While the COVID pandemic caused the world to mostly shut down in 2020, it didn’t exactly end everything. Numerous public events tried to make a go at hosting online alternatives, like the major Comic Cons and media awards. And then some events actually debuted because of the pandemic, like this themed LEGO building competition. Year 2020 saw the beginning of the Brick Train Awards, an online global competition with LEGO train builds. The competition has been going on straight through to last year. And now, they’ve announced their third edition set to start next month.
Brickset gives us word that the 2022 Brick Train Awards are soon to kick off, by next month in fact. Like its two predecessors, the competition involves LEGO builders showcasing their best brick-built locomotives and settings. Entries will be open to all interested participants classified into three regions (Americas, Asia/Australasia and Europe). Specialty retailer Trixbrix.eu is sponsoring the event, which will pick winners from 15 categories at regional level. From there, the Brick Train Awards panel will choose the global winners. They’ve also earmarked three categories for TFOLs (teenaged fans of LEGO), so everybody gets a shot at LEGO-train greatness. Here are the official categories:
- Best steam locomotive
- Best diesel locomotive
- Best electric locomotive
- Best other locomotive
- Best consist / full train
- Best passenger wagon
- Best freight wagon
- Best special wagon
- Best digital locomotive
- Best digital wagon
- Best TFOL (Teenage Fan of LEGO) locomotive
- Best TFOL wagon
- Best TFOL display
- Public vote
- Best display
Applicants to the Brick Train Awards will have the rest of this month to perfect their ideas. That’s because the official entry period will be throughout all of September 2022. The awards in 2021 fielded more than 750 locomotive builds. Let’s see if this year’s contest can go better than that.