General Information
The 2025 MER Convention, Philly Express, will feature both evaluated and popular vote contests that are part of all MER conventions. There will also be Special Awards including the President’s Award and others.
The contest room at the hotel will contain all the contest activities. The room will be open for contest entries on Thursday evening and on Friday:
- 9 am – noon
- 1 pm – 5 pm
- 7 pm – 9 pm
NOTE: For security reasons, those visiting the contest rooms are asked not to bring large purses/bags, shoulder bags, backpacks, camera bags, or things of that nature into the room. Thank you for your cooperation.
Evaluations (formerly judging) will begin at 9 am on Saturday and continue until 4 pm with a break for lunch at noon. The Contest room will close at 4 pm on Saturday. Entry owners are to pick up their entries between 9 pm and 11 pm following the Convention Banquet. Arrangements for entry pick up on Sunday morning can be made with the Contest Chairman on an individual basis, but all entries must be retrieved by 11 am, Sunday, October 29.
Evaluators (they’re no longer judges) will assemble in a clinic room TBD with the Contest Chairman at 9 pm on Friday for orientation. They should report to the contest room on Saturday by 8:30 AM to start judging the entered models.
The MER allows NMRA and Region officials who wish to help evaluate the model contest to do so and still enter models in the contest. Those who evaluate and enter models must, however, recuse themselves from evaluating the entire category in which they have entered a model.
Any questions? Please e-mail the Contest Chair or speak with one of our contest staff members. The staff will be available in the Contest Room during the Convention. Any persons wishing to serve as an Apprentice Evaluator should contact the Contest Chair as early as possible and plan on spending the day evaluating with several of the teams.
Evaluated Model Categories
- Steam Locomotives
- Diesel Locomotives
- Traction Power
- Revenue Freight Cars
- Passenger Cars
- Non-revenue Equipment
- Maintenance-of-Way
- On-line Structure
- Off-line Structure
- On-line Display/Diorama
- Off-line Display/Diorama
- Modules
Plaques will be awarded for first place in each model category. Second and third place awards will be awarded certificates. The model winning the Best of Show Award allows other models in that category to move up one place for a 1st place plaque. If your model scores 87.5 points or greater, it will earn a merit award from the Achievement Program. For more information on the AP, contact the MER AP Manager or your Division AP Coordinator.
Popular Vote Model Contests
There are three popular vote model contests which will be voted on by convention attendees through a paper balloting method:
- Favorite Train Award
- Favorite Model Award
- Favorite Module Award
The winners in each category will receive a plaque for their modeling efforts.
The contest room will be open during evaluating on Saturday for convention attendees to pick up their popular vote ballots and make their selections. Please be quiet during these times so as not to disturb the contest evaluators who will be hard at work. Ballots must be returned to the Contest room by 4 pm on Saturday to be included in the official count.
Models and Displays not Evaluated
Members who wish to display models or dioramas that are not entered in any of the contests above may bring them to the Contest Room. They will be displayed depending upon space available. This is a first-come, first-served service. The Contest Chair will make the final determination as to when there is no more space for additional displays. They will be displayed on tables specially set aside for non-contest items.
Contest Rules
Our model contest rules are short and to the point! We follow the basic NMRA National Contest Rules. Visit their site for a more detailed explanation of all these rules, and to download the forms needed to enter all the contests; if you need help or forms, contact Alan Mende, MER Contest Chair ([email protected])
Here is a summary of some of the basic rules:
- Entrants must be current members of the NMRA.
- Contest entrants cannot be professional model builders, i.e., derive over 50% one’s income from constructing models.
Each model must be accompanied by the official NMRA Entry Form #901, filled out and signed by the entrant. In addition, model entries must have a filled out Judges Score Sheet #902. Modules should use NMRA Entry Form #901b. Writeable Entry Forms and Judges Score Sheets are available from the MER website (https://mer-nmra.com/judge.html). Go to the website by clicking on the above links, download the forms, fill them out as a Word document, print, and bring them with you to the Contest Room at the Convention.
- You may enter the contest by proxy. Whoever submits an entry for someone else, however, must present the owner-builder’s NMRA membership number.
- Models that have won a 1st place in any prior National or Regional contest cannot be entered in the same category at this contest.
- There are no restrictions on the number of models entered by a member.
- For those modelers who wish to have their work evaluated for the Achievement Program only, your models will be evaluated during the model contest.
- Models that have achieved a Merit Award in regional or national competitions are ineligible for another Merit Award. Models achieving a Merit Award on the local level are eligible for regional and national Merit Awards.
Special Awards
The following special awards are sponsored by the NMRA and various Divisions and private groups and will be made to selected entries in the judged categories:
THE BEST IN SHOW AWARD is given to the model that scores the highest point total in the judged model contest. In addition to the plaque, this award also provides registration to next year’s convention!
THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD for 2025 will be chosen by MER President, Scott Unger, and given for any rolling stock or structures utilized in the steel making industry. That would include coal mines, ore cars, bottle cars, coke ovens, flat cars, etc..
THE CLYDE GERALD AWARD is sponsored by the MER and named for the late Clyde Gerald, former MER Business Manager and longtime modeler. It is awarded to the kitbashed model which scores highest in the evaluated model contest. Be sure to check the definition of kit-bashed for this award.
THE NEW JERSEY DIVISION CAR INSECTOR’S AWARD is given for the model freight, passenger, caboose, or MOW car that the awarding committee chooses as the best detailed car in the contest. The award includes a plaque and $100.00 Gift Card/Certificate to the hobby store of the winner’s choice.
THE PHILADELPHIA DIVISION NEW MODELER AWARD rewards excellence in model building by first time entrants in the MER judged model contest. The highest score achieved by a new modeler is awarded a plaque and a cash prize of fifty dollars.
THE CHUCK HLADIK MEMORIAL AWARD, sponsored by the James River Division (JRD), shall be for a model of a prototype that best exemplifies modeling a prototype from the “South”. For this award, the “South” is the United States territory south of the Mason-Dixon Line and the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River plus the states of Arkansas and Texas. The Superintendent of the James River Division, in his sole discretion, shall determine the recipient of the award. If the Superintendent is unable to do so, then a Division member so designated by the Superintendent shall do so.
THE RAY BILODEAU NARROW GAUGE AWARD is also privately sponsored by a group of narrow gauge modelers and encourages building models depicting aspects of narrow gauge railroading.
* THE “GREAT DECALS!” AWARD is an award for an excellent model that includes a “Great Decals!” product in its construction and/or finishing achieving the highest judged score in lettering and finish for a model that employs a product demonstrated to be from Great Decals that also receives a Merit Award. This award is worth not only a plaque, but a cash prize of thirty dollars.
THE FAVORITE TRAIN AWARD is a popular vote award and will be included on the Popular Vote ballot. Yes, members who can find their way to the contest room and fill out a ballot get to choose the winner.
THE FAVORITE MODEL AWARD is another popular vote award and will also be included on the Popular Vote ballot. Yes, those same members who can find their way to the contest room and fill out a ballot get to choose their favorite model.
