Fred,
I had to laugh at your comment about the quality of models.
In 1995, the NMRA National was in Atlanta and I took a recently completed model of D&RGW #499 which I had built from a Precision Scale On3 kit to display and enter into the model contest. I thought it would do fairly well, even by NMRA rules because I had sratchbuilt several parts and used a variety of construction material and bonding mediums. The model was well researched and (if I do say so myself) well finished and executed.
My 499 didn't even place among the NMRA winners, but they had a popular vote contest like is done at the Narrow Gauge Convention, and I won First Place in Steam Locomotives! I'd rather have had that one anyway, as I felt it was really voted by my peers.
Maybe I'll bring my Silverton Train to St. Louis.
Mike