What is your model railroading skill level?

[Anonymous]

i would say that i fall somewhere between your description of expert and intermediate. just about every one of my locomotives gets some detailing, most requiring cutting holes in the body. i have kitbashed some locomotives like the SP SD40T-2's i built a while back and the BN GP39E that i am building now. i paint and decal almost all of my locomotives myself. i am not good enough yet to win any contests, but i am slowly getting better. my next project is scratchbuilding 3 Southern Pacific SD39's and one of these days, i will get started on scratchbuilding those SP TEBU's. most of the locomotives that i build, i keep for myself. but i have sold several of them on eBay.


but when it comes to freight cars, almost all of mine are simple kits, or items right out of the box with some weathering and maybe some graffiti decals. it's the same with most of my structures, they are the basic kits with some extra parts added on here and there.

[Anonymous]

A great way to assess ones skill level is to participate in the NMRA Achievement Program. There are a many areas where your abilities are assessed by other skilled modelers, such as building cars, engines, scenery, structures, doing electrical and civil engineering projects, etc. Pass these and then you can certify your level!

Bob Boudreau

[Jetrock]

I suppose I would say "intermediate", with some caveats. My electronics skills are still fairly minimal. I scratchbuilt my first building at age eleven and have a lot of experience with painting and kitbashing. While I only got back into the hobby about two years ago, I have done a lot and have done one professional (museum-quality) model railroad display. I still think I have a lot to learn, though.

[Anonymous]

I voted intermediate but that wouldn't completely cover me, lets say.

What have I done:
Built about 3-dozen plus kits like P2K, Intermountain and Branchline.
Some modification work on commercial models. Like making an Athearn mike more closely resemble a B&O mike, and have done similar work to a PFM 0-8-0. Though it needed little.
Refined my weathering techniques greatly over time.
Built an L1 mike from a GHQ conversion kit.
Painted same kit.
Worked in a hobby store for a bit.
Learned to hardwire DCC decoders.
Learned a neat trick for disassembling Athearn mikes. That I found at:
http://www.rememberingtherutland.com
Have built a couple resin kits.
Have painted a couple resin kits.
Can paint with an airbrush.
Have done a couple basic wood building kits, and had a ball.
Have scratchbuilt some parts for things, like a cab extension on a B&O Mike, but not very many.

Oh yeah, and all before turning 21.

Alvie.

[leighant]

I mostly try to do a "good enough" job of modeling, but sometimes I try to satisfy the nit-pickers.

http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/acn.jpg
N scale Nit-pickers Union Hall (branch of farm workers)

[Anonymous]

Tricky question. I'd say I'm "Intermediate", as I meet all but one of the criteria - I've yet to scratchbuild anything, though I am working on adding super-detail parts to my loco fleet - one of the criteria for "Expert", so I guess counting myself as Intermediate is about right.

[Anonymous]

My Catagory wasn't listed.

Extream. Living in the midle of nowhwere means alot of adapting materials meant for other uses. And using older forms of building materials. (E.G. Shirt Cardboard). Alot of Scratchbuilding is also required where I live as the closes hobby shop is 150 miles away. And the closest one that is really good is 400. And thats just one way! So generally when I am in, I buy lots, wheel and deal often. and get eneugh to keep me busy for a few months. With all the challenges I face, I could probably build my HO scale layout outdoors as well.

James

[cwclark]

I don't like to brag because there are others out there that can out do my skills standing on their heads but can honestly say I'm pretty much an expert...I've been modeling since 1978 and the only thing that keeps me from be'in a pro is that I don't do the DCC thingy...Even took third place in the switching contest at the 89' NMRA convention in Houston that year...Chuck[:D]

[willy6]

intermediate in HO/N, but novice in other scales.Certain things in model railroding can be crossed over to other scales.(ie. scenery, structure building etc.) but when it gets in to wiring, like 3 rail, and the locomotive "nuts and bolts" of other scales, i'd be lost.

[Anonymous]

Intermediate.

I've done my share of kitbashing, weathering, and painting.

[vsmith]

Intermediate.

Done a lot of kitbashing of locos, cars and structures in G and HOn30, but in past my layouts always got imploded by something (space, move, wife, etc) before scenicing, so I'm still a bit of a beginner there.

[NZRMac]

Hi I'm a Novice

I know what I want but tend to rush into it, find things wont fit then have to pull it all to bits and start over. I'm re-starting my first layout and I'm going to take my time and do it right. I would be happy to run out of the box stuff with mayby a little 'weathering' can't see myself buliding a loco or cars from scratch (not yet anyway). I just like running trains!!!

Ken[:D][8D]

[sparkingbolt]

High intermediate, I'd say. My model building is in the expert area, if not just a fuzz below, my mechanical skills are about there too, but my HO layout is a "Plywood Pacific" It is fully operational, that is all the track is laid and working. (Hand laid switches in code 55 and 70, micro engineering flextrack .)

It is time to get my feet wet in scenery. Did do a 1/25 scale diorama with scenery once and it got it's picture in a model car magazine so I must have done something right. I do scratch build my structures and heavily 'bash locos and MOW cars. Freight cars are sometimes modified.

I'm really looking forward to the messy task of seeing my layout go from an operational
skeleton to a scenicked small coastal industrial community. Dan

[Hawks05]

beginner i guess. i've built probably 10 blue box kits, haven't put together any buildings yet. have a layout started but probably won't finish at all.

[Fergmiester]

that would depend on what aspect of the hobby your talking about. It's a great hobby that if you try to develop all of it's aspects you will truly be a "Master of All" and a "Jack of none"

My strong points have changed drastically in the last several months. Partly because of some of points and advice I have recieved on this forum.

Thanks to everyone

Fergie

[Anonymous]

I'm an intermeidiate level because i do do some scrach building and i am now building my 3rd layout and entering my 4th scale i have built an o gauge an ho gauge and now im building an n scale and on that topic does anyone have any Idea about building pilons on a helix well that was off subject but yeah im an intermeidiate

[FThunder11]

I'm "basic". I'm on my first layout, and havnt really built too much. But Im not Novice b/c for the most part I know what Im doing.

[fec153]

Basic/intermediate. On third layout due to Andrew and two moves. Made many changes to first and third pikes. Minimalist -no scenery. Bare bones. Have put together over 250 kits. No scratching or kit bashing. Very good at cleaning track.
Phil

[Junctionfan]

Unfortunately I don't have a layout and I haven't been around the building part enough in the club to go beyond novice.

I guess for humour sake, I am a pro at being a novice or a novice at being a pro.

[Kimble]

Novice here.

Though wee had a big layout as a kid, and I built a couple of structures, I have no scenery or track experience. I think if it came to a rolling stock kit, I could do well. I know how to use an airbrush from my miniature war-gaming days and have built a few airplane and ship models over the years. I just bought my first locomotive and I'm debating weather to repaint the shell to the RR I want.

We'll just have to see.

Rob C.
Portland, Maine

[on30francisco]

I'd say I'm an intermediate modeler. I've built some kits and a few layouts, kitbashed, and scratchbuilt some structures and rolling stock. I really enjoy superdetailing the structures and rolling stock that I scratchbuild out of wood. I prefer scratchbuilding to crafttrain kits. I love working with wood as opposed to styrene but use styrene where appropiate. I do not enjoy painting too much (especially with an airbrush) or tinkering with locos to make them run right but do these things when I have to. I also like doing and superdetailing the trackwork (handliad and flextrack) and am good with electronics. I use commercial turnouts whenever I can. I have never entered any contests and have no interest in them. I'm in this hobby for fun and relaxation.

[espeefoamer]

My category wasn't listed.Quite a lot of equipment, but no layout.

[n2mopac]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jfugate

Modeling the prototype SP Siskiyou Line means that you have to scratchbuild or kitbash a lot of things. Been in the hobby since 1967, so that means I'm 37 years in the hobby now (wow, that long?).

My favorite scratchbuilding material is styrene ... the stuff's amazing. Easy to work with, easy to glue, and the parts come out crisp and clean. Here's my trestle that was scratchbuilt using styrene:

This is a pretty impressive trestle. By the way, my descriptions were only meant as some sort of guide to give a little more objective meaning to these terms as "basic" and "expert" can often mean quite different things to any two given people.
Ron

[DavidH]

It seems to me that the categories are slanted more towards model building than model railroading. There are a lot more things than this that go into the building of a large model railroad, particularly in smaller scales.

David

[jfugate]

Modeling the prototype SP Siskiyou Line means that you have to scratchbuild or kitbash a lot of things. Been in the hobby since 1967, so that means I'm 37 years in the hobby now (wow, that long?).

My favorite scratchbuilding material is styrene ... the stuff's amazing. Easy to work with, easy to glue, and the parts come out crisp and clean. Here's my trestle that was scratchbuilt using styrene:



Or click to see a jumbo size photo:
http://siskiyou.railfan.net/images/train/p09.jpg

[Anonymous]

i'm an intermediate modeler i'm fairly far on my layout and i have scrathbuilt a bridge.

[dano99a]

Intermediate

I strive to be an expert but I feel I have a lot of modeling to do before I'd call myself an "expert"

[Anonymous]

I stopped doing custom painting and detailing for others a few years ago and never entered any of my models in contests. I would much rather be refered to as an experienced model railroader than an expert or pro.

[CNJ831]

Based on the criteria listed I guess I'd have to go with Expert+. I'm a devoted scratchbuilder and kitbasher (nothing on my layout came directly from a box), plus a number of my models have won their catergories in regional NMRA modeling contests over the years.

CNJ831