# Animation - Links, Photos, Ideas?



## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi All,
I'm planning to model the American Steam era ultimately with lots of horses, wagons, people, and small industries (such as coal delivery, sawmill, shipwright's wharf, canal, lime kiln, and brick yard) being served by the railroad. Any links, photos or ideas on animation? The trains weren't the only thing that moved. I'd like to really WOW the visitors by making as much come alive as possible.


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2008)

well, apart from the obvious (wind- and watermills) i am preparing a sawmill, a mineshaft bucket-chain and things like that. 
what i did not try out, but would like to make, would be a moving stagecoach. maybe by using a racecar system below the layout, with a wire going up to the horses.


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## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi All,
Ideas, links or photos on animating a stage coach is exactly what I'm looking for. The stage coach delivered passengers to the railroad hotel. This railroad was built primarily for passengers to save travel time and was less arduous than taking the stage on primitive dirt roads roads (especially in mud or snow).

Jim Henson had a lifetime goal of being able to have Kermit ride a bicycle.He did manage to do it in one of his movies. I think a stage coach would be simpler. 

Mr. Rogers (on TV) pulled the trolley along using clear thread (the TV people wanted to having go very slowly and could control it just outside of the view of watchers). They obviously hadn't discovered electric trains. 

A stage coach powered in a way like slot cars should be fairly reliable and wheel tracks in the dirt could be made to blend in fairly well. Any other ideas?

- Mike


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## Fritz (Jan 11, 2008)

Hi, 

there are plenty of layouts worldwide with moving figures, vehicles or equipment. Show some of your layout and people might suggest what might fit. 

E.g. google for Fallyer car system to get some ideas for moving vehicles. Get some ideas from the famous Hamburg HO layout, where 170 cars drive amongst the many trains http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/anlage/video/4-minuten-wunderland/ Have a look of the famous moving man, publishe in a few magazines worldwide 
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy_FI3PdwDQ 

You can spend a few days at the www if you looks for "Automata" Probably more ideas than you can realize in a liifetime. Look at Carlo Spiritos webpage and see the loco driver turning his head according to the direction he´s driving. Look at Carl Arndt pages. Many examples of movement there as well. 

Have Fun 

Fritz / Juergen


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## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi Fritz
Thanks for suggestions. I checked out all of them. The Faller Car system seems like it could be adapted. I'm curious, do you need a smooth surface, like plastic, or can be run on something rough like dirt or ground foam (for horses and wagons)?
-Mike


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Animation need not be high-tech (or even medium tech) to be effective. We get continual comments on our man in the canoe who is going over the falls. A light piece of fishing line tied to a rock in the stream, and he continually "tetters" on the brink of destruction.

You can see him at the very left edge just below center. Canoe is from Michaels Craft Stores.


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## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Thanks Todd. That reminds me, one of the modules in our club had a fly fisherman constantly fighting a fish.A small rotating cam under the layout had fishing line attached. The thin line pulled on the rod bending it toward the stream. Even though the figure was completely static, and standing at the bottom of a very deep ravine, the movement of the rod always got attention (even in 1:160 scale).


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## DennisB (Jan 2, 2008)

I knew a gentleman who had quita a bit of animation on his public layout. Sadly, he has passed away but not his memory. Agreat deal of his work was done using an outdoor barbecue rotisserie motor.their slow movement was ideal for his purposes. He would mount the motor on the underside of a large plywood platform. on the other side would be the diorama. Metal rods were connected to the rotating motor and to the other end he would connect a figure. The figures would b moving in and out of a garage (mechanic) or out of a store or washroom. It was all very effective. Regards Dennis.


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

Check out the Book by Paul Newitt A Beginner's Guide to Creative Effects for your Model Railroad. Paul is a member of the Bay Area Garden Railway Society. This is a wonderful book.
Russ Miller


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Mr. Rogers (on TV) pulled the trolley along using clear thread (the TV people wanted to having go very slowly and could control it just outside of the view of watchers). They obviously hadn't discovered electric trains. 






Are you sure? When he sat on the bench to go to land of make believe, he'd turn on a switch with his left hand to run the trolly into the other set. It was track powered. When they'd ask the trolly questions, they'd flip a switch back and forth for the trolly to "answer." The switch was mounted just below the seat.


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

This site has an incredible range of animation projects, described in wonderful detail. He's working in N scale, but there's no reason that the same things couldn't be done in G, and with a lot less trouble as well!

The White River and Northern Model Railroad


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2008)

@Kenneth Rickman, 
thanks for the very interesting link!


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow. And he does all that in N!


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## hcampbell (Jan 2, 2008)

Love that N scale model of a model railroad. 
Harvey C.


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## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Yes it's true. I'm specifically refering to the opening sequence. The train that was started by Mr Rogers was a different train. That one WAS electrically powered.


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## davidarf (Jan 2, 2008)

I help to develop and run the Southdown Railway Company show layout and we have included a number of animated effects which can be seen in this video clip:


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## lathroum (Jan 2, 2008)

Where did you get the carousel?

thanks

Philip


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## davidarf (Jan 2, 2008)

Philip

The carousel is made by a USA company called Mr Christmas and I found this one on Ebay, but they are stocked be several dealers that I found on the internet. 



Thankyou for your question


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## yardtrain (Feb 18, 2008)

Posted By davidarf on 10/22/2008 3:23 AM
Philip

The carousel is made by a USA company called Mr Christmas and I found this one on Ebay, but they are stocked be several dealers that I found on the internet. 



Thankyou for your question 




USA company? Does that mean office in USA and MFG in China.


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## davidarf (Jan 2, 2008)

I am not sure....the company web site is www.mrchristmas.com


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Great video David. I gotta animate some of my figures now, those were too cool ;D


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