My layout plans are more than three decades old. A lot of the layout itself is, shall we say, somewhat younger than that.
The whole time, or at least from the moment I first saw them, I've wanted to find the perfect place to add those little mooning people. Growing up along a railroad myself, don't even bother telling me they're not realistic. I know, from experience, that just ain't so. A lot of Long Island commuters have seen my brother's and my backside on their way home from work.
Problem is, for the seemingly short period of time during which they were commercially available, I was on a Navy ship way far away from my trains. Now settled for life, I just saw a set of mooning people available and snagged 'em. Now I have to figure out where to put 'em.
My question is: if you have them, how'd you use them? Details. We want details!
And if you haven't got and used them, your personal story about mooning a passing train will be deemed an acceptable substitute.
The California Zephyer runs alongside the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon. The river is a host to numerous rafters. Tradition has it that as the CZ passes, the rafters MOON the train. Last time I road the CZ, the tradition was followed by some, but not all, the rafters we passed.
Ray
Just got back from Durango and Silverton, they mooned the train.
rrebellJust got back from Durango and Silverton, they mooned the train.
Same thing happened to us on the Durango And Silverton.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I suppose you could put them in the open door of a boxcar. That way you can be mooned every time the train goes by.
Yuck! Sounds to me like the moonies are practicing for their debut in Deliverance.
Wayne
In college, guys in the front-facing rooms used to sing "Moon River" while doing just that. It was usually done at night, so the participants in the submarine races got the entertainment.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Yeah Wayne, thought i heard banjos playing in this thread!
Seriously though?
PMR
Yep. I was riding the Amtrak California Zephyr in 1990 through western Colorado and as the train rounded an ox bow in the river, we got mooned as the train slowly rounded the curve, they mooner continued to point his posterior at the train as it rounded.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I recall when some such mooning figures were released...probably longer ago than I care to remember...think it was linked to Moon Amtrak in someway (sadly, Moon Amtrak still exists, and apparently was held on July 9th this year (2022). From some images of the event looks like mostly male participants, so...bleh).
MisterBeasleyIn college, guys in the front-facing rooms used to sing "Moon River" while doing just that. It was usually done at night, so the participants in the submarine races got the entertainment.
Not sure about "Happy Days", but there was a mooning scene in American Graffiti (which also starred Ron Howard) which came out a year or two before Happy Days.
Speaking of Wisconsin (Happy Days was set in Milwaukee), it has long been a tradition at Lambeau Field that the fans moon the bus of the visiting team. That was what Randy Moss was referencing that time he scored a touchdown at Lambeau and pretended to pull his pants down to moon the crowd.
That's wrong on so many levels. While funny, still questionable. So much for a g-rated hobby.
Sorry, I was a bit unclear in my previous post - what I should have done was the following edit on Mister Beasley's post such that "...so the participants in the submarine races" so that it was clear I was referencing "submarine races" and not mooning, which as an acknowledged term goes back to the 196s0s (according to several sources), but as a "protest" or derogatory action probably goes back to when proto-humans starting walking on two legs and wearing coverings on their posteriors...
I thought the term submarine race watching was coined at least before my college days in the 1960s. Happy Days didn't come out until 1974. But, there was a recording of Submarine Race Watching in 1962 by The Escorts.
The Charles River between Cambridge and Boston could actually never have supported such activities. It wasn't deep enough to run submerged, and the numerous bridges didn't have much overhead clearance at all.
A guy tried to commit suicide off the Harvard Bridge one winter. I guess he forgot it was winter, and ended up with a broken leg as he hit the frozen river.