This website has been archived from TrainWeb.org/jfuhrtrain to TrainWeb.US/jfuhrtrain.

between the Cajon Division Barstow 2007 meet and the PSR/National at Anaheim in July 2008.
The original photo is based on a slide from George Elwood, that was slightly overexposed, taken in the New Mexico desert in 1977.

ATSF7505
Venue>	Barstow	Anaheim
factor  v
Construction	18	19
Detail	10	13
Conformity	15	17
Finish & Lettering	15	9
Scratchbuilding	2	5
totals	60	63

Between Barstow and Anaheim, I added all the pilot details and rusted the couplers. Yes, the scratchbuilt ACI label is properly coded for the unit!  The model uses an Atlas U23B shell, cab and nose, grafted onto an Athearn U33C, modifications on the Athearn included the rear part of the subbase and side sill modifications to match the photo.  The yellow overspray at the front of the fuel tank is on the original photo, as are the rust marks on the hood and the oil spills.  This model placed first in the PSR region for Diesel "Kit" at Anaheim.

---

This is a comparison of two GP20 models judged at the Cajon Division Barstow 2007 meet,
followed by the results achieved after a few upgrades at the Cajon Division Temecula 2008 meet.

Both of these models are based on extensively reworked old TYCO GP20 shells, not on the latest Life-Like models. Fixes applied to both of them include rebuilding the lower portion of the nose, filling in the motor mount slots (including repairing the equipment door latches), milling out between the doors, and replacing the cast-on grabs with wire.  While not an Apples to Oranges comparison, it's at least a Jonathans to Delicious, or Valencias to Navels.

The prototype of my GP20 ATSF3058r is depicted here:


Scoring breakdown  of my two GP20 models:

Models>	SP	ATSF
factor  v	4122	3058
Construction	18	18
Detail	11	11
Conformity	15	7
Finish & Lettering	13	8
Scratchbuilding	4	4
totals	61	48

My Model of ATSF 3058r:

Please notice:
3 main colors, two masking steps required. Cut levers, MU cables, nose doors, cab rear door and steps, piping on brake cylinders, ATSF truck rebuild, 2 cylinders, 2 shoes per side, turbo stack mods, scratchbuilt radiator grilles, scratchbuilt platform for sinclair antenna, rotary beacon, equipment boxes, windshield wipers. NO cab sunshade.
Score: 48, without the judges seeing the prototype photo, conformity: 7. Finish & Lettering:  8 (Was the black too shiny?)
(I did forget to black out the side sill holes, and the horns ought to be silver, but they didn't know that either.)

At least for the nose doors, cab rear reworking, and the truck rebuilds, shouldn’t there be more credit for detail?

Should the finish and lettering for the SP be more when the ATSF is 3 colors vs 2?

My model of the SP4122 deturbocharged GP20:

Please notice::
2 main colors, one masking step required, and I did mask the bloody nose. NO Cut levers, NO MU cables, NO nose doors, Non-conforming cab rear doors and fake steps, NO pipimg on brake cylinders, Stock trucks, Air filter and normally aspirated stacks, stock TYCO radiator grilles, less stuff on cab roof, TYCO equipment boxes, NO windshield wipers.
Score: 61, conformity with the judges seeing prototype photo: 15 , Finish & Lattering 13.


Prior to re-entering the model:
(1) I painted the airhorn silver;
(2) I painted the side sill holes black;
(3) I added cab sunshades and runners;
(4) I corrected the cab window trim color to yellow;
(5) I scratchbuilt headlight lenses for the rear headlight; and
(6) included the prototype photo shown above in the documantation...

Scoring at Temecula 2008 division meet

Models>	ATSF3058
factor  v	revised/was
Construction	35/18
Detail	18/11
Conformity	22/7
Finish & Lettering	18/8
Scratchbuilding	8/4
total	101/48

Difference 101-48 =  53 points!

Now I have been told by several sources that I should not have entered so many models at Barstow.  Perhaps, but for a division of the NMRA that expects a sizeable number of registrants at an event, and promotes participation in the AP program, should it not be the case that if even a dozen folks enter a locomotive, that all should be fairly judged?  So if one person enters a dozen models, and no one else does, then those models should also be expected to be judged fairly as well.

 Clearly the experience documented here brings that fairness into question. 

-Jim Fuhrman