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The 2015 Open Wagon Building Competition - the results.

I wish to start this report on the recent wagon building competition with apologies to the membership in regard to some confusion as to the rules and to a lack of photographs of competition entries. The initial announcement of the competition, in Newsletter 99 and on the S7 Group website, stated that the competition was specifically for "open" wagons - a subsequent piece about the competition, which was distributed by e-mail and on the website, omitted to remind members as to the type(s) of wagons which were permitted for the 2015 competition.

I was not able to attend the S7 AGM this year, my thanks to Ian Roll who stepped in to administer the receipt of models and manage the paperwork on the day.  My absence from the AGM may have contributed to the paucity of photographs of the competition display - thankfully other group members did take photographs of some of the entries and of the presentation of The Chairman's Cup.

And so to the 2015 Wagon Building Competition... there were more entries this year when compared to the competition in 2014. Entries included:-

  • SR 8-plank open with load from a Parkside kit;
  • a BR Grampus with ballast load from a Parkside kit;
  • a PO wagon with coal load from a Slaters pre-printed kit;
  • a GWR engineer's wagon from a WEP kit;
  • a NE wagon from a Parkside (?) kit.

All of the entries were displayed in a showcase, alongside each entry were details of the prototype and of the relevant kit. I understand that there were two other entries, unfortunately I do not have details of either the entries or the builders - if those members can contact me then I shall be pleased to add a postscript to this report in a future newsletter.

The Judge of the competition was Pete Waterman OBE and his choice of winner was the GWR engineer's wagon that was entered by Alan Benson, the runner-up was the NE open entered by Ron Pitts.  Pete presented Alan with The Chairman's Shield - this is an award that has been donated by Dave Nicholson and is to be awarded on an annual basis.

Alongside the showcase for competition entries was a second showcase with a display of some tank wagon models by S7 Group members.  This second display included milk tankers and the recent Heljan fuel tankers in Charringtons livery. My thanks to those members who provide stock for this showcase.

There are lessons to be learned from this competition, including:- a clearer statement about what type of wagon is considered as acceptable for a particular competition,  the title of any competition is to include the type of wagon, and there is to be more notice of the subject of the next competition.  So, for 2016, the subject is a covered wagon... that is a wagon with a floor, two sides, two ends and a non-removable roof.  For further information about the 2016 Covered Wagon Competition please see the separate announcement in the latest newsletter (Number 101).


Graham Beare

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