2021 OGF Train Tournament (FINAL) | O Gauge Forum (2024)

Two of the the six Conference Tournaments have been set. Here is a preview of the upcoming schedule and tournament brackets.

Is that a subtle hint? In favor of your fourth seed? Shocking, really, even in present times.

Careful.

Kinda like the Sante Fa 2-10-10-2 last year. Clunk.

You gotta maneuver them into position, stealthy, so they never realize what hit them until it is too late.

Good evening folks,

The Big Country conference delivers big-time with some of the finest locomotives and trains that traveled the Big Mountain Country of the USA. Works of art traveling gorgeous mountain scenery -- perhaps the finest in the country.

We waste no time starting with a contest that pits beauty vs. brawn in the conference's inaugural match on Saturday, February 13.

To get into the mood, take a look at the ultra luxury Rocky Mountaineer train led by MTH GP38/GP40 locomotives. Check 'em out in real life traveling some REALLY BIG MOUNTAIN COUNTRY. Enjoy!!!

Then the "brawn" in this match is none other than MTH's up-and-coming Union Pacific Big Boy, that in its heyday pulled 3600 TONS of train unassisted over the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. True brawn if there ever was one. Be sure to click on the image to get an enlarged view highlighting the factory-fresh, high-gloss paint... and the many intricate details on this #4014 Excursion Model.

Just one week later on Saturday February 20th, we pit two very unique locomotives against each other. Once again, both locomotives would have seen actual time crossing some serious mountain country in the USA during their heyday.

First up is 3rd Rail's magnificent D&RGW L-105 Challenger, an exquisitely detailed brass model (image from 3rd Rail's website) -- arguably the most detailed Challenger locomotive built to date in O-Gauge.

And it's competitor in our conference's second match will be Lionel's BEAUTIFUL O-Gauge State Train led by it matching Prewar Bipolar Electric, decorated in a beautiful, neon green paint-scheme that is quite the eye-catcher as it complements gorgeous mountain scenery on many a northern mountain country trip from Glacier National Park in Montana to the Pacific Northwest Cascade Mountains. Once again, click on the thumbnail image to get a glimpse of this fabulous luxury train.

You really can't go wrong with ANY of these amazing contest entries. Any one of them could EASILY take the crown as a very worthy Champion of the entire tournament!!!!

The MR S3 in the Pacific could go very deep in the tournament and the Rocky Mountaineer in the Big Country was nearly a Cinderella story last year. The Old South may have the Tournament Sleeper waiting to be Champion. It’s shaping up to be a very competitive tournament.

As a side note: Early glimpses are making me think the Motown 8 could be this year’s Power Conference.

More on that soon!

Emile

This is a vitally important question and I think that the voting public deserves an answer. My guess is that the only dice will be those in the hands of the Supreme Commissioner of Commissioners, the better to retain despotic power! Come the revolution, the dice will be exiled - to Iran.

The Tournament rules clearly state that all polling and dice throwing will be done from a neutral location that must be the home of two registered Members and not more than 6 minutes drive from downtown Annapolis with a minimum of two dogs in that home as tournament security.

I think this rule goes a long way to ensure neutrality and fair play.

Emile