We are also accepting compressed air powered locomotives here.
Internal Combustion – Anything using an internal combustion’s engine for power. This can be gasoline, diesel, propane, distillate, etc.
Electric – Any locomotive using straight electric power, either from 3rd rail, overhead wire, or by on board batteries.
0-4-0 No. 1 is a compressed air locomotive built by the H.K. Porter co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Rolling Stock
Any non mainline revenue equipment, typically shorter than 30ft in length, and often running on less than 8 wheels. If it’s big and carries freight or passengers, then it’s not what we’re looking for.
Bobber Caboose – Bobber cabooses were short 4 wheel cabooses.
MOW – Maintenance of Way equipment. The rolling stock used to maintain the railroad. And yes we know some MOW equipment can be huge, but that’s not what we’re looking for. Think speeder car, track tamper, dump cart, tie crane, etc.
Industrial – Any car used in an industrial setting such as a factory, mill, ship yard, mine, etc.
Used in Maintenance of Way “MOW” service, this Central New Jersey speeder car would transport work crews around the railroad to help maintain track, signals, and other line side items.This industrial style car was used to transfer coal to coke ovens in a Coke Plant.
Best Motorized Model
We will have a special award for best motorized model. This can can be from any one of the above categories (we can’t wait to see how you try to motorize a bobber caboose), so all entries are automatically entered for this. Assuming of corse you have some type of motorization. Motorization is not a requirement though for the main six categories.
Some Notes on Entries
Keep in mind that OcTRAINber is a ‘quality over quantity’-building event. This means that we rather encourage you to build one amazing build than several sub-par ones. Build your best, not the most.
We’ve also tried to give you a wide berth in the definitions for each category. We want to encourage you to explore as much as possible and come up with some really interesting stuff. But we also know that it could be easy to stretch those definitions into something not really in the spirit of the theme. Sure an EMD SW1 could technically fit the letter of the rules, but is it in the spirit of the theme. Remember to think small. The theme is critters, and we want to see your best, small modeling.
Just like previous years, we want to encourage you to show off your Work in Progress or “WIPs”, so we can make OcTRAINber a month that is all about trains within the Lego community. Therefore, extra credit will be given to the best WIP stories and/or pictures during the event.
Points
Points will be awarded in three categories: Credibility, WIP Story, and Build.
First of all, credibility of the prototype. This means we will be looking at how much the build represents the real life prototype. 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?
Second of all, the 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.
Third and last but no less important, the build itself. How detailed is it, how accurate is it, does it look like what it is intended to look like. Does it use pieces in a clever way. Does it use clever build techniques. Does it make every ones jaw drop in amazement.
Prizes & Winners
We haven’t finalized on prizes yet, but since this is a building challenge, we will for sure have some, just like in previous years.
We will pick the winners after we have announced the official close of the competition and have stopped accepting new entries, which will be some time after November 15th. Once the judges (who, just like last year, will be announced in an upcoming article) have come to a sound conclusion regarding the winners, we will post one final article announcing them, and then we will be in contact with those winners regarding their prizes.
Final Words
For the past four years, OcTRAINber has been organized by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, a.k.a. Raised. Unfortunately due to a growing family life and career commitments Gerbrand felt the need to step down from organizing this year’s event. We are extremely grateful here at BMR for all the hard work Gerbrand has put into OcTRAINber and we will miss his presence in this year’s challenge. With out him, OcTRAINber would not be what it is today. So let’s all give Gerbrand a big thank you making OcTRAINber the event we all know and love.
Thank you Gerbrand, and we hope some day you find the time to once again have a hand in this challenge. Until then, we will do our best to continue what you started and keep it awesome.
So, that’s it for now. OcTRAINber has officially started. Now the only thing you have to do is start building, and unleash the critters! Happy OcTRAINber!
Gerbrand on the left , and Cale Leiphart on the right, visiting the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in 2019.
It’s finally time to reveal the winners of the 2021 Brick Train Awards. Today we’ll be taking a look at the Americas winners, but before that, to see all the winners from around the globe, head over to the BTA website.
For the Americas Region this year, we had three Judges. I returned as judge this year and was joined by BMR contributor Chris Stone, and Cameron Miller from Brick Train Depot. We had over 200 entries across 11 categories for just the Americas region, and the overall quality of the models entered was truly excellent. The work being showcased from the LEGO train community for this year’s awards is a testament to the skill and passion of the hobby’s fans. Of course, this made our task of picking winners all the more difficult, but it we also loved going through each and every model and discovering all the great build techniques and design ideas used, and also just looking at the beautiful, finished models. The Americas Region was definitely on their A game this year as five of the winners also took home the Global Award in their category!
Now it’s time to take a look at the Americas Region winners and share some thoughts on why we chose them.
Best Steam Locomotive
Glenn Holland, United States New York Central L-2a 4-8-2 Mohawk no. 2791
Glenn’s locomotive is modeled after the New York Central’s beautiful L-2a class of 4-8-2 steam locomotives, also known as “Mohawks”. The original prototype L-2a was built in 1925, with ninety-nine more production models being delivered in 1926 from the American Locomotive Company, bringing the class to a total of one hundred locomotives operating on the New York Central System. Producing 72,700 pounds of tractive effort and 3,320 horsepower, the L-2A was equally at home leading long coal drags or speeding down the mainline with a fast freight consist.
Mohawk No. 2716 pauses at Wesleyville, Pennsylvania (just east of Erie) in 1946.
Cale’s Thoughts; The 4-8-2 has never been a favorite wheel arrangement of mine, but wow, Glenn has built a 4-8-2 I have really fallen in love with. He has absolutely nailed the look of the L-2a. From the shaping of the boiler, to every little detail (the detail inside the cab on the backhead is crazy!), this locomotive does it right. There was some really stiff competition, but Glenn’s Mohawk does everything so well, and it’s hard to imagine a detail he missed here.
Cameron’s Thoughts; I have been a lifelong fan of the New York Central. When this locomotive was first shown in late 2020, I was immediately in need of it. I have looked at doing my own version many times so to see one so well executed was very nostalgic. There was a lot of debate on this category, but this locomotive really stood out from the pack. There were some great honorable mentions that also stood out exceptionally for me. In no particular order, C&O #2716 Berkshire from Jeffery Fonda, Maine Central #501 Consolidation from Dawson Santoro, and Chicago & Alton #656 Light Pacific from Aaron Burnett.
Chris’s Thoughts; Including “all the bells and whistles” is the usual standard for Glenn’s models, but even with that this engine has gone to levels of detail that stand out. I had to get almost outrageously nit-picky with the top entries to suss out which one was best, and this NYC L-2a had everything I could think to look for and then some.
Best Diesel Locomotive
Aaron Burnett, United States Chessie System GM EMD GP38 Locomotive #4806
The EMD (Electro Motive Division) GP38-2 is a 2,000hp four-axle diesel locomotive which was built from 1972 to 1986. It is an upgrade of the original GP38, with EMD’s 645E 16-cylinder engine, and new modular electronics cabinets. There were 2213 GP38-2s built, and many still exist and are still currently in service. Aaron’s model is based on the GP38-2s owned by the Chessie System.
Cale’s Thoughts; It has lights, it has sound, and it has that awesome Chessie livery. It’s a combo that’s hard to beat. Add in Aarons meticulous attention to detail and this model takes it to 11.
Cameron’s Thoughts; Thoughts: I have worked with Aaron on and off over the years and this GP38 model is one I have always loved. I have a copy of an older version from our time at Iron Horse Brick Co The updates made since then really set this locomotive up for success. The details and the shaping do a lot to capture the look of the prototype.
Chris’s Thoughts; Thoughts; The shapes and textures in the brickwork on this engine alone put it as a top contender easily, but the extra work with the lights, sounds, and even running board safety tread decals bring it to a level of polish not many models see.
Best Electric Locomotive
Michael Ruzzi, United States Acela Power Car
The Acela, originally the Acela Express until September 2019, is Amtrak’s flagship high speed service along the Northeast Corridor in the Northeastern United States between Washington, D.C. and Boston via 16 intermediate stops. The route contains segments of high-speed rail where the Acela trains attain operating speeds up to 150 mph (240 km/h). Michael’s model recreates the power car. Each Acela train is made up of two power cars, one at each end, with six passenger cars in between.
Acela Express train #2155 to Washington, D.C. passes CP 217 in New Rochelle at 10:14 a.m. on August 25th, 2004. Photo by David Sommer.
Cale’s Thoughts; America has high speed rail? Yes we do. And Michael’s Acela is a nearly perfect tribute. The nose modeling is inspiring, and the color scheme and decaling are caried out so well.
Cameron’s Thoughts; When I first saw the renders of this locomotive, I thought there was no way that the front could be attached by anything more than hopes and dreams. Then It was entered and show rolling around the track. It was a pleasant surprise to see. The detail and the shape are very well executed.
Chris’s Thoughts; The brickwork in the nose of the engine is phenomenal, but the rest of the engine behind it really hits it out of the park as well. It’s a lot of fun to watch the video of this engine running.
Best Other Locomotive for the Americas, and Best Global Winner for Other Locomotive
Rob Hendrix, United States 1:48 scale Narrow Gauge Shay
The Shay steam locomotive was the most well-known and widely used of the geared designs to operate in the country with nearly 3,000 constructed from 1880 through nearly the mid-20 century. Designed by Ephraim Shay, an inventor, among his many, many job titles he held over the years, and built by Lima Locomotive Works, the Shay geared locomotive proved to be an invaluable tool in the logging industry through the first half of the 20th century as it could operate on almost any type of track. Rob’s model is based on a 15 Ton class A Shay.
Cale’s Thoughts; It’s a working narrow gauge Shay in 1:48th scale. What more needs said? Rob just dropped the mic with this one.
Cameron’s Thoughts; Thoughts; A tiny shay that RUNS! The model alone is amazing to get all the gear drive detail but Rob took it a step further and powered it with his Tiny Train Motor. The flat car to move it to its final railroad was a great touch of realism. The entire entry really captured the life of a Shay locomotive.
Chris’s Thoughts; I loved the detail on this model at first sight. Getting a small locomotive build like this to look this good is no easy task, but then I found out it was powered? Yeah, I needed a moment to process that. Amazing Shay build.
Best Freight Wagon for the Americas. and Best Global Winner for Freight Wagon
Ryan Harris, Canada Gunderson 40′ Intermodal Well Cars
This 3 unit Gunderson 40′ Intermodal Well Car set is a multi-unit well car designed to carry two stacked intermodal shipping containers. While its base well is 40′, it can accept larger containers such as 45′, 48′ and even 53′ in the top position, making the car a versatile addition to a railroad’s intermodal services.
Cale’s Thoughts; Intermodal is my modern railroad guilty pleasure. I love a good well car set, and Ryan has certainly provided. The scale is perfect, all the right details are there, and the containers complete the look.
Cameron’s Thoughts; Well cars got me into trains when I came out of my dark ages in 2015. I remember trying to design a set of these and failing hard. Seeing Ryan’s execution of these cars has inspired me to pick up my project again. The details and shape accuracy of this model was a favorite feature. There was quite the debate over this car, Aaron’s Waffle Boxcar and Glenn’s Turtleback Boxcar. All 3 were well executed and were deserving of winning.
Chris’s Thoughts; Very nicely detailed and proportioned well cars, and I especially love the way the bottoms of the wells have been detailed. Great work.
Best Passenger Wagon
Benn Coifman, United States Amfleet II Car
Built at Budd’s Red Lion plant in Philadelphia between 1975-1983, the Budd Amfleet family of passenger cars were a fleet of 642 intended to upgrade Amttrak’s elderly fleet of cars, some in service since the late 1940s, Amtrak took delivery of its first all-new Amfleet I cars in 1975 for inter-city service in the close clearances of the eastern US. Based on the Budd-built Metroliner, nearly 500 coach and food service cars were delivered by 1978. Starting in 1981, new Amfleet II coaches and lounges were introduced especially for long-distance trains. Both types are still in service today!
Cale’s Thoughts; One of the best examples of an Amfleet car I’ve seen, and it’s in 6 wide. Benn hit the subtle egg shaping of the body with a bullseye, and in 6 wide. The widows are nicely proportioned and spaced as well. It’s an unmistakable “AmCan”. Did I mention it’s 6 wide? Bigger is not always better it seems.
Cameron’s Thoughts; These cars are an inspiration to car builders all throughout the LEGO world. The attention to detail on the shape and the execution of it made these an instant favorite. I don’t build any passenger equipment but these have me considering some AmCans for my layout.
Chris’s Thoughts; Benn’s managed to make a 6-wide passenger car set that raises the bar for even larger-scale models. The great, nearly seamless shaping on the sides is perfectly executed and the thought to put in the bricks behind the windows to give an illusion of an interior was a really nice touch.
Best Special Wagon
Nick Dombi, United States Nickel Plate Road Bay Window Caboose 423
Nick’s model is based on the International Car Bay Window Cabooses owned by the Nickel Plate Road. This is the Phase 3 variant based on the family of steel bay window cabooses developed by International Car Company beginning in the early 1950s. Over the years the design of the bay windows evolved and each phase features a number of bay window style and other detail variations.
Cale’s Thoughts; Nickle Plate had one of the nicest caboose paint schemes, and Nick nailed it on this one. Great details on the outside, and a detailed interior inside. Love this caboose!
Cameron’s Thoughts; What Cale said haha! This is a great caboose and was very well executed. It was a tough call between this and JT Batheldoer’s RPO cars.
Chris’s Thoughts; Very nicely shaped and detailed model, and an interior is always a great addition. Very fine caboose in a very memorable paint scheme!
Best Structure for the Americas. and Best Global Winner for Structure
Eric Swanson, United States Germantown Maryland Train Station
The Germantown Station, in Germantown Maryland, is a passenger rail station on the MARC Brunswick Line between Washington, D.C. and Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a branch to Frederick, MD. It is one of the busiest stations on the Brunswick Line along with Silver Spring and Rockville stations. All Brunswick Line trains stop at this station. The original Germantown station, which was built by Ephraim Francis Baldwin for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was destroyed by arson in 1978, and was reconstructed for MARC.
Cale’s Thoughts; The great thing about this model is how it pulls together all the separate elements so well. The station is lovely, the little waiting shelters are great, and the landscape and platform details tie it all up in a perfect package.
Cameron’s Thoughts; The entire scene on this set it above the rest. There were so many details, I found new things every time I looked over the pictures. It’s a really great diorama of the station.
Chris’s Thoughts; The attention to detail on this station and all the other surrounding builds is fantastic. Looking at the photos of it, I could almost imagine actually being at the real station – stand out build!
Best TFOL Locomotive for the Americas. and Best Global Winner for Best TFOL Locomotive
Jonathan Artz, United States Strasburg Rail Road No 90
Strasburg no. 90 is a 2-10-0 Decapod type locomotive that was originally built in 1924 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA for the Great Western Railroad. No. 90 was purchased by The Strasburg Rail Road in 1967, and is now one of the last operating Decapod type locomotives in the United States. John’s model of no. 90 is wearing the 1960s era paint scheme from its early days on the Strasburg.
A full side view of Strasburg 90 shows off its “heritage” look, replete with gold striping, white drivers and the iconic “egg” herald, which hasn’t been used since 1983. The former Great Western decapod is Strasburg’s largest and most powerful locomotive. Christopher Pollock photo
Cale’s Thoughts; I have seen this model in person, and it is as faithful a model of Strasburg no. 90 as one could reasonably get. John is a member of the Strasburg Model Railroad club and knows this engine well. He’s even gone as far as to use real recordings of 90’s bell and whistle and programed them into the Pfx brick powering the model. He is one heck of a builder for his age.
Cameron’s Thoughts; This category was full of great entries but the detail and features of this model made it a worthy winner.
Chris’s Thoughts; I knew there were some very talented TFOL builders out there, but I was truly surprised by how many there were – and how good, too. This model has all the right details in all the right places, and I really appreciated the effort that went into hand-making the decals as well as getting the proper sounds for the model. Amazing work.
Best TFOL Wagon for the Americas. and Best Global Winner for Best TFOL Wagon
Owen Meschter, United States NER/LNER 15-ton Brake Van
The Brake Van or Guard’s Van are terms used mainly in the UK, Australia and India for a railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the guard. The equivalent North American term is caboose, but a British brake van and a caboose are very different in appearance, because the former usually has only four wheels, while the latter usually has bogies. German railways employed Brakeman’s cabins combined into other cars. Owens model is based on a 15-ton Brake van used by the NER/LNER.
Cale’s Thoughts; Big models are easy to pack a lot of detail into. You have all the room to do the crazy SNOT and subtle offsets. Small models are a different story where you run out of room really quick. Owen’s brake van is definitely on the small side, but is big on detail. It’s also got some great character too.
Cameron’s Thoughts; This was a toss up between the Owen’s two entries. His plank wagon and brake van are both very well executed. I looked into the prototype of this because UK rolling stock is not my normal location or era. I was impressed to see just how well the detail and feel of the real thing was captured. The rigging detail under the frame really impressed all of us. The animal horn used as a spring detail was a new part usage for me.
Chris’s Thoughts; Owen’s Brake Van, as well as the rest of his entries for that matter, showcase an incredible ability to do a lot of amazing work in a very small space. The shape and textures of this brake van are all great, but have you seen that undercarriage work? I just can’t get enough of that.
Best TFOL Structure/Layout
Calvin Bramble, Canada Canadian National Layout
Cale’s Thoughts; Though it may be small, this little layout doesn’t feel cramped. Everything has just the right amount of space to stand out. The landscaping is well thought out, and there are enough little details to add life to the sceme without becoming too busy in such a small space.
Cameron’s Thoughts; This layout is TINY but packed with details. Some of my favorite details were the use of structures and the containers that are not “on grid” but sitting at an angle. The feel of the layout was definitely of a busy rural freight house and surrounding area. The honorable mention in this category is Owen’s signal tower. There was much debate over who should win this category. I even lobbied for adding a category just to accommodate both winners haha!
Chris’s Thoughts; Thoughts; Great attention to detail, with a very good balance in the amount of detail as well. The layout is filled with things that tell a story and bring life to the scene, and to me it strikes very well the essence of what a model railroad should try to be.
Final Thoughts
Once again, it was a great experience to judge and be a part of the Brick Train Awards. And it was a pleasure to work with Cameron and Chris on the judging for the Americas. Thank you to both of them for their work. The models summited this year were amazing, and the TFOL categories were the most impressive. Many TTFOL submissions could have been very strong contenders in the adult categories. To see such skill and talent in the younger community is such a thrill, and if it is any indication of what is to come, then our LEGO train hobby has a very bright future. I’m very much looking forward to next year’s Brick Train Awards.
This was a tough competition this year, and many models came within fraction of winning. While they may not all have won, every entry was awesome.
Cameron’s’s Final Thoughts:
Cam here, building on what Cale said, I was honored to be invited to judge the entries this year and it was a lot of work but also very fun to talk about all the entries with Cale and Chris. I was very impressed with the entries across the board. There were plenty of builders I had not seen before so seeing their work was inspiring. Pretty soon all the the TFOL builders are going to have to give me a couple “Old Guy” categories to even stand a chance.
Chris’s Final Thoughts:
It was awesome to be able to participate in Brick Train Awards as a judge this year, I loved going through the entries. It was a lot of fun, but also very difficult – there were so many good entries that it really wasn’t easy to choose, and we had to really dive into the fine details of a lot of these models to have any hope of figuring out a winner. At the end of the day, though, that’s one of my favorite things about the hobby: Seeing and studying all the ways people approach their models. The skill level and standards have been going up, fast, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next. For now, I just want to congratulate the entrants, even the ones that didn’t win – you guys have amazed and inspired me.
The Brick Train Awards is a global virtual competition to showcase LEGO train builders around the world. The Awards where founded in 2020 and with a surprising 732 entries last year, the organization decided to run it again this year. Like previous year, the Brick Train Awards is a collaboration between LNUR, Bricks McGee and BMR. The awards are free to enter and judged by members of the LEGO® train fan community worldwide. The entries are op from 1st – 28th February 2021. The winners of this year’s awards will be announced on March the 5th.
You have one week to still get your entries in. For more info on the Brick Train Awards, follow the link below.
Funny Freight Contest! Sponsored by Texas Brick Railroad
The Texas Brick Railroad is sponsoring a “Funny Freight” contest. You have nearly six months to design and build your entries – judging will take place at Brick Rodeo (Houston, TX) on Friday, July 23, and all 12 winners will be announced Saturday night.
What It’s About Create a LEGO railcar (or string of cars) that is . . . funny. It’s funny if it makes us laugh. Or at least grin. That’s the only definition. Parody, satire, weird historical rolling stock, plain old absurdity . . . whatever floats your boat. Just keep it rated G or PG, since Brick Rodeo is a family event.
Prizes!! FIRST PRIZE – an 8-wide TBRR tank car kit designed by Edward Chang, with custom award printing. (And maybe more – we’re open to prize sponsorship, and some has been tentatively promised.)
SECOND PRIZE – A new-in-box Brickstuff animated Metroliner billboard for your town. (And maybe more.)
THIRD PRIZE – A LEGO “Charles Dickens Tribute,” 40410, new in box. (And maybe more.)
BUILD BONUS – $100 in booth credit at the Brick Rodeo “Too Many Bricks” booth – for the best physical entry that is actually brought to the show. That is: If the first place winner is an actual build at the show, it will get the build bonus. If the first place winner is not at the show but the second place winner is, the second place will get the bonus . . . and so on.
AWARD BRICKS – We’ll create a dozen “2021 Funny Freight” 1 x 8 bricks, and give one each to the top dozen people who enter.
Details Who can enter? – Any living human being. But no more than two entries per person, please. Judges will be asked not to vote for their own entries.
Required info – We need the name of each entry, your own name (or a screen name), and a means of contact if you win. We will not share your info with anyone, or retain any info after the contest except the names of the winners. We do ask that if you run your entry on our track, you put an identifying sticker on the bottom so we can get it back to you. Scale – From 6-wide to 10-wide, as long as it runs on standard LEGO track.
Judges – The contest will be judged by the TBRR members displaying at Brick Rodeo.
Format: Your entry may be an actual build brought to the show (preferred!), or a photo/video of a real build, or a virtual build. Virtual images or photos should be sent to texasbrickrr@gmail.com, and should arrive by noon on Friday, July 23rd.
Rights – You retain all rights to your entry, but we get to display images of it, and to build one for our layout if we love it.
Awesomeness – When choosing between equally funny entries, the judges will favor real builds over any other format, and will take into account technical excellence, light, sound, and movement effects.
Novelty – Entries must never have been displayed at a Brick Rodeo before. But this is the first Brick Rodeo, so bring out your best!
Q – Can one entry be multiple cars? A – If the joke requires multiple cars, sure, that’s one entry.
Q – Tell me more about Brick Rodeo. A – Ten years of awesomeness, now with a new name. www.brickrodeo.com.
Q – Should I explain the joke? A – That’s up to you. Many good jokes don’t need explaining. If your entry embodies a witticism about court intrigue in the days of Louis XIV, you’d better explain it. But often the title of the entry will be enough additional explanation.
Q – Do I need to include instructions? A – No.
Q – Can I do a funny locomotive? A – What do you think pulls all the funny freight?
Q – Do you have a disclaimer? A – LEGO is a registered trademark of The Lego Group. This contest is not sponsored or endorsed by TLG.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Over the last two months we have seen an amazing amount of WIP stories and entries for this years installment of OcTRAINber. We are really very happy to see so many Builders having fun with this years contest!
As we had communicated in our previous posts, there was a possibility of a Grace Period, if it was deemed necessary. In the last two days we have received several such requests, and thus we have decided to indeed do so.
Seeing how far most of the non-finished entries are, we think one extra week should be enough for everyone to finish their buids. This means we will extend the deadline to Saturday November 7th, 23:59 PST.
Everyone currently contesting can make use of this extension, meaning that if you in the next days decide on any changes in your already submitted build, you are allowed to do so. Just re-upload your entry in the respective threads (edit your post, or just enter your entry again with a note that we should judge this version of the build, not the previous one).
Since announcing OcTRAINber 2020: Dioramas, dioramas everywhere, we have seen a lot of enthousiast reactions, which we are very glad about. This post is the first follow-up post, and several more will most probably follow in the coming weeks, to keep the well-known Hype Train going.
Podcast
As part of this years Challenge we will host a BMR Podcast this Sunday over at Youtube, be sure to check it out!
The Fourth Judge
As has become tradition, OcTRAINber is judged by a panel of three BMR Judges, combined with one Guest Judge. Just like last year the BMR Judges will be Cale Leiphart, Glenn Holland and yours truely.
We also however received some requests for clarification on the rules, which we would like to give.
First of all, let us say one thing: For the last three years OcTRAINber has been a building challenge that both challenges and brings out the creativity. For this reason we on purpose stay vague on the rules, because we like to see exactly that creativity.
1. Diorama?
The first question was about what a diorama actually is. It’s always a bit shady difference between the two, but with layout it at least implies that some form of operations is possible, whereas a diorama can be totally static. However, as is the case with most layouts; if you just take a part of it, it becomes a diorama quite fast.
Google has the following definition: “a model representing a scene with three-dimensional figures, either in miniature or as a large-scale museum exhibit.”
The emphasis here lays on the scene part. Other than a layout, a diorama is a scene that tells some form of story. That story can something big like a train robbery, but can also just be a field of green with cows. Just as long it’s a scene, it’s fine.
2. Train & track?
In the rules it is stipulated that every diorama needs to have some form of train and track. This being a Brick Model Railroader hosted Building Challenge this is kind of a must-have. However, different than the last three installments of OcTRAINber, the train & track don’t have to take center stage this time around.
That means that for the first time in the history of OcTRAINber, you are allowed to enter a Lego train set, a MOD or any other Instructions-based third party design. However, the choice to do so has to be an integral part of the diorama. This means that instead of judging the trains for their build, taking a look at them and how/if they fit or enhance the scene will be how they are viewed.
Just for an example, take this motorized diorama by bogieman that has a minifig loading crates into a boxcar designed by Jeffrey Fonda over at BTD. That’s a build where one would say having the train there is essential to the story of the scene, and that level of integration will be scored higher for tying it all together.
3. Movement?
Last year OcTRAINber had the “Technic Challenge” theme, where it was all about movement. Even though this year is about dioramas, the whole ‘scene’ thing that is part of a diorama does mean that if some movement is ‘necessary’ for the scene, it is for sure allowed.
4. Procedural Building?
As we found out in last years survey, a lot of builders were not able send in their Entries because for the first time we lacked a Digital Builds-category. Here at BMR we are very much in favour of IRL builds, because that’s in the end the best way to grow our hobby: To show those trains and let them run! However, we understand that not everybody is able to have huge piles of Legos laying around, let alone have the space for a full Diorama. Therefore, we have decided to allow Digital Builds this year again.
We know there are some things happening in the Digital World with Procedural Builds, which means you could technically build amazing pieces of nature with just one click. However, because a diorama is so much more than some pieces of rock, we don’t see a bit problem in this. We will however keep an eye out on this, so that it won’t take over the creativity (and fun) of this building challenge.
5. Size?
Some clarifications on size, which we also kind of discussed in the OcTRAINber BMR Podcast and on the BMR Flickr:
1) Builders are not restricted to 32×32 baseplates but can create any form of base that they like in any size or shape using any LEGO parts they see fit.
2) Size will be determined by the number of studs and how it equates to a 32×32 baseplate.
3) The minimum size for a diorama is 1024 studs, equivalent to a single 32×32 baseplate.
4) The cut-off point for each category is 1 stud less than the start of the next category. So, for example, Small is 1024 to 3071 studs (the equivalent of three 32×32 baseplates minus 1 stud), Large is 3072 to 6141 studs and Huge is 6142 studs and over.
The Brick Train Awards 2020 has officially come to a close and now it’s time to announce the winners. This was the first year of the awards, and it was an awesome success. We had some spectacular entries from LEGO® train builders across the globe. The judging was quite a challenge as there quite a few close categories. You can see all the winners via the the Brick Train Awards website Winners Page, or you can watch thee awards announcement video.
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