Coming Soon: RAILROAD.NET Layout Design Contest

[Paul Cutler III]

Otto,
If you are serious about the $5.00 entry fee, why have a contest at all? Just do a raffle, and charge $5.00 a ticket. You will get far more response than a design contest will. Far more people will go after a raffle ticket in which they invest nothing but money vs. folks investing a lot of time and effort into a layout design AND paying $5.00.

Another thought is that it is a mistake to do "any scale" model RR plans. I don't see how a G scaler or and O scaler can compete with a Z, N, or HO design. IMHO, pick one scale to make it fair. Anyone can design in any scale. For example, I don't own a single piece of N-scale rolling stock, yet I was able to design a good N-scale "door" layout for a friend. But if I tried to do the same in O? It'd be a siding or two, and very little else.

[Otto Vondrak]

I have no other way of be able to provide prizes without charging an entry fee. If there are no prizes, then where is the incentive to join the contest? I'm not sure I understand the objection to the entry fee. If you are serious enough to enter the contest, then the $5 fee should be a mere trifle. I'm trying to ecourage competition.

I am opening the contest to all scales so that no one complains of one scale or another being excluded. I think our sample room may not be suitable for larger scales, but maybe then again someone will surprise us and come up with some really inventive large scale plan.

This whole thing is an experiment. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Next year, we may try a contest with even more focus- a particular scale, a particular locale, requirements for operation, etc. We'll see!

-otto-

[Paul Cutler III]

(after just getting back from stuffing myself during Thanksgiving...)

Otto wrote:

I have no other way of be able to provide prizes without charging an entry fee.

There are lots of ways to give out a "prize" without it costing any money. You have a website here, perhaps putting the winning entry on the front page of RR.net...Or doing a virtual layout tour of the winner's layout (the winner takes his own pics, RR.net writes the article)...Or perhaps giving the winner a free 5 or 15 Mb storage "bin" for pictures here on RR.net for a year. Heck, ask for a donation from someone. Be imaginative, I'm sure you guys can come up with something that won't cost much money, if any.

If there are no prizes, then where is the incentive to join the contest?

Free publicity? The winner's name in lights? Free webspace for a time? Etc.

I'm not sure I understand the objection to the entry fee. If you are serious enough to enter the contest, then the $5 fee should be a mere trifle. I'm trying to ecourage competition.

I'd also think you are trying to encourage participation. And the fact is that you will get more participants if you don't charge a fee. It doesn't matter if it's $5.00 or $0.05...

I am opening the contest to all scales so that no one complains of one scale or another being excluded.

Any designer worth his salt can plan in any scale. A design contest should have some skill involved, after all. IMHO, you should pick one scale. If you want to see mulitple scales, run multiple contests.

I think our sample room may not be suitable for larger scales, but maybe then again someone will surprise us and come up with some really inventive large scale plan.

Are you saying that you will judge equally an G-scale "timesaver"-like layout vs. a modeling empire in Z scale? It won't be a level playing field.

This whole thing is an experiment. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Next year, we may try a contest with even more focus- a particular scale, a particular locale, requirements for operation, etc. We'll see!

My problem is with this first contest, it might bomb, and you'll never do another one. My advice, start simple, don't charge admission, and be clear on the judging standards on what you are looking for. I'm not saying you aren't right now, but be as clear as possible.

[Otto Vondrak]

The winning layouts will be featured on Railroad.net (I thought that part was clear). Photos of the winning layout? They're only supposed to design a layout, not build it. If anyone would like to submit an article about their home layout to us, they can do so at any time, we would welcome it!
Find out how to contribure here: http://railroad.net/contribute/submissions.php

Unfortunately, we don't have server space to give away, so that's out.
As far as prizes- I've asked for donations from various companies and at this time have gotten no favorable response.

Would a G scale layout and an Z scale layout be judged the same? Yes, that's the idea. If you all think that this is a bad idea, then we'll just pick one scale (but I'm sending all the complaints to Paul).

Is the entry fee really that much of a roadblock? I would feel uncomfortable having people go through the trouble of preparing an entry and not have something tangible to offer in return (as cool as it is having your article featured on Railroad.net... I would really like to offer something more).

Keep the suggestions coming. Final contest rules will be posted December 1.

=otto=

[JDFX]

I just want to know, is it supposed to be $5.00 per person (3 designs) or $5.00 per design (1 person draws 3, pays $15.00 dollars)...

I say charge a fee, unless one of your advertisers would like to donate prizes...

[Otto Vondrak]

It would be $5 per person.

I may just bite the bullet and offer the prizes out of my own pocket and not put any additional pressure on the entrants.

-otto-

[conrail71]

Hey,

Sounds like a good idea to me! I'll submit a design. Most of my layouts have been really nothing more than a glorified slot car track. They all seem to start out as an oval with the sidings and spurs distributed pell-mell around the monotonous circuitus route. As far as the $5 entry fee it's really no big deal, this month I will just buy 2 less packs of #58's. ...and that's what I think.

[Mr Lehigh]

This gives me that opportunity to get back into contact with that creative part of my brain that's been on vacation the last several years.

I do like the idea of a $5 entree fee. Maybe if you had a fee per submission and gave out the prize money depending on how many submissions there are. Say you have 50 submissions at $5 each, that means you have $250 of prize money. Don't limit the amount of submissions a person. You will get more money that way and make a bigger prize. You can give out maybe 50% to first place, 30% to 2nd and 20% to third (can you tell I do football pools????). You guys (railroad.net admins) shouldn't need to be paying out of your pocket for prizes for this. It should be a community contest.

You should also let us know how you judge the designs. Maybe a breakdown on scoring. ex, 25% best use of available space, 25% realistic design, 25% ease of maintenance (turnouts within reach) etc....

I'm psyched. When are you going to give out the sample room? Don't forget to throw in that occasional basement window or water meter that always seems to end up right in the middle of your most difficult scenery.

I guess I need to fire up CadRail again!

Eric

[Otto Vondrak]

I apologize in the delay for posting the final contest rules. I am finalizing the room drawing this week, and the rules will be posted shortly. Thank you everyone for your input. The contest will end March 31, 2005.

-otto-

[Otto Vondrak]

I apologize again for the further delay. Look for the contest materials and rules to be posted shortly. I will post the room plan here as a JPG, which you all should be able to download and view OK. thanks for your patience.

-otto-