The NMRA Achievement Program (AP) is a path an individual may follow to develop, promote and be recognized for their modelling.

To quote the NMRA; “the AP is a travel guide, to help you on your journey through the world of model railroading.” Visit the NMRA AP home page to gain a further understanding of the AP program.

Briefly, the AP program is to recognize and reward good model building while promoting the development of higher skills. This is done through non-competitive judging of models against very stringent standards by NMRA certified officials.

Aside from the standard criteria, the key aspects that the judges are looking for are:

• What did the modeler try to do?
• How well did the modeler do it?

The AP program consists of four categories which in turn break out to a total of 11 subcategories. To obtain a Certificate of Completion for a category, one must successfully complete a defined set of criteria (these are explained in detail below). These vary from category to category but the objective remains the same – to illustrate the individual’s knowledge of the category and their skills in performing that aspect of the hobby.

The ultimate honour to earn is the Master Model Railroader (MMR) title. An NMRA member qualifies as an MMR when he or she has obtained at least seven of the eleven Achievement Certificates where at least one is from each of the four categories.

Through the SLD web pages we will provide additional details on the AP such as modeling hints, guidelines on how to complete the paper work and additional on-line forms. This is meant to augment the NMRA AP web pages, so don’t forget to visit their location to obtain all the details. You may also benefit from a visit to the NMRA Masters Articles.

Now all of this might seem a little intimidating first time around, so to help your get your feet wet, we recommend you try out the Golden Spike Award. It is a great way to get started without selling your sole to the devil!

The four categories / eleven subcategories break out as follows:

Master Model Railroader

Upon completion of seven subcategories, with at least one in each of the four categories, you have earned your “Master Model Railroader” designation!