Several months ago I built an N scale size flying saucer about three inches in diameter, painted it silver and hung it over in the corner of my layout. Then the other day a family member comes over to visit and sees the saucer and starts in on me saying - You really don’t believe in UFOs do you?.. Uhhh, yes. As a matter of fact I do. I just can’t believe that out of that vast galaxy of ours out there filled with with billions of stars that we’re the only intelligent beings there are, let alone the billions of other galaxies in the universe. However. I do realize that because of the great distances and the speed of light limit that we may never meet oneanother or even be able to communicate because of the differences in out technology. Anyways, from there it went into religious beliefs and all of that and we had to shut the subject down. Oh well. Each to their own.
By the way. As for the speed of light limit, they use to think that the sound barrier (750 mph) was as fast as an aircraft could fly. We found out that’s not true…
That’s what I was thinking… What prototype were you following when you built the model space craft? Your friend was probably just irritated that you didn’t use the right paint scheme, and the dynoflectors were more appropriate to the phase three model, when the serial number was clearly that of a phase 1.[oX)]
As far as UFOs - the acronym means UNIDENTIFIED flying object. If there is an identifiable model of ET’s ship hanging over the layout, it doesn’t meet the definition.
During WWII a UFO was called a ‘bogey.’ If identified as an enemy aircraft, it became a ‘bandit.’ If identified as anything else, it was named accordingly. (You might ask your picky relative if he’s ever heard of a UFO called a, “Bee-one-Are-Dee.” Regardless of the reply, have a couple of Audubon ‘feathered friends’ prints handy. Only a confirmed birdwatcher can quickly identify a flying critter at long range.)
Layouts are entirely exercises in imagination. Who, other than the builder, has a right to say that a dinosaur, Paul Bunyan’s ox or an O-scale yardhand on an HO layout is all right, but a hypothetical spacecraft isn’t?
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - without Godzilla)
Nothing wrong with having a little fun. I have personally witnessed several things in the sky that weren’t normal, the last one being over my local train stop. So I would say way to go with the UFO reference. One of our local clubs has a saucer scene on it so it’s pretty much acceptable I’d say.
On our modular club layout for shows we have woods with a flying saucer. That and a couple dinosaours, a.t.v.'s and wildlife for the viewers to find. There is a checklist and folks have a lot of fun with it. Obviously your friend isnt into model railroading, no imagination!
i hate it when people get on you for your ideals or beliefs. this life is to short and we only have an unknown finite number of heartbeats that will allow enjoyable living experinces, take advantage of all the things that make you smile and hold onto those that make you laugh. soon the motor of the world will cease and the fountainhead will hold only cheap copies of others cheap copies and only a random few will do anything that will be remembered so continue within your aynonimity and rejoice that out of the millions of probables you were the one. and when others try to bust your bubble tell them its only heartbeats itll confuse them for ever
If I didn’t live in an apartment and couldn’t hang things from my ceiling I would probably have a USS Enterprise model going past for fun. But I can’t do those things.
Hmm, I actually did see a UFO once, near Los Alamos in northern New Mexico. Or maybe I’d just been out in the sun too long…[:-^]
In my layout room, I have a round, louvered vent that just happens to be located over the highest ridge of mountains that stretch almost to the ceiling. I often refer to it as the “UFO lurking over the San Juans.” [swg]
We do the same thing in the club I belong to. As it relates to this thread, I bought my nephew a couple of the micro machine star wars ships + figure sets that were available about 8 or so years ago.The only thing I asked is that I got the Chewbacca from the one set . He’s generally hanging out at the gas station or donut shop on the layout talking to the other HO figures.
Kinda makes me thnk of the Clint Black cover of that song by Eric Idle from The Meaning of Life,
“and pray that there’s intelligent life somewhere up in space, cause’ i’m afraid that we’ve been cheated here on earth.”
There was a guy I knew who was modelling a 1940s scene and he needed something to fill a portion of desert like area on a module… so I thought about it for a bit, and ended up with, What about a Roswell UFO crash? He currently is on hiatus since he moved and left his modules here, but i thnik he is kinda digging the idea.
