General Information
The 2026 MER Convention, Tracks to Tidewater, 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.
General Information:
The contest room at the hotel will contain all the contest activities. The room will be open for contest entries on Thursday evening, Oct 15th from 7 pm - 8 pm and on Friday, Oct 16th. There will be a meeting of Evaluators on Friday, Oct 16th from 8 pm - 9 pm in the Contest Room.
- 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 9am on Saturday Oct 17th and continue until 4pm with a break for lunch at noon. The Contest room will close at 4pm on Saturday. Entry owners are to pick up their entries between 9pm and 11pm 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 11am, Sunday, October 19.
Evaluators should report to the contest room on Saturday, Oct 17th by 8:30am. A short briefing will be held and evaluations will commence at 9am. Apprentice evaluators are welcome and an additional briefing will be held with them. Any person 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.
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 (contests@mer-nmra.com) or speak with one of our contest staff members. Contest room staff will be
available in the Contest Room during the Convention during the above hours.
Evaluated Model Categories
- Steam Locomotives
- Diesel Locomotives
- Traction Power
- Freight Cars
- Passenger Cars
- Non-Revenue (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. 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 two popular vote model contests which will be voted on by convention attendees through a paper balloting method (ballot is in registration packet):
- Favorite Train Award
- Favorite Model Award
The winners in each category will receive a plaque for their modeling efforts.
The contest room will not be open during evaluations on Saturday for convention attendees. All ballots must be submitted to the Contest Room prior to 9 AM 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. Models submitted for evaluation will be evaluated using the AP Judging Guidelines. Visit the NMRA’s website under Education, Contests, AP Judging Guidelines for a more detailed explanation of all these rules. If you need help or forms, contact Dan Peele, MER Contest Chair (contests@mer-nmra.com).
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% of one’s income from constructing models.
- Each model must be accompanied by the official NMRA Form #901or MER Form 901, filled out and signed by the entrant. In addition, model entries must have a filled out NMRA Form #902 or MER Form 902. 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 them, 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 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; however, a limit of five models per category is suggested.
- 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.
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!
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 PRESIDENT’S AWARD for 2026 will be chosen by MER President, Scott Unger, and given for any TBD.
THE CLYDE GERALD AWARD is sponsored by the MER and named for the late Clyde Gerald, former MER Business Manager and long-term modeler. It is awarded to the kit bashed model which scores highest in the evaluated model contest. Be sure to check the definition of kit-bashed for this award. Please remember, kit bashed is identified on form 902, not form 901.
THE PJ MATTSON MEMORIAL AWARD, sponsored by the New Jersey Division, 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, sponsored by the Philadelphia Division, 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. Please remember, First Time Modeler is identified on form 901. For our younger modelers, please provide your age also if under 30.
THE CHUCK HLADIK MEMORIAL AWARD, sponsored by the James River Division, 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.