OcTRAINber 2022: The "Rebuilds & Retrofits" Challenge!

[Daedalus304]

Hello again, everybody! October isn't quite here yet, but it's just about time to get rolling for this year's OcTRAINber. We're going to be making a couple tweaks to the format this year that I'll explain later in the post, but for now let's get into the rundown on this year's theme: "Rebuilds & Retrofits".

Railroads have had a long history of taking old cars or engines and trying to use them for as long as possible. Railroad equipment is expensive, after all. Old equipment is kept repaired and patched up as best as it can be, but sometimes these old pieces of stock end up being changed for something very different. Locomotives may be altered significantly to help them better fit in a different role, such as a tank engine having its tanks removed and replaced with a tender. Sometimes old passenger cars end up heavily rebuilt for a non-revenue role and go on to serve as Maintenance-of-Way equipment. Some freight cars end up rebuilt as passenger service cars, or stripped down and turned into a bridge.

That, ultimately, is what this year’s OcTRAINber is all about. We’re looking for models of Railroad equipment that has been rebuilt or retrofitted to serve a different or altered function from its original intent. In addition, we’d like to see two LEGO models, one of both the before AND after – show us how the subject has changed!

Hammond Lumber Co.’s 2-6-6-2t #6 was later converted to a tender engine and sold to Southwest Lumber, where it was re-numbered to #12

The Challenge

Ultimately, we’re looking for major changes in the modeled subjects. While a boxcar with friction-bearing trucks getting an upgrade to roller-bearing trucks does indeed count as a retrofit, it’s not a very large change and won’t score many points. What we’re really looking for is something that has been changed to operate in a significantly different way, or something that has been altered to look drastically different.

We realize that this year’s theme requires building two models – but we’re very open to options. There are several acceptable ways to reach this criteria:

1. Build both versions of the model in LEGO Bricks.
2. Build both versions of the model digitally
3. Build one version in LEGO, and one version digitally
4. Build and photograph one version in LEGO bricks, then actually alter it to the second version and photograph that. Both versions need not exist simultaneously; they just need to be photographed and submitted together in a single entry

Southern Pacific removed the engine components from 9010 and rebuilt the nose, turning it into a camera car and re-numbering it to 8799

Rules

• Entries must be original models. No stealing. This also means no Mods (thus also no sets), only original MOCs.
• One entry per person, per category. You can enter as many categories as you like, but you can only enter one model in each category. We want quality over quantity. So pick your best model and make it shine.
• Third party parts are allowed, clone bricks aren’t. We know this can be a thin line, just walk it wisely, and we’ll do our best to judge fairly on this.
• 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 August 1st 2022 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. 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 does not count as entries! These threads will open on September 1st.
• We will be accepting entries from Midnight on September 1st to Midnight on November 1st (meaning October 31st, at 23:59 PDT). Due to the scale of the competition as well as helping efforts to expedite the judging, we’ve opted to start OcTRAINber early instead of having it run long into the holiday season. This also means there will be no extensions this year, so make sure you’re all ready by the end of October!
• Digital entries are allowed, and will be competing in the same categories as the physical models. As mentioned before, we are accepting “mixed-media” entries due to requiring two models, so you are welcome to submit one Physical and one Digital model to complete an entry.

A second deck has been added to this New Haven flatcar to facilitate maintenance on the electrified lines

Categories

There will be four categories to enter this year, with a winner for each. There will also be an extra Grand Prize winner, as we’ve done in some previous years, for a total of five prizes.

The Categories are as follows:

1. Steam Locomotives

2. Other Locomotives (E.G. Diesels, Electrics, Rail buses, anything that provides its own motive power)

3. Rolling Stock (E.G. Freight, Passenger, MOW, etc)

4. Buildings and Structures (E.G. repurposed stations, rail cars that have been repurposed as bridges.)

If you are building something that could go in multiple categories, for example a flatcar (rolling stock) that has been repurposed into a bridge (structure), then we’d recommend entering it in the category that best fits what it has been adapted into. In this example the flatcar has been turned into a bridge, and should be entered as a structure.

This ATSF Boxcar was converted into a bridge over a canal

Judging and Scoring

Entries will be judged primarily on these three criteria:

1. Accuracy to Prototype — How well do your models represent their real-life counterparts? Proportions, detailing, and functionality all help out here.

2. WIP Story — Include pictures and information on the real-life counterparts to your build, show the build process, and highlight the differences between the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ versions of your model.

3. Transformation Factor — This is focused on how significant of a change took place. Something like changing the trucks out to reflect a bearing type upgrade will score much lower than something that has been changed to operate or be used in a significantly different or unique way; or has been altered to look drastically different.

As always, keep in mind that OcTRAINber is a ‘quality over quantity’ building event. This means that we encourage (and give higher scores for) higher-quality entries as opposed to several sub-par ones. Build your best, and don’t rush yourself to try to hit something in every category.

While we’ve tried to give several examples for things that will fit into the theme, the examples listed are not exhaustive. We encourage you to explore and find some really amazing things to enter, so if you find something that you feel really grabs the spirit of the theme then go ahead. If it’s something really out there that won’t fit into one of the listed categories, feel free to ask for clarification.

Final Words

The last couple years, the judging for OcTRAINber hasn’t exactly been the quickest, and that’s something we would really like to change this year. November and December are filled with Holidays and train shows, and mixed with the growing number of entries it’s been getting quite difficult to find a good time to get through everything once Thanksgiving starts to hit.

To help alleviate that, for all of you as well as for the judges, instead of extending OcTRAINber into November, we are going to start it earlier this year and will work to have the judging taken care of before the big holiday season starts up. Starting September 1st is certainly change, but we still end it in October, so it totally counts, right?

We will have more articles posted in the coming months with more information as needed.

OcTRAINber has always been fun for us, and we’re excited to see what you all come up with to enter this year. Thank you for reading, and we hope you have as much fun with the event as we do.

Happy building!
 

NYC’s #5344 Hudson has run both with and without the streamlined panels

 

[Hod Carrier]

Er, what...? Didn't I already do this two years ago? Well, half of it anyway. 

This year's theme might take a bit of thinking about but I'm sure I'll find something to enter. 

[XG BC]

yea true. requires a bit of thinking. idk what to build yet.

[zephyr1934]

16 hours ago, Daedalus304 said:

NEW BUILDS ONLY. We are willing to accept anything unpublished or anything that was not published before August 1st 2022 as new. We want to inspire and promote a challenging build, entering an old model doesn’t quite work in that regard.

 

What if half of the pair existed but the other half is new, e.g., building the "in service" counterpart to this existing MOC:

4 hours ago, Hod Carrier said:

Er, what...? Didn't I already do this two years ago? Well, half of it anyway. 

This year's theme might take a bit of thinking about but I'm sure I'll find something to enter. 

 

Or going the other way, having the in-service car from a few years ago and building the cabin for the contest?

[Hod Carrier]

2 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

What if half of the pair existed but the other half is new, e.g., building the "in service" counterpart to this existing MOC:

Or going the other way, having the in-service car from a few years ago and building the cabin for the contest?

Thanks for the input, but it’s OK. I only said it really as a joke. If the contest calls for something new then that’s fine with me.

[XG BC]

i think i now know what to build...lets say it involves jet engines...

[Hod Carrier]

3 hours ago, XG BC said:

i think i now know what to build...lets say it involves jet engines...

Well done, budd. I look forward to seeing your shiny new train.

[Daedalus304]

18 hours ago, Hod Carrier said:

Er, what...? Didn't I already do this two years ago? Well, half of it anyway. 

Haha, yes, we've had a few entries from previous year's OcTRAINbers that would have fit into this theme pretty well.

14 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

What if half of the pair existed but the other half is new, e.g., building the "in service" counterpart to this existing MOC:

(...)

Or going the other way, having the in-service car from a few years ago and building the cabin for the contest?

Both models need to be 'new' models. It could be a subject you've modeled before and are going back to tackle it again in a big do-over, of course, but it does need to be at least a mostly new build.

[Paperinik77pk]

Mhhh, a challenging topic, this year...let's see what I can figure out - I must confess I'm really really short on ideas... 

[XG BC]

look here for ideas @Paperinik77pkhttps://oef.com.ua/viewtopic.php?t=117&start=160

[Paperinik77pk]

3 minutes ago, XG BC said:

look here for ideas @Paperinik77pkhttps://oef.com.ua/viewtopic.php?t=117&start=160

Wow! Thanks for suggesting me this site!!!

I already found something in my old photos, something which is really near to my personal experience with trains. I think I'll go in 1:87 scale this time, in order to show the "before" and "after" in a pretty small space.

All Italian stuff, this time 

Thanks again!!!

Davide

[XG BC]

1:87 scale? NOW you got me interested!

[Duq]

1 hour ago, XG BC said:

look here for ideas @Paperinik77pkhttps://oef.com.ua/viewtopic.php?t=117&start=160

I remember that Henschel with the face of a BR103.

I think I might enter OcTrainber this year. Will be the first time I think... I have two ideas, let's see which one I can get done in time (I was never a fast builder...)

[XG BC]

digital is also an option and it is fast if you know your preferred digital building software as for the henschel you mean the henschel bbc de 2000 "um an" a guy on the german dr brick forum already does this one

Edited September 6, 2022 by XG BC

[Duq]

No, no, I didn't mean I'm going to build that. I saw the pictures of the Henschel on Flickr. I've two very different ideas.

[Polarlicht]

Can i ask what the converted SP engine to camera car in the first post is for?

[Toastie]

32 minutes ago, Polarlicht said:

what the converted SP engine to camera car in the first post is for

I believe for this:

http://sp9010.ncry.org/sp8799.htm

Best,
Thorsten

[Daedalus304]

Just under a week and a half left until the close of OcTRAINber 2022. To that end, here's a small article with a few thoughts on ways to polish up the entries as we approach the finish line - as well as a links to a few basic digital resources to help anyone who's missing out:

OcTRAINber 2022: Polishing the Presentations

[Duq]

Ah, had a few great ideas but life had other plans. The way things are going I'd be lucky to get one of them built by christmas...

[Hod Carrier]

I've seen some builds on here that haven't yet appeared in the relevant competition entry thread on the BMR Flickr page. Don't forget to add them before the deadline or all your hard work will have been in vain as they won't get judged. I'm think of @Paperinik77pk and @Ashi Valkoinen in particular, but there may be others I don't know about.

[Paperinik77pk]

Hi all!

I decided to quit the challenge, since I did not have the possibility to order all parts and the time to prepare the "presentation" of my entry. It has been a really busy month - and frankly I am a bit tired...and not so "creative" .

I'll show the final version of the Vnx as a standalone thread as soon as I've the time to refine the last details 

Ciao!

Davide

 

 

[XG BC]

completely understandable @Paperinik77pk sometimes life just has different choices and things going for you. one option would have been to make it digital only like my submission (and the two of last year that have since been built in real bricks). but lego is supposed to be fun and if you dont feel like it then dont do it. hope you find the fun again and regain time to finish this quite frankly even at this stage very good model.

[Hod Carrier]

@Paperinik77pk I completely understand. Take a break, recover and get your mojo back. Strong with you The Force is. 

Edited November 4, 2022 by Hod Carrier

[Ashi Valkoinen]

On 10/29/2022 at 5:41 PM, Hod Carrier said:

I've seen some builds on here that haven't yet appeared in the relevant competition entry thread on the BMR Flickr page. Don't forget to add them before the deadline or all your hard work will have been in vain as they won't get judged. I'm think of @Paperinik77pk and @Ashi Valkoinen in particular, but there may be others I don't know about.

Thanks for the mention and the note anyways - I kept the challange in my mind, but my October was really busy, too (happy energy sector, yay). It was really fortunate, that I pulled out the challange _before_ October, after the 30th of September I had seen no chance to build.

[Daedalus304]

Hello again, everyone! I'm happy to share with you all that the results of OcTRAINber 2022 have been determined, and you can see the winners in our new article!

https://brickmodelrailroader.com/index.php/2022/11/19/octrainber-2022-the-results/

 

Thanks to everyone for participating, and congratulations to the winners!