A Beginner’s Guide To CREATIVE EFFECTS For Your Model Railroad
Any comments? Is it worth getting?
Jeremy,
I bought a copy recently at a local GATS show for $20.00. I had seen it advertised earlier and it looked interesting. The book is written primarily for someone who is relatively new to the hobby with a focus on both the “scale” and “toy” market. Most of the “creative effects” have been around for some time and will be familiar to anyone who has had more than a passing acquaintance with articles and advertisers in Model Railroader and other hobby publications. I really didn’t find much in it that was new or which inspired me to create something beyond what is currently available in the marketplace. Many pages of the book are really nothing more than a catalog of available lighting and animation products which are well known around the hobby. At $20 the book was probably an okay value, compared with many of the resources around that are little more than reprints from previous publications. I think there are a number of other books in the Kalmbach library which might make for more interesting reading and inspire you to get your creative juices going. But then again, that’s coming from someone who bought the book!!!
i think it’s pretty good and over time would like to incorporate some of the ideas into my layout.
I’m really looking for some ideas to animate my new module. To make it more interesting to viewers when trains aren’t running on it. Nothing dramatic really.
Lightning and sound ideas seem to be all over the web but actual animation projects like making a plane fly over a corn field…is non existent. Seems really odd to me…but I’ve looked for weeks with anything substantial on the net.
Jeremy, there is a short blurb on animating an airplane in the Model Railroader book “Realistic Animation, Lighting & Sound : 21 Projects for Your Model Railroad”. It’s on page 35, titled "Go Fly a Kite! (or an airplane). Basically a kite or airplane is impaled on a thin wire and a small fan is used to bounce it around. But I don’t think that would float your boat (or in your case, fly your plane). I take it that you want the plane to fly OVER, not just hover and bounce. I remember a toy that looked like a flashlight with a motor inside turning a wire with an airplane at the end. I’m sure it poked a few eyes out.
I don’t know if your module has a back drop, but if it does, I probably try mounting a [url="http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/item/GR-84/253/GEARBOX_2_IN_1,MOTOR_GEARS_“#38;_ACCESSORIES_.html”]slow turning gearbox-motor[/url] on the back to spin an airplane on the end of a black painted rod. To make it swoop down, I’d mount the motor on a hinge and fabricate a plastic cam and return spring to tilt the mechanism.
The hardest part might be finding a HO scale airplane. Boley makes a 1/72 scale WWI Biplanes and CMK makes WWII German ai
Do you know any good resources for stuff like this? Projects. I don’t mind doing the research. I’m actually think a web site needs to be developed with user submitted projects.
Thanks for the information I printed it out. I discovered I couldn’t be too prototypical about the plane. I couldn’t find a HO Stearman anywhere. I saw the kite animation… I viewed a video were a guy put a plane on some type of track system. I think he modeled the wright brothers flight. I’d like to figure out how he did that and maybe improve on it a bit.
I’m also hoping to put an old pick up truck on a dirt road. I figure some type of pulley system would work for that. Tamiya pulley system was suggested.
I also have a small pond planned with a jumping fish. Actually he jumps and then dives. Some sort of arc back into the water. Just have to figure out how to punt the fish in the air and have it back down ready for the next punt. 
I have lighting effects planed and some sound effects of course.
I wi***here was a one stop shop for animation supplies and how to info. Allelectronics usually has some useful stuff. Robotic supplies are a good place to look for ideas too.
Most of animation projects I’ve seen was in Model Railroader or other modeling magazines and books. Most of it has been electronics rather than mechanical. Do you recall an article in MR a few years ago about a huge layout in Germany that has incredible animation effects? Cars stopping for red lights and a police car chasing and stopping the one that ran the light.
Faller uses a wire under the street to guide powered vehicles.
I’ve seen a magnet used under the surface to move a bulldozer back and forth.
What are you using? Mexican Jumping beans and a 100 watt lamp? [;)]
I know the German layout your talking about. They do have a web site. But either it’s lost in translation or I’m just dense. I can’t figure out what there talking about. Nothing specific is mentioned.
I’m checking out Jameco right now. We will see what I come up with. I have heard the Faller car system will be discontinued soon. (Lack of interest) I actually suspect it’s the price tag. I like the magnetic idea but I have to think there is something better.
I have some drawings of the fish mechanism. It’s a round ring…the fish is molded around it. I haven’t figured out how to “punt it” up and over.
[quote]
QUOTE: Originally posted by gsetter
I wi***here was a one stop shop for animation supplies and how to info. Allelectronics usually has some useful stuff. Robotic supplies are a good place to look for ideas too.
Most of animation projects I’ve seen was in Model Railroader or other modeling magazines and books. Most of it has been electronics rather than mechanical. Do you recall an article in MR a few years ago about a huge layout in Germany that has incredible animation effects? Cars stopping for red lights and a police car chasing and stopping the one that ran the light.
Faller uses a wire under the street to guide powered vehicles.
I’ve seen a magnet used under the surface to move a bulldozer back and forth.
[quote]
QUOTE:
…I also have a small pond planned with a jumping fish. Actually he jumps and then dives. Some
I agree about the need for more animation ideas. I haul coal using live loads that are loaded at 2 different tipples. What I’d like to see is a hopper car that unloads through the bottom hatches. There have been a couple of versions of these over the years but IMHO were more aimed at the toy train market than the model market. A seperate web site with animation ideas/ instructions would be great.
I did discover a discussion group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Automation_and_Animation_of_Models/
Posted yesterday. already have like 5 responses. YEA. some of it is a bit over my head but I’ll work it out.
They already told me how to create a swinging tire swing.
A police chase.
An airplane that flys over a field.
And we are still working out a shark jumping over a fisherman. Best thing…it’s a pond.
Would really like to see a simplifed version of the German “Faller” type system where one can have several American vehicles running on the streets on one’s layout.
The scenario I imagine is having one of my GMC “fishbowl” transit buses running slowly on the town’s streets, stopping here and there to pickup and discharge passengers. On the opposite side of the town a UPS truck is also making its rounds. Same could go for school buses, garbage trucks, and police cars. The vehicles could be automated or controlled by the person operating.
Wishful thinking, but years ago the idea of quality onboard sound in HO locomotives was also deemed a fantasy.[:D][8D]
I like the faller system. And it can be modified by most scratch builders. I think it’s a bit over priced if you ask me and really isn’t affordable. I can’t believe a US company has not stepped up to the plate and created some new.
I’ve seen the Faller system on a large scale. (German web site.) They had several cars and trucks running down the highway. Brake lights and headlights lit. Nice. I think I’ll work on a pulley system for less than $30.
Also FYI they did release a Play system.
http://www.faller.de/start.php?lang=gb&naviUp=3&naviDown=6&dat_artKat1=CarSystem&page=liste&skip=0&new=0&dat_artKat2=PlayStreet&back=menues_gb/backs/liste_CarSystem.jpg