Page 7 - NMRA Roundhouse September October 2020

I have a great love of scratchbuilding rolling stock and structures especially building in wood and was encouraged to build a model for inspection. (Note the word inspection, not judging - with the AP I am not in competition).This was my first entry into the AP program and, to me, it was constructed perfectly in every way.WRONG! Looking back now at this model I wouldn’t give it space on my layout.
The evaluation process really opened my eyes, and as long as I was willing to listen to CONSTRUCTIVE criticism then I was halfway to achieving a wonderful goal of perfection. So, I looked at my evaluation remarks and determined how I might improve on this.This is the learning process I keep mentioning. It is so easy to be complacent and carry on doing
the same things, or instead, learn from others who have been down the same road I was on.
What is the AP program all about?
Each and every modeller involved in our hobby is there because of some type of love for the hobby in some form or oth- er and the AP recognises all avenues of the hobby and wishes to encourage and develop each aspect to do an even bet- ter job purely by learning from others. I started with my favourite – rolling stock and each model I produced improved over the previous ones as I learned to find ways to improve the skill and quality of the model.
Remember this is not a competition, just a way to learn
If you only want to do one aspect of the hobby, that’s OK too. So I am now im- proving my skills with rolling stock.Why not try the same with structures. Can I apply my new found skills and techniques to this new idea? Why not?
Now that I am building both structures and rolling stock where do I put them? How about building a layout. Let’s look at
what is required to build a layout according to the NMRA standards and apply the same principles to the construction. What about track planning. Again
a huge amount of guidance is available from the NMRA. It is the NMRA that have set the standards for all manufac- turers to follow in the industry through- out the world so it must be the best way to learn to do it properly. Standards and principles of design are all available and not too hard to follow.These can always be discussed with friends and other modelers in order to develop the layout.
Building a railroad to good standards
in the end leads to good quality run- ning which is something we all want to achieve. Learning about track designs and possible switching configurations is all available through the NMRA.
Powering a layout can be daunting to the ordinary modeler yet working with other modelers can help to develop an understanding of the basics and really that’s all that is needed. I was fortunate being a qualified electro mechanical en- gineer and have been able to help other modelers in this aspect of the hobby and being able to give back to the hobby is also very rewarding.
What is MMR® all about?
Master Model Railroader® is what it stands for.This all came about when
the AP program was set up back in the 1960s. MMR® is the title awarded to those who have achieved at least 7 of the 11 categories of the program including one from each its 4 sections to ensure
an all-round knowledge of the hobby is gained. Of the 11 categories in the 4 sec- tions in the AP program I chose Master Builder Cars, Master Builder Structures, Master Builder Scenery, Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Association Official and Association Volunteer.
Thisgavemeatotalof7ofthe11 catagories required for the MMR® status. I was presented with MMR® certificate
at the British Region convention in 1995 presented by the then NMRA National President, Bob Charles. It was a very spe- cial occasion as I was the very first mem- ber in the British Region to obtain MMR® status, number 240. It was an amazing journey to take. I highly recommend all NMRA members to think about doing the same. It is not only the accolade of achieving MMR® that is so very reward- ing, but the immense learning process you go through during the Achievement Program journey.
I retired in 2006 and moved back to Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia where I have been constructing my present layout. I can truthfully say that this has given me a wonderful opportunity to put everything I learned into practice. It’s now over to you to get stuck in and really get to enjoy the hobby to its fullest. If you have any questions about any of this you can email me at david.gunn@ns.sympatico.ca
David Gunn MMR®
ROUNDHOUSE - September/October 2020 - 75th Anniversary Issue
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