(Edit) Oops I meant locomotive kitbashing contest)
So far nobody seem to be talking about this new contest which is mentioned in the Feb. issue. While I have some loco projects in the to-do list there is no way I could get them finished and written up by their deadline, but surely some of you folks are all ready to go with your entries. I was somewhat amused by the rules which seem to “permit” some amount of scratchbuilding but otherwise put the top priority on using parts from other models, or purchased parts.
I haven’t received my February issue yet, perhaps others are waiting for their copy too?
Is it actually a “layout” kitbashing contest they are looking for? I can’t imaging how one would do that - take parts of several layouts and kitbash them into another one? Perhaps it might be a structure or rolling stock kitbash they are looking for?
When I first read the contest rules I thought the same thing. I have a 0-8-0 I’ve been working on converting to what the Ontario Northland had but its far from being done. I’m almost finished building a pair of chop nosed GP9’s that the ONR has so I might just enter them in it. I’m still waiting for the correct fuel tanks from Kaslo to finish them up.
I’ve decided to exercise a long-dreamed-of-project and kitbash a Big Boy into a freelanced dockside. At least I won’t have to purchase a cab or headlight; there may well be a couple of other items usable for this project.
I’ve done several freelanced kitbashes, but beleive me when I say, I dont think anyone at MR would take my zany flights of fancy seriously. I’m just nowhere anywhere near Planet Proto in this or any lifetime.
It specificly references adhering to some sort of specific prototype, I think that precludes styrene butchers like myself, but good luck to everyone else[swg]
Since this is the first I’ve heard of the contest, I doubt that I will. I’ve done work like this in the past, but don’t have anything of interest to do at this time. But you never know!
I’m with you there. When I heard about the contest, I started looking at the ‘bash’ I did on a PFM 2-10-2 some years back, but after examining the loco closely I started thinking “Nah, it works for me, but I doubt if it would work for them.”
The turn off for me is the prerequisite adherence to prototypical standards, they specificly want you to show how you made locomotive model X-2 that started out as standard model X, but since model X-2 doesn’t exist in model form how you took base model X and modified it into model X-2. I understand exactly what they are looking for but its not for me.
Too restrictive a set of specifications for me, you Proto guys can go nuts on this one, I’ll sit back and watch the results. [swg]
I can see a problem with modelers providing prototype photos for such an article. Much of my early kitbashes were done using photos I found in books or magazines. Of course this was mostly before the Internet where one can hopefully find photos from the photographers for an article.
I had an article many moons ago in MR on kitbashing a C-Liner but I didn’t have a prototype photo to go with it. Asking around I located one from a fellow I knew, and used it in the article. Another kitbash in another magazine of a rare prototype had me searching around on forums, and one nice fellow supplied me with three of his color slides of the prototype. But this searching can take some time, and since there is just under six months until the contest deadline, I imagine it might be too difficult for some capable modelers.
Only once have I spent the time I thought necessary to prepare a decent article for MR but it was rejected. I was thinking of trying my hand again on the recent build a scene contest but I had very few pictures of the scene I wanted to use while it was under construction. Now the bashing contest comes out after I have recently completed two bashing projects only one of which has a construction photo. I have another one in mind ( SP T-1 NO 2251 using a Spectrum high boiler ten wheeler) but ,that will have to wait until I complete the staging yard that I am currently working on. Maybe one of these days my timing will be better. As you will note, I always find photos of the bashed prototype (which I have posted before) even though some of the prototypes are rather unique and are probably not of general interest to MR readers. Peter Smith, Memphis ( Once again trying to separate paragraphs)
I would agree and give PASMITH a [tup]. All I have at the moment is a couple bashed locomotives, literally. I’ve not spent much time on the locos, more been working on track and cars.
This is a bash job I did about eight years ago. I copied a bash job out of Sept. 1999 RMC so not originally thought up by me. MDC old time 2-8-0 into a 0-8-0 Winans Camel.
The below photo gives you an idea of the size of the steam dome.
Cutting off the sand dome and steam dome and filling in the spots on the boiler was quite a challenge. Built the steam dome which was much larger diameter than steam domes on most locos
I had to cut off the plastic smoke box cover and reverse it to give an indication of short smoke box. You can see the stack does not quite line up with the cylinders.
I would have like lowering the boiler but did not have enough room for the motor. You can see the steps are steeper and longer than the prototypes but it captures the flavor of the era.
IMO an excellent ‘bash’ of a very unusual and fascinating locomotive. Very well done! [tup] I’ve always thought those Roundhouse kits perfect starters for ‘bashing’ locomotives.
I think the basic hold-up some will have with this contest is not the ability, but the need to document the process from the start with pro quality photograghs under a deadline, granted its 6 months away but speaking for myself, it might be tough to do given day to day responsibilites.
On has to come up with:
A: a good project
B: proper reproducable documentation of the prototype,
C: purchasing a donar engine and any necessary parts
D: finding the time to rebuild the little beasty
E: taking professional level photos documenting the process
F: writing the article describing the process (this alone may stop some not confident of their writing skills)
G: assembling the entire package as prescribed by the rules and then mailing it
Dont kid yourselves, even a relatively simple project can turn into a busy project, too busy for the likes of me who has to steal time at the bench in 10 or 15 minute increments! It sometimes takes me over a year to finish a major bash.
Too bad I have been considering taking on of these:
and building one of these out of it:
The time issue is the deal buster for me.
I suspect some of our retired members will jump at this contest, along with the more experienced bashers in the hobby, no doubt they will have a good number of entries for the rag come the deadline.
