Call for Nominees for the N Scale Vehicle of the Year Awards

[cfritschle]

The N Scale Vehicle Association is looking for nominees for the Sixth Annual N Scale Vehicle of the Year Awards.  The voting for the awards will take place at the National N Scale Convention in Houston (Sugar Land) Texas in June.  However, provisions will be made for absentee voting.

You can nominate up to three N scale vehicles for each of the two categories described below.  Each “nomination” a model vehicle receives will count as a preliminary vote for that model.  The six models in each category with the most preliminary votes will be on the final ballot.  You can record your vote “publicly” (and campaign for your favorite models) by responding in this thread, or you can vote privately by sending me an email with your list of choices.  The last day to nominate a model (cast a preliminary vote) is May 15, 2010.

The two categories of awards are the New N Scale Vehicle of the Year and the Enhanced N Scale Vehicle of the Year.  

To qualify for the New N Scale Vehicle of the Year Award, the model must be 1:160 scale (or at least marketed as that scale) and have been made with all new or substantially new tooling, and the initial release of the model must have been between January 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010.  

To quality for the Enhanced N Scale Vehicle of the Year Award, the model must be 1:160 scale (or at least marketed as that scale) and have been made with existing tooling or mostly existing tooling.  The model may have been enhanced with something as simple as a new paint scheme, or the model may be the result of some new tooling combined with an existing model.  The initial release of the enhanced model must also have been between January 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010.  

In case of a tie in the preliminary voting, model vehicles that have NOT already received an N Scale Vehicle of the Year Award will receive preference.  The prior winners are listed below:

2005 New N Scale Vehicle of the Year – Athearn Ford C canopy cab fire truck
2005 Enhanced N Scale Vehicle of the Year – Classic Metal Works IH R-190 semi-tractor with reefer trailer
2006 New N Scale Vehicle of the Year – (Tie) Athearn John Deere 7820 farm tractor and Classic Metal Works IH R-190 semi-tractor with stake bed trailer
2006 Enhanced N Scale Vehicle of the Year – Athearn 28-foot pup trailers with convertor dolly
2007 New N Scale Vehicle of the Year – Athearn Mack Model R cement mixer truck
2007 Enhanced N Scale Vehicle of the Year – GHQ Ford L-8000 snow plow
2008 New N Scale Vehicle of the Year – Athearn Mack Model B dump truck
2008 Enhanced N Scale Vehicle of the Year – Athearn Mack Model B cement mixer truck
2009 New N Scale Vehicle of the Year – Wheels of Time Mack C-49 transit bus
2009 Enhanced N Scale Vehicle of the Year – Classic Metal Works 1954 Ford F-350 RR MOW truck with utility bed

Thank you for your participation.  

Carter Fritschle
N Scale Vehicle Association

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Carter, what about all those construction vehicles produced for the Japanese market?
Others I can think of:
Wiking VW Toureg
Wiking VW Passat
Wiking VW T5 bus
Atlas Ford Explorer
CMW Ford Fairlane
CMW Dodge Meadowbrook
CMW Ford F350 utility, fuel and hi-rail
Woodland scenics ice cream truck
Woodland Scenics trailer
Kato Volvo tractor
Kato yard tractor

[cfritschle]

Daniel,

You can nominate up to three vehicles in each category (new or enhanced).  The vehicles listed in the original post are past winners.

I considered opening it up to the 1:150 scale vehicles manufactured for the Japanese N Gauge market, since they are nice models, and many are very usable with 1:160 scale vehicles.  However, somehow it would not seem right to have a 1:150 scale vehicle win the N Scale (1:160) Vehicle of the Year Award. 

I would fully support any of our friends that model N in scales other than 1:160 having vehicle of the year awards for their favorite scale.  But, my limited time and resources forces me to concentrate on 1:160 scale for the N Scale Vehicle of the Year Awards.

Carter

Note:  BikerDad has nominated the Kato Volvo VN780 on Trainboard, so we have our first nominee!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I nominate the WS ice cream truck and the two Kato trucks.

[Mark5]

I like the Lemke MiNis Opel trucks, but I'm not sure when they actually 1st came out.

[christoph]

I name the Lemke miNis Buessing LU-11/16 Commodore truck, which came out in early 2010 and is outstanding (IMHO  )
The manufacturer's / importer's website is here: http://www.lemkecollection.de/categories.asp?cID=280

[cfritschle]

The above nominations/votes have been recorded.  You can nominate or vote for up to 3 models in each category, so please feel free to add additional models.

Thanks, Carter

[Nato]

     OK! I would nominate the Atlas Ford Exploder (Explorer),the CMW Doge Medowbrook, and the CMW/Walthers GM Transit Bus. Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

[sundowner]

Atlas Explorer
Kato Volvo truck
Kato Yard goat

[flight2000]

Atlas Explorer
Kato Volvo truck
Kato Yard goat

Ditto this vote from me.

Brian

[SkipGear]

Carter,
 Is there a list of what actually qualifies for this years voting? I don't follow the vehicles as much as I should and can't remember exactly when each was released.

[TiVoPrince]

Hmmm
New
Atlas Ford Explorer
Kato Volvo (white)
Kato tractor (white)

Enhanced
Kato Volvo (red)
Kato tractor (yellow)

The improved paint on the second run should be celebrated...

[Mr. G]

Hmmm
New
Atlas Ford Explorer
Kato Volvo (white)
Kato tractor (white)

Enhanced
Kato Volvo (red)
Kato tractor (yellow)

The improved paint on the second run should be celebrated...

I had no idea there was a repaint of the Volvo.  The only one I saw at my local hobby store was pretty toy-like. 

On a different note, I'd like to toss in my vote for the CMW Dogde Meadowbrook.  It's really sharp.  I haven't purchased any other N scale vehicles this year, so I'm hesitant to name any more.

[cfritschle]

Carter,
 Is there a list of what actually qualifies for this years voting? I don't follow the vehicles as much as I should and can't remember exactly when each was released.

Tony,

For the past five years I tried to compile a list, but I always wound up missing at least one.  Last year I came up with around 25 new and 25 enhanced models, and someone still told me about a model that I had never heard of.  One way to find most of the new and enhanced models is to look at manufacturer's and online hobby shop's websites that post monthly announcements and new arrivals.  I did that again this year, and came up with the following list that I know is incomplete, but it does cover the major manufacturers:

Possible New Model Nominees                      Release Date
Athearn Flxible Visicoach                          Jun-09
Atlas 1993 Ford Explorer                          Sep-09
CMW 1950 Dodge Meadowbrook                  Nov-09
GHQ 1940 Ford Coupe                                  Oct-09
GHQ 1940 Ford 4-door Sedan                          Jan-10
GHQ 1940 Ford 2-door Sedan                          Oct-09
GHQ 1940 Ford "Woody" wagon                  Oct-09
GHQ 1940 Ford panel                                  Jan-10
GHQ 1941 Chevrolet Suburban                  Oct-09
GHQ 1941 Chevrolet ambulance                  Jan-10
Kato Volvo VN 780 semi-tractor - white          Oct-09
Kato Capacity yard tractor - red and white      Oct-09
Lemke Buessing LU-11/16 Commodore          Jan-10
Lemke Mercedes L322                                  Nov-09
Micro-Trains mine loader                          Apr-09
Wiking Lanz Bulldog with sickle mower          Mar-09
Wiking Volkswagen Tiguan                          Oct-09
Wiking Volkswagen Passat                          Dec-09
Wiking Volkswagen T5 Multivan                  Feb-10
Woodland Scenics “Ford” coupe                  Nov-09
Woodland Scenics “Ford” panel                  Nov-09

Possible Enhanced Model Nominees                                                              Release Date
Athearn Flxible Visicoach - 2nd release                                                           Feb-10
Athearn Ford C stake bed in new paint schemes                                                Mar-10
Athearn Mack Model B with 40-foot Exterior Post trailers in new paint schemes   Feb-09
Athearn Mack Model B with 40-foot Z-Van in new paint schemes                           Feb-10
Athearn Mack Model B Tow Truck in new paint schemes                                   Feb-10
Atlas 1978 Ford Fairmont station wagons in new paint schemes                           Feb-10
Atlas 45 -foot Pines trailer in new paint schemes                                           Oct-09
Atlas 48-foot Pines trailer in new paint schemes                                                   Mar-10
Classic Metal Works 1959 Ford Fairlane in new paint schemes                           Nov-09
Classic Metal Works Ford F-700 Fuel Truck in new paint schemes                           Feb-10
Classic Metal Works Ford F-700 Box Van in new paint schemes                           Feb-10
DeLuxe Innovations 53-foot DuraPlate trailer Xtra Intermodal                           Feb-09
DeLuxe Innovations 53-foot DuraPlate trailer Arnold Transport                           May-09
DeLuxe Innovations 53-foot DuraPlate trailer Schneider National                           May-09
Herpa Scania R TL Tanker Roehlich                                                                   Mar-10
Kato Volvo VN780 - Red                                                                                   Mar-10
Kato Yard Tractor - Yellow                                                                           Mar-10
Micro-Trains IC 45-ft Z-Van                                                                           Mar-09
Wheels of Time Mack C-49 in new paint schemes                                           Jan-10
Wiking Buessing 8000 Log Truck                                                                   Jun-09
Wiking Lanz Bulldog farm tractor with canopy                                                   Aug-09
Wiking Schaeff HR18 mini excavator - red                                                           Mar-09
Woodland Scenics Ike's Ice Cream Truck                                                           Mar-09
Woodland Scenics Ma & Pa Trailer Haven                                                           Apr-10
Woodland Scenics Pit Stop                                                                           Apr-10

I am having trouble getting the formatting to look right, but you get the idea.

Models that were released in multiple paint schemes on different dates (such as the DeLuxe Innovatons 53-foot Wabash DuraPlate trailers would be lumped together. (ie. DeLuxe Innovatons 53-foot Wabash DuraPlate in new paint schemes)

And, for everyone else that nominated/voted, your votes have been recorded. 

Thank you!

Carter

[jcox3751]

Carter,

Does the Train Cat Auto carrier fit in here anywhere?



Joe Cox