Try a local train show when one comes to your area. We were at one in Kansas City a couple of months ago and there was a gentleman displaying one. He was playing Rio Bravo at the time.
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QUOTE: Originally posted by actionplant
I love the idea of a drive-in, but really don’t know how well it would work logistically…not for proximity, but because drive-in screens were little more than a white billboard. You could put an LCD on your layout, but it would look bulky and you’d have cables to contend with.
I like the idea of the projection, and actually this really wouldn’t be that difficult to achieve. The idea of the projector was right on the money. Maybe this is a little beyond what a lot of people would want to do, but there’s no such thing as an LCD that gives off light. They’re all lit from behind somehow. I have LCD projectors and get the basic idea. If a person were to tear apart a cheap old digital camera for the LCD viewer on the back you’d have a nifty little screen that can be adapted to your needs. Use a few white led’s behind it and build a little box, try some different el-cheapo flashlight lenses for focusing, and use a mirror if you don’t want to try to fit the whole thing in your projector building. You’ll be more prototypical by projecting from the projector building, and then you can have a drive-in screen that’s to scale and doesn’t look too bulky, and you really WILL have to turn the lights off in order to make the thing work.
As for drive-ins near tracks, the drive-in screen in my hometown sat right in front of the tracks, seperated by just a few trees. The tracks ran for around 3/4 mile right into the main yard (Mandan ND) so there was a lot of traffic. Thing was, the theatre gave each car a little radio to tune in the sound for the film (I think some drive-ins just let you tune in on your car’s radio). Either way, it wouldn’t matter…can’t hear? Put the window up until the train is gone, the sound is inside your car. I don’t imagine it would be much different than cranking up the car stereo now when sitting at a crossing.
I also love the idea of using those LCD dvd players in a city setting, like
Just use the good old Etch-A-Sketch LOL I am just being funny
This picture shows another problem with a working drive-in. During the day, the screen should be white which is when most of our railroading is done. I suppose you could add a drop in white screen to cover the LCD display. Also, during daytime operations, the cars should be gathered up unless you envision your patrons having had way too much fun the night before. Just a few more things to consider regarding an operating drive-in.
Good points - hmm, a flip-over display, rotate a copy of the lot with no cars into view, then flip-a-scene to switch to the one with the cars in it?
I believe that picture shows the Miller Engineering model we mentioned at the beginning. ANother issue with using an LCD - you have to build a screen liek the one shown with a substantial base - I think they modeled the refreshment stand int he ase of the screen. That’s unlike any of 3 drive-ins around here I remember as a kid (one still around and open), which all have the refreshment stand in the center (the projection booth is attached) and a far more skeletal screen structure - like the one in the movie Twister.
–Randy