Parades

An interesting and intriguing read. Thank you for sharing your uniquely individual perspective on this idea of parades on a layout. Variety is the spice...

BTW, I do have an army jeep in the same neighborhood as the parade, but it is parked (!) How 'bout that for coincidence? And 3 out of the 4 army folk are still; only one figure models walking...

FrankM

Joe, The whole array of photos you posted of the G-scale parade is a fine contribution to the conversation. I am sure it affords many of us further stimulus to the imagination. Thank you for your input, sincerely.

FrankM

Now, that's something I am going to try to model at parade-side!!! How'bout that for irony, Joe!?

Paulp,

Point well taken.

 Nice parade!!

PaulP and Michael Pierce, I think you two have hit on an attractive concept for a parade. In fact, as I recall, when I was a boy back in the 50's, several towns in western Pennsylvania (McKeesport; Duquesne; Homestead,etc.) sent fire equipment to Kennywood Park for a parade. What a show that was!

I crafted this vignette just because two vintage firetrucks had been purchased for not good reason other than that they were so good looking, but did not fit the general time period suggested by the layout. So, the narrative being imagined here is that two honored trucks are being brought out to be shown to and admired by the local community. Several Boy Scouts have stopped by to have their pictures taken with the trucks, but those trucks could just as easily have been brought out to join a parade to honor firefighters, etc. What do you think?

WELLS FARGO STAGE COACH  - I believe this is the (1/48 scale) Match Box Wells Fargo Stage Coach. It is a spectacular model and is basically "0" gauge. I had a chance to get one and didn't want to spend the $ then - wish I had, to put in my Western Town. They are difficult to find.

That may well be the one, Turtle2. Thank you for providing that information, esp. as it may be helpful to Mr. Neundorfer.

That one I have is bright and enamel-shiny. I thought of spraying it with a matte finish to take away the gloss, allowing the horses to look more real and the coach to look older and more like wood and leather (?), but thought better of doing so and have not.

Thank you, AMCDave! I'm glad you have liked what you've seen.

Here's another shot of the parade, a longer shot, affording a different perspective of the parade in-context of the layout there...

I enjoyed reading all your suggestions and perspective, Mr. O'Malley. Just for conversation-sake, here are a few points I'd make just from my own perspective about my own parade, in reply, which may help others who might be considering having their own parade:

a. The length and width of my roadway has its limitations, of course. I provided for a curbside parking lane (see photos) to further display the too-many cars I indulged myself in buying, so their presence at parade-side is deliberate, for their display beyond the confines of the parade itself.

b. The community needs its parking spots at curbside (photos).

c. I very much like your idea of having signs and streamers on the parade vehicles and may work at that this Winter or Spring. I was actually the driver in a parade and placed a sign on my car's front passenger-door, identifying the occupant, but somehow didn't think of that for my little parade in Moon Township. Thank you for the idea!

And for all these ideas! Thanks for giving my concept some thought and conversation.

FrankM

As you can see, the whole town has turned out for this parade...

FrankM

Would like to see someone do a St. Pat's Day parade. You would need a lot of figures passed out on the sidewalk though.

Hhmm, where can I find a Bud Wagon and Clydesdales in 1/48th ?

I am always looking for a marching band. I have seen several at local antique shops but the figures are much to tall.

Very nice...

IMO, RichO, and DougW, one could put together a pretty good representation from horses and a tall wagon from:

Baker's Railroad Shop

Roy Baker

1-845-887-4596

FrankM

Layout Refinements

P.S. I'm going to model that spit-wiper activity, someday!

As an example of Roy's choices in horses and wagons see this vignette I crafted...

...and here are a few other examples of Roy's figures, animals, and vehicles featured among my work...

For any parade, you have to have a news person taking photos or video of a kid sitting on the curb eating cotton candy. My Mom long ago noticed that in every parade we've ever seen covered on TV or in the newspaper, there is ALWAYS that one image. And sometimes, that's all you ever see...

Real-world references that enhance - now you have my wheels a-turnin'(!) Thanks for the excellent idea, which will not leave my head until accomplished. Thanks again, p15.

I aim to please.

It always drove us nuts as a family when I was a kid and we'd had our civil war group in a parade (Dad built his own 6 pounder field gun before I was born), especially a veteran's day parade, and on the news that night you'd only see that stupid kid eating cotton candy on the curb. I always thought when I was a kid, and still do as a middle aged man, that someone watching a news story about a parade would probably want to see something that was in the parade, and not that stupid kid.

It never bothered us that we weren't on TV every time, as that happened often anyway and we used up the 15 minutes of fame by the time I was about 8 years old or so, but it always bugged Mom and me especially when they wouldn't show anything in the parade but that darned kid on the curb...

Thanks for the tip on Baker's. Looked thru their figures and more interest to me were some of the seated figures. I have been looking for well over a year for some seated figures that could reasonably closely match up to the MTH Overton cars. They seem to have quite a few that would work. The only concern, besides price, is the size. Wonder how they compare in size to say the MTH Railking seated passegers ? 

Thanks for the enthusiastic approval, Marty (the name of a grade-school friend who saved me from drowning)! I hope you do indulge yourself with having your own parade. It will be great fun to arrange, detail, and configure. And as I said, it affords us an ideal place to display all those slightly-out-of-circa and odd-ball items we bought but didn't quite need. Parades have had a zillion different purposes and unique features.

The Pasadena Rose Bowl and the Chicago Miracle Mile parades (which I've only seen on TV) are, IMHO, fine examples of imaginations having a good ol' time of it!

You mentioned "small area or large" regarding having a parade. I don't have any perspective on whether mine is small or large, but it stretches out in the space and environment I felt was best suited for it, in a more village-like community section of the whole layout. These broader perspective shots may give you a better sense of its full size/length. What do you think - right for the space?

Other viewpoints?

FrankM

My thanks to all the OGRers who sent me "Likes" for the thread:

Chugman; Greg Houser; Suzukovich; Bill Robb; Trainroomgary; BradF; Alibatwomble; Davia1; Spence;Passenger Train Collector; Popi; Richard Cuozzo; Rdeal; CAPPilot; Dr. Jack; Chevelle17

and I thank all the voices who engaged in the conversation.

FrankM

(What good is knowledge if it is not shared?)

I have wonted to post on this tread for a week or so but haven't had the time till now.

I have things put away for my "DREAM LAY-OUT" I think about four years or so in the future when we move to a retirement community. The Cottage we have picked out has a basement for the "DREAM LAY-OUT".

Some of the criteria for the lay-out are:

     a. Represent all four seasons.

     b. Two towns, one Summer the other Winter.

     c. Summer Town 50's [1955], Winter Contemporary.

     d. Advoid commion Themes 4th of July & Christmas; Winter-      Winter Carnaval, Summer-Founder's Days.

     e. Winter Carnaval: Skiing, Skating, Slay Rides, Ice Sculpures, Winter decorations, night Fireworks, etc.

     f. Founder's Days: Parade, Circus, Classic Auto Show, Night Band Concert & Fireworks

        -Parade: Band, Convertible Cars w: Miss Dunlap [name of the town], Mayor, Original Dunlap Wagon [covered wagon], Fire trucks.

Looking towards retirement and time to make the DREAM LAY-OUT!

An excellent contribution to the conversation, Rich O.

I would imagine Doug W. will take careful note of what you have provided. Thanks!

FrankM

Any further interest in talking about parades on layouts?

Anybody have news about their own progress in this regard?

Here are a few additional shots of mine, if you please...

FrankM.