OcTRAINber 2018: The Foreign Challenge is go!

[raised]

Dear everyone, we hope you all have a great start of your autumn!

With September drawing to a close, and October quickly approaching, the time has come to announce our latest installment of our OcTRAINber build competition!

This year, the challenge is…

The Foreign Challenge!

The goal of the foreign challenge is to promote outside-the-box thinking and change up people’s build lists. In general, most builders tend to stick with what they know, which is often what is local to them. As such, not as many people break that mold and build something that is not local to them. Hopefully all participants can appreciate building something out of their comfort zone! BMR is certainly excited about this challenge, and we hope to see many rise to the occasion.

Rules:

• “Foreign” is defined as: Any locomotive, rolling stock, structure, or other railroad-related item that was NOT designed OR used in the native country of the builder. So, being from the Unites States, I could not enter legitimately with a United States locomotive such as a Santa Fe F7. I’m sure you get the point.
• Entries must be original models. No stealing.
• 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 We are willing to accept anything unpublished or anything that was not published before September 1st 2018 as new.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: real-life entries in the real-life thread, and digital entries in the digital 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.
• We will be accepting entries from Midnight on October 1st to midnight on November 1st. There is possibility of a grace period to ensure those that need that one final Bricklink order have a fair chance.

Entries and Prizes

We are allowing digital entries and real life builds, but everyone is limited to one entry only to keep things fair. We will have three prizes available:

• Top staff pick of the real-life entries
• Runner up real-life entry
• Top staff pick of the digital entries

We want to focus on and inspire some real building here, so this explains why more prizes are available for the real-life entries. Prizes will be revealed in an upcoming article on BMR.

Different from the previous year, we want to encourage you to show off your WIPs this year as well, to make OcTRAINber really 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. Specific information about WIP points will be mentioned in an upcoming article on BMR.

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 1. Once the judges 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.

Judges will also be announced in an upcoming article on BMR.

Thanks for reading, and now it’s time for some building! Again, we will only accept entries after midnight on October 1. Until then, start planning! We are seriously looking forward to this competition, especially after how much fun last year was. If there are any questions, please feel free to ask us; we are more than happy to provide clarification.

Happy building from the Staff of Brick Model Railroader!

BTW: For more information and extras it's always wise to check out both Brickmodelrailroader.com, our Flickr and our Facebook, but we will ofcourse try our best to also answer your questions here on the famous Train Tech forums!

Edited September 23, 2018 by raised

[Stefaneris]

Well, this looks simple on the first look. However, with a closer look one sees that a lot of European rolling stock can roll through Switzerland, and several electric locos were (at least some part of them) built in Switzerland. So not an easy task, especially since a "normal" American train would be boring

So, I'm off to railpictures.net for inspiration.

[Andy Glascott]

Just curious here, I grew up in Ireland, lived in England for 18 years and now live in the US, so which country is “native” for me? ? I won’t be entering as we have a little builder due to enter the world in October.... I currently have Irish and British locos with an eye on an American build in the next year or two when I finish my new layout.... 

[ColletArrow]

Excellent, something else to take my mind off studying...
It will have to be a digital entry from me, as I have a grand total of 1 brick. I have a vague idea of what I'd like to build though, and being from Britain there's not much chance of things accidentally being used here. Thanks for running this competition again, and good luck to all!

EDIT: Hey, this was my 666th post... 

Edited September 23, 2018 by ColletArrow

[kiwinewt]

Does fictional (e.g. Friends-based Generic Train, Ghost Train) count?

[dr_spock]

Sounds like fun.  Ghost train would be good since I have to build something for the Lego Discovery Centre Adult Night Halloweeen theme. 

Out of my comfort zone would be my local country trains since I build mainly foreign trains.  :laugh:

 

[Hod Carrier]

@dr_spock I’m with you on the foreign theme because most of my builds are from foreign nations too. Ha ha!!

I’m excited that OcTRAINber is back for another year and am interested to see what people come up with. I like that the contest is not limited to rail vehicles and can encompass infrastructure and other structures too. It doesn’t quite suit my current build schedule as the project I’m in the early stages of is very British in flavour, but I think I may be able to rustle up a little something. 

[Glenn Holland]

10 hours ago, dr_spock said:

Sounds like fun.  Ghost train would be good since I have to build something for the Lego Discovery Centre Adult Night Halloweeen theme. 

Out of my comfort zone would be my local country trains since I build mainly foreign trains. 

 

Thanks for mentioning this actually. I forgot to put it in the original rules post. 
We are limiting entries to those based in reality. I.E., an entry should be a model of a prototype. The reason for this is, and @raised put it, is that otherwise it would break the idea of the challenge being "out of your comfort zone."

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Damn I've just finished my European tour! 

[Toastie]

27 minutes ago, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

Damn I've just finished my European tour! 

@LEGO Train 12 Volts

Emanuele,

your NOHAB was introduced after September 1st (right?) - which qualifies as "new", according to the rules. You could also build a coach for it or whatever …

Best
Thorsten 

[pagicence]

I'm so entering this contest. Question: for the digital entries, may we color some bricks that don't exist in that particular color in real life?

Edited September 24, 2018 by pagicence

[raised]

Great to see so many of you being enthousiastic about the second OcTRAINber challenge! We are looking forward to all of those entries and WIP pictures.

Just to clarify some more questions:

On 9/24/2018 at 3:00 PM, pagicence said:

I'm so entering this contest. Question: for the digital entries, may we color some bricks that don't exist in that particular color in real life?

This is something that is always one of the major added values of building digital, which is one of the reasons why we have different categories for real life and digital builds. So yes, we are willing to accept this.

Also, there were some questions on the BMR page which I'd like to answer here as well:

Quote

Can “foreign” include a reimagining or reinterpretation of an existing or retired Lego set? For example, if I wanted to enter an 8 wide version of the maersk train?

Reimagation of a Lego set could work, but only if it connects with a prototype, like for example how the Maersk locomotive was reimagined by Ralph Savelsberg. Reimaging a set like 4564 would only work if you manage to combine it with a real life propotype like the MaK DE 6400. I hope you get the point!

Quote

1: does something from Star Wars such as the rail crawler count as foreign?
2: is this limited to just Lego or can I mix in parts from mega blocks/ other brands of bricks?

To answer your questions:

1. Unfortunately no, prototypes set in fictional universes aren’t allowed to be entered. As said: We are limiting entries to those based in reality. I.E., an entry should be a model of a prototype. The reason for this is, is that otherwise it would break the idea of the challenge being "out of your comfort zone."

2. You can add third party items like a PFx Brick or Big Ben Bricks wheels, but no direct Lego competitors (ie. Megablocks and other clones).

Edited September 25, 2018 by raised

[Stefaneris]

On 9/23/2018 at 10:59 PM, ColletArrow said:

Excellent, something else to take my mind off studying...
It will have to be a digital entry from me, as I have a grand total of 1 brick. I have a vague idea of what I'd like to build though, and being from Britain there's not much chance of things accidentally being used here. Thanks for running this competition again, and good luck to all!

EDIT: Hey, this was my 666th post... 

You might be right, however that something British is on Swiss (!) tracks obviously happend:

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/225391/

@raised doesn't make it easy for me

[Hod Carrier]

1 hour ago, Stefaneris said:

You might be right, however that something British is on Swiss (!) tracks obviously happend:

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/225391/

It’s more complicated than even that. It’s a Canadian-built loco, designed in the US for the UK network but now used right across Europe. I don’t think ANYONE will be able to enter one of these into the contest. Ha ha!!

[ColletArrow]

@Stefaneris I didn't know of that combination, but I knew (as @Hod Carrier mentioned) the 66s are widely used. The other "touring" loco I can think of is the BR 08 shunter, which has ended up as far as Australia and Liberia (according to the all-knowing Wikipedia), and I'm sure I've seen them in Europe.

[raised]

58 minutes ago, Hod Carrier said:

It’s more complicated than even that. It’s a Canadian-built loco, designed in the US for the UK network but now used right across Europe. I don’t think ANYONE will be able to enter one of these into the contest. Ha ha!!

I know about an Australian who once build it ;)

[Hod Carrier]

@raised Point conceded. 

[raised]

Good news everybody! Today is October 1st, meaning that OcTRAINber 2018 has officially started!

As we announced a bit over a week ago, this year BMR will again run the OcTRAINber contest. Just like last year we have chosen a subject that will hopefully get as many of our fellow trainheads out of their comfort zone and build some truly original and special models. So, let us officially introduce you to the contest and let’s get rolling!

OcTRAINber

First of all, the name. It’s called OcTRAINber, if somebody had not noticed yet. Why OcTRAINber? Well, because it’s a great intermediate month between SHIPtember and Novvember. Also, TRAINS.

“The Foreign Challenge”

Second of all, the subject of this years OcTRAINber. Why the Foreign Challenge? Well, because it tickles the mind and sparks creativity if you look abroad every now and then. Of course, it’s great to build the prototypes you see rolling around in your own country every day and which whom you most probably are very intimate with. However, since OcTRAINber is all about getting out of your comfort zone, looking abroad and building from new uncharted territory is a great way to do so.

The Rules

The Rules have already been announced by Glenn in the previous OcTRAINber post, but for completeness’ sake we have pasted them here again:

• “Foreign” is defined as: Any locomotive, rolling stock, structure, or other railroad-related item that was NOT designed or used in the native country of the builder. So, being from the Unites States, I (being Glenn) could not enter legitimately with a United States locomotive such as a Santa Fe F7. I’m sure you get the point.
• Entries must be original models. No stealing.
• 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 September 1st 2018 as new. We want to inspire and promote a challenging build, entering an old model doesn’t quite work in that regard.

Third party parts

BMR has always been positive towards third-party parts, as long as they have any way of added value to the hobby. So the rule of thumb is simple:

Lego: Yes
Third Party Parts: Yes
Clones: No

Points

Points will be awarded in three categories: Credibility, WIP Story and the Foreign Factor.

First of all, credibility of the prototype. This means we will be looking at how much the build represents the real life prototype. This means the quality of the build, but potential scale etc. 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? (Please note that this means an entry does need to be based in the Real Life in some way, so no fantasy universes like Star Wars etc)

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. (Also, feel free to cross-post these pictures in our WIP-thread while you are still building!)

Third and last, the Foreign Factor. This is all about the building-out-of-your-comfort-zone part. The more exotic and the more foreign for you as a builder, the better it is. Are you (like me for example) normally a European stock builder, but have you now decided to model something US, even though you have zero experience in building this far abroad? Well, that obviously gives you more credit than modelling some Spanish stock if you are from Portugal for example, or building something Canadian if you are from the US. Same goes for the even more exotic places!

The Judges

This contest will have four judges. Why four? Well, because last year we also had four. However, different than least year, this year we will have a new guest judge from Europe who has some good experience in building truly foreign trains, but who also wrote the critically acclaimed “The Lego Trains Book“. The judges will therefore be, in no particular order:

• Holger Matthes
• Glenn Holland
• Cale Leiphart
• Gerbrand van den Eeckhout 

Timeline

We will be accepting entries from Midnight on October 1st (being right now!) to midnight on November 1st (meaning October 31st, at 23:59 PDT). There is possibility of a grace period to ensure those that need that one final Bricklink order have a fair chance

Entries

Entries are to be send in ONLY via our own BMR Flickr! There are two discussions; one for the Real Life entries and one for the Digital entries. 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.

Next to that, please also add your pictures in the pool! Also, we have a special thread for WIP pictures, just to keep OcTRAINber going. However, do keep in mind that pictures in this thread don’t count as entries!

The Prizes

No contest without prizes! Just as last year we have some really nice prizes from several outlets. Which prizes specifically will be made public as soon as possible, so to keep the hype train running for a little bit longer!

Spare Parts

We here over at BMR are very, very excited about OcTRAINber 2018: The Foreign Challenge and we are looking forward to all those entries. We are really looking forward to see what the community has to offer in terms of creativity and we hope that all of you will be stimulated by this contest to finally build that one foreign prototype of a train / loco / wagon that you always wanted to build, but never did.

Also, if there are any things that aren’t fully clear, you can always reach out to us by posting your message below.

All aboard OcTRAINber!

[Hod Carrier]

Blast!! I fear I may have jumped the gun slightly. It wasn't clear until now how the WIP updates would be judged, but I'm already a decent way along the design process of my entry.

[pagicence]

I have a question on posting pictures for OcTRAINber 2018.
In the group rules is stated "5) (*) One photo per MOC…", but I have seen some users have posted a few photos per MOC.
So, are we allowed a few or just one? Because I would like a few.

EDIT: question just got answered on Flickr.

Edited October 9, 2018 by pagicence

[raised]

Good news everybody, we have unveiled some of the prizes you guys are contesting for. Hopefully these will serve as an extra motivation to keep on building :)

To make stuff a bit more readable I have put them in Quotes, taken from the BMR website :)

The first Grand Prize announcement:

Quote

 

Now that OcTRAINber is in full swing and the first entries are coming in we would like to take this opportunity to at least show you all the prizes you are contesting for. We are very glad to announce that three of our favorite brands have decided to sponsor us, meaning we have some pretty awesome stuff to give away. Again, for the sake of the Hype Train, this post will just talk about that first of the three.

So, without further ado, we would like to thank The Lego Company for their Grand Prize: The new 60198 Cargo Train! Moreover, we also received the Pack of Tracks (60205), and the 8293 Power Functions Motor Set.

OcTRAINber 2018 Grand Prize: 60198

 

60198 was reviewed by Glenn one month ago, so if you want to first read his thoughts about this newest Lego Goods Train, you can have a look at his post as well.

We can already reveal that the 60198 will be one of the two Grand Prizes, meaning the prize you can win if you finish on top of either the Real Life or the Digital Entries. The other one will be announced later this week! Just so you know: the winner of the Real Life entries will have first pick for one of these two prizes.

https://brickmodelrailroader.com/index.php/2018/10/11/octrainber-2018-the-foreign-challenge-the-prizes-part-1/

 

The second part of the Prizes Extravaganza:

Quote

 

After the announcement about our first prizes for OcTRAINber, generously sponsored by Lego, including one of the Grand Prizes, 60198, we promised you that we had more awesome stuff coming. So today we can reveal you again a great prize you are contesting for while joining OcTRAINber 2018.

Scott Hoffmeyer over at BrickTracks have decided to sponsor the contest with their newly released large radii tracks. More specifically, we received a full circle of their brand new R56 curves! These curves are the perfect supplement alongside the R40 curves by Lego, you know, the ones of last years “swoosh”!

Another OcTRAINber prize: R56 curves by BrickTracks

https://brickmodelrailroader.com/index.php/2018/10/12/octrainber-2018-the-foreign-challenge-the-prizes-part-2/

 

Third part of the Prizes Posts will be online later today!

[monai]

On 9/25/2018 at 5:49 PM, raised said:

2. You can add third party items like a PFx Brick or Big Ben Bricks wheels, but no direct Lego competitors (ie. Megablocks and other clones).

Is it possible use some self-built parts (hand made rods for instance)? 

 

 

[raised]

October 28, that means OcTRAINber is has to start the Last Mile Module quite soon!

Quote

 

Now that the last weekend of October is (almost) over, it’s time for a preliminary recap post.

First of all, we have already seen a lot of great entries and some awesome WIP stories. Great to see everybody enjoying this challenge as much as we do!

Second, as we said in our first post, we do have the possibility for a grace period in case some BL orders were delayed. Question now is: Does anybody need this grace period? If yes, please let us know asap so that we can make this official. This can be done by just posting in the comment section below. If nobody replies, the deadline stays at October 31st, at 23:59 PDT.

Third, we have seen some people entering several builds. In the announcement for OcTRAINber we however said the following:

“We are allowing digital entries and real life builds, but everyone is limited to one entry only to keep things fair.”

To indeed keep things fair (definately with all these prizes) we have decided to stick with this rule and limit to one entry. This means that we would like to ask all contestants that entered more than one entry to decide which is their ‘official’ entry. Feel free to do this in the respective entry threads at the BMR Flickr Page.

 

BTW I forgot to answer the following question:

On 10/15/2018 at 2:15 PM, monai said:

Is it possible use some self-built parts (hand made rods for instance)?

So as long as it's no ridiculous modding like cutting windscreens or changing bricks in such a way that could have also solved by creative building, you should be fine.

Edited October 28, 2018 by raised

[Ashi Valkoinen]

I'm getting out of time... BL orders were delayed during the time period of early and mid-October, now I have the parts but no time to build. Long days I'm looking forward. :)

[pagicence]

1 hour ago, raised said:

Third, we have seen some people entering several builds. In the announcement for OcTRAINber we however said the following:

“We are allowing digital entries and real life builds, but everyone is limited to one entry only to keep things fair.”

Yup, it totally slipped my mind. I apologies for that. No worries, I deleted the other two entries (replies) and left only one.

Edited October 29, 2018 by pagicence