Division 1 (Queensland)

Australasian Region
National Model Railroad Association Inc

2002 Activities
Glenn Stevens

'Ravenstor' Wins NMRA Award

The second annual NMRA Award for the 'Best Layout as Judged by Railway Modellers', was awarded to 'Ravenstor', an N Scale layout representing British Rail in the late steam era, at the Darling Downs Model Railway Club's 2001 Toowoomba Model Train Exhibition. Glenn Stevens, the Division 1 Superintendent, presented the Award at the Show dinner on 16 June.
    The judging panel comprised representatives from both the NMRA and DDMRC, and used the NMRA Achievement Program philosophy and guidelines when judging the exhibited layouts, with the main guidelines being conformance to prototype practise, construction technique, and attention to detail. This year the judging was again too close to call with three very good layouts in close contention, so the judging panel was altered to include different members of both clubs for re-judging of the finalists.
    The other finalists were last years winner 'Caintode Flats', a QR based layout, and 'Lyncombe Vale', a OO English layout well known at SE QLD displays. The standard of all three layouts was very high and the two runners-up were highly commended on the standard of their layouts.
    The DDMRC have historically presented a trophy for the most popular layout, as judged by the public. However because this layout is not necessarily the best model layout, Division 1 sponsors an additional trophy as judged by railway modellers, to be presented annually at the TRAINS Exhibition. The inaugural award was presented last year to 'Caintode Flats'.
    A perpetual shield has been donated to the DDMRC and is displayed in their clubrooms.