Hi everybody. I'm new here and hope to learn a lot and get some good ideas. I will start off with the question that started me in my interweb search that landed me here. Does anybody know of any HO scale Halloween items? I just recently got the bug to get back into model railroading and want to build a small HO scale Halloween layout. I curious if anyone knows of figures in costume, trick or treating, monsters/aliens and skeleton animals (yes, I would love it to have a small farm with skeleton animals grazing or even in a livestock car). My web search tells me it is unlikely but I have so many ideas for other aspects of the layout I would love to find some or if nothing else learn if it is possible to make them. I realize O scale probably offers more opportunity but for several reasons I would like to stick with HO scale. Also, since this is not a traditional layout, scale does not have to be absolutely perfect. If I can find something "close enough" I will seriously consider it.
I remember 40 years ago, a firm called Alexander Scale Models had a haunted house. Woodland Scenics has a graveyard set. There may be gravestones from other people. And somewhere I saw a Disney site or Disney FAN site with downloadable printable crypts. I think there is a firm that has a UFO crash site being dug up by ---somebody. Dinosaurs. Years ago, there were plastic kits with realistic plastic models of insects made much larger than actual size- with HO models of various buildings being attacked and destroyed that made the insects into giants. Brand name "AMT Ertl Gigantics." I have seen some offered on eBay.
Thanks for the reply Kenneth. A UFO landing or crash up in a corner of the mountain, possibly back lit in green is one of the ideas I had in mind. I didn't even think of giant insects but it is a great idea for a scene. I can even fudge the scale a bit on that one. I will definitely add the info to my searches.
The Gigantics kits look like they were reissued in the last decade or so and are not a bad find price wise. The running people are worth admission alone. I believe they are 1/72 scale which I think I can get away with. I guess I will add if anyone knows of other 1/72 items instead of HO I'm all ears as well. Does anybody else here ever put 1/72 stuff into their layouts or are you strict on scaling? I feel I can get away with it since this idea is so non-traditional but I don't want to be offensive to the purist either by talking about it too much here.
Twisted gnarled trees are an obvious for a spooky landscape. Not quite so obvious, I think lots of Spanish moss hanging from trees can be a little creepy. I don't known how to model it. Steel wool might look a little like Spanish moss, but it would give real nightmares to your electrical system, not fun simulated ones. Another idea. If a chirpy smiley little face can be cutesy on Thomas the Tank Engine, how about a growling snarling monster face on a locomotive that looks like it might somebody or something. An engine that has Been possessed?!?!? Actually, somewhere on the internet I have photos of real full-size steam locos in India that run, regularly I guess, with giant elephant and monster faces. Another few suggestions from a twisted mind, on the route of the Holy Cow.
I just eBayed away my copy of Modeling Cajon which included a scale drawing of a retired funeral streetcar which was placed at the Summit of Cajon Pass as a residence for the station operator. The streetcar was named the Descencio or something like that, the descent into the grave. Speaking of descent, how about a tunnel portal that is the Mouth of Hell? See what a Pandora's Box-car you opened with this thread!
Halloween makes me think of jack-o'-lanterns and pumpkins. Isn't one of the scenery manufacturers making a pumpkin patch? I thought I saw something like that in a Walthers flyer. Or make your own pumpkins by rolling up little balls of plastic clay and baking it, then painting. Or use beads. Oh, but beads come from the craft store-- Hobby Lobby, Michael's etc. Why not go to the craft store and look in the JEWELRY CHARMS section. Lots of little tiny things. And since GOTH is in with a bunch of teens and youth adults, there may be some jewelry charms items that are grotesque and Halloweeny. (Is that a word?) As an example of what you might find in the craft store, I found some small marine theme decorations that gave me a sign for an N scale "Sue Sells Seashells at the Seashore" tourist trap. That's not what you're looking for, but it gi9ves you an idea of the variety of stuff you can find in the craft store, that is not intended for model trains but can be used.
Have a look at this. http://halloweentrains.com/primer/sizes_and_scales/halloweentrains_sizes_and_scales.htm
Why ? Will you tear it down on Nov.1 ? Or will you now store it for 364 days ? I don't comprehend a 'Halloween train'...Is it like a Xmas tree train ? A circle ? Who sees it/runs it ? Honest, I don't get it ...Does kind of scare me though....
LOL! Yeah, it is a bit unconventional. I'm not sure I have answers to all your questions. It was inspired by seeing the Lexmark (is that the name) Halloween villages in the stores except I wanted to try something in HO scale. It will probably consist of an oval loop (maybe two at different elevations). No turnouts or side tracks unless I think of a scene where one is necessary. My house gets decorated for the entire month of Oct and the other 11 months it will have a space to live where I can work on it and admire it. To be honest, it will probably be several years until I fully complete it. As I mentioned somewhere else on here, I'm not sure I am really a model railroader as I am a diorama builder that likes to incorporate trains into things to add some movement and life to it. Part of this endeavor is a challenge to do something I have not seen very many examples of and let my creativity create a world. It will involve scenery creating, custom painting of rolling stock, incorporating lighting, just various things I see in my head and sketch on paper and want to see if I can pull it off. I guess I am one of those guys where the journey is as gratifying as the end result. Thanks everybody for the suggestions and keep them coming. They are very helpful.
Microtrains has done a couple of n scale Halloween trains.....one diesel http://www.micro-trains.com/train-sets-n-cc.php , http://www.micro-trains.com/train_sets_n_Eerie.php, but I don't recall seeing anything in HO. IO've also seen a "haunted house" in N as well as HO. Not too much out there in figures in any of the scales
If your goal is not based on RRing as much as is your desire to have something moving, what about slot cars or virtual RRing..I just don't get what a train has in connection to depicting a macbre scene...Oh, like a ghost train ? !! .. And, again, will you put it in your window or around a pumpkin on you front steps ? I could see that, with candy bars on flats or gondolas..My problem is, who is it for for one short evening ? How's about a large engine of wood and cardboard on your lawn all skeleton/cob webbed out..kids could go in cab and candy is in fire doors with simulated roaring fire inside box, behind candy...like an amusement park ride....
Thanks for your questions and interest MarkinLA. I guess I should clarify. When I said RRing is not my desire, I guess I mean prototype (as some of the veterans say) is not my desire. I still dig the train aspect of it, I just am more interested in a "fantasy" railroad. One that exists around a Halloween town is something I have the desire to build. It really is not that much different than a Christmas railroad in my mind. Yes, this is a roundy rounder layout I envision. Someday I would like to build something larger and more traditional but this is a starting point to get back into it. Your questions have been helpful though. I'm not concerned so much as to the usefulness of it as it is useful to me hobby wise. I did realize that to display it on halloween it may need to be smaller and more portable to get upstairs from my basement to an appropriate display place in the house. I am seriously considering a N scale 2x4 layout. I think the space gives me the room I need in that scale to accomplish what I need to. I've never done an N scale layout before but life is all about trying something new so I may just jump in on this. The best thing about this is I will not need fancy equipment. From what I've seen looking across the web individual cars can get quite expensive and a basic toy store train will probably give me the cars I need as I intend to custom paint them all. I know my cavalier attitude to my world my be at odds with some of the traditionalists but I mean no disrespect to them. I simply want to create something and have come here to seek out the best advice and tips to accomplish that goal.
Ho Scale Halloween I am also new and I am trying to start a Halloween HO scale layout. I thought I was the only Halloween nut out there. I found a HO scale Vampire who looks pretty good on ebay for about $5 dollars and also a Grim reaper. I got a horse pulled hearse. I found a youtube video on how to make your own people. You take bread ties and twist them into shape and then mold clay around them to form the shape and them paint them how you want. I am gonna try to make one with cheese cloth cut real tiny to see if I can make a mummy. I got a set of painted people and one man has a blue suit on so gonna paint his face light greyish green and try and make Frankenstein. To make the ghost use 4 parts elmers glue to water and cheese cloth and mold to shape around a bread tie to help mold the shape.
I would like to suggest that you might want to go to a larger scale such as G and do it with weather proof LGB trains...You would then have a large enough gondola to put candy bars or apples in..These trains are very easy to set up right on the rug if must be...Lots of room for cob webs, goblins, skeletons, haunted house in middle and have train run right through it like a haunted castle...Engine crew could be skeletons !! Someone sliced in half on tracks, bloody, gory !! Melted wax all over everything....
hey found Polar Lights HO 1/87 Scale Psycho Bates Mansion 50th Anniversary Tin, they also just have the kit on ebay without the tin a lot cheaper. I also found a HO scale vampire and Grim Reaper and they look really cool, just got them in the mail yesterday. I got a pumpkin patch and trying to figure out how to make a corn field so can have the children of the corn. I also found a haunted house that looks pretty cool on ebay. If you like building your own people look on youtube and they will show you how to make HO scale poeple out of bread ties and clay. I am gonna try it and wrap them up so can have a mummy. I love building scenes and love Halloween but it is hard to find stuff.
That sounds like awesome stuff asturgill. I will definitely look up the youtube videos on building HO people. It's cool to know somewhere out there are others who have a similar idea. What size layout are you doing?
And Moebius Models has a neat kit in HO of the Munster's House! http://www.moebiusmodels.com/ourkits/kits/productpage-munster.html
you had said you would like a UFO set up on ebay at http://stores.ebay.com/zugmeistertrains he has a HO scale UFO with working lights and has a Demon and Female demon Ho scale
you had said you would like a UFO set up on ebay at http://stores.ebay.com/zugmeistertrains he has a HO scale UFO with working lights and has a Demon and Female demon Ho scale
