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Want to Make an HO Scale Working Drive-In Movie

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Posted by ERICSAUTO on Friday, May 21, 2010 9:01 AM

 

rs2mike
There is also one in kent/ravenna ohio and one in wadsworth ohio both run by a former flight student of mine.  the one in kent/ravenna is a 2 screen one and he uses the original (restored) commercials for the snack counter and stuff.  It is really cool.  Good price and he pumps the sound through your cars stereo.

 

We have the Holiday Drive- in here in beautiful Hamilton, Ohio

 ( Hamilton is not the end of the world but you can see it from here)

It is in real nice shape and operates 365 days a year.  Also doubles as a tour bus storage.

 

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, May 21, 2010 12:38 PM

JSperan
An interesting detail might be a carload of teens getting caught hiding in the trunk...

There was an interview with the guy who runs the Cape Cod Drive-In in Massachusetts.  They asked about kids sneaking in, and he said that he didn't care much.  He said that the film distribution company basically gets all the gate receipts, so he doesn't lose much if a few extra kids sneak in.  He makes his money from the snack bar, so more kids = more profits, particularly if they've got extra money in their pockets because they "put one over on the owner."  Yup, they sure did.

This Drive-In is a flea market in the daytime.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by GRAMRR on Friday, May 21, 2010 1:34 PM

Great thread! Thumbs Up

You've all got some great ideas and you've certainly awoken a whole lot of great memories of the "good old days."

Don't forget to add a car or two with fogged up windows! Smile,Wink, & Grin

Chuck

Grand River & Monongah Railroad and subsidiary Monongah Railway

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Posted by westshorefan on Sunday, May 23, 2010 7:47 AM

On page 118 in the March 1979 Model Railroader, is the article re building a Drive-in Movie (Passion Pit) using a under-the-table 8mm movie projector, and a periscope (two mirrors) Anyone interested, I can provide more details.

 

 

 

Westshorefan  (nearing the end of the line)

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Posted by traingeek087 on Sunday, May 23, 2010 5:48 PM

I am interested in this but i do not have the issue. Can u give more infromation on it?

Rid'n on the city of New Orleans................
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Posted by westshorefan on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 2:09 PM

Need "E" address to send article (3 pages)

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Posted by Prowler7 on Thursday, June 24, 2010 3:58 PM

ERICSAUTO
Another note is that if you are going to do this I would buy a 9" wide LCD. I think someone mentioned that and I think that would get you closer to scale. That will be my new one.

 

I saw on TigerDirect that you can get an 8.5" LCD for $80.

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Posted by jwhitten on Sunday, June 27, 2010 1:31 AM

MisterBeasley

Have you thought of visiting a "graveyard of the rusted automobiles" and finding one of those minivans with TV screens for the kids in the back?  I think that screen would be about the right size, and it would probably just need 12V DC and an audio feed.

 

You could probably just buy one brand new off ebay, cheaper than the junk man would sell you a used one, assuming he even had one. Screens and displays, even whole units with the dvd player and everything aren't that expensive anymore. Go peruse ebay and see for yourself.

 

John

Modeling the South Pennsylvania Railroad ("The Hilltop Route") in the late 50's
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Posted by jwhitten on Sunday, June 27, 2010 1:33 AM

ERICSAUTO
Here are some pictures of the drive in.

 

 

That's really nice, well done!

 

John

Modeling the South Pennsylvania Railroad ("The Hilltop Route") in the late 50's
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Posted by loathar on Sunday, June 27, 2010 9:44 AM

Milepost 266.2
tinman1

.

EM-1

I remember Walthers carried that Miller working drive-in.  IIR, it was a bit pricey.  MR qand RMC have had suggestions on using small screen pocket TVs connected to VCRs and DVD players.  I also seem to recall a suggestion that showed a couple carefully arranged mirrors to reflect a somewhat larger portable TV from under the layout onto a screen on the layout surface.

 Drive-ins aren't dead.  In fact, there is a two-screen drive-in in North Ridgeville, Ohio that still opens in the summers.

I remember going to that drive in all the time as a teenager, with a continuous stream of Conrail trains passing by, At the time I thought they were annoying. Now I'd face the truck to the tracks.

I recall seeing a commercial (Verizon IIRC) with a phone that had a projecter on it. They showed the guy projecting some movie trailer on the wall and I thought-why would anyone need something like this?Confused Guess I know now, use it for an HO drive in movie projecter. The phone should easily fit into a concession stand building and the screen could be exactly that, just a screen with nothing to hide

Dell and a few others make micro-projectors that use an LED bulb. I'm not sure how small an image you can get with it. They run around $300.

That's what I was thinking. As soon as I saw the TV ad for the new projector phone I thought HO drive in scene. The DVD players and LCD screens don't really look like a real drive in screen.

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Posted by stebbycentral on Sunday, June 27, 2010 2:28 PM

 This is what the local N-trak group has accomplished,  They are using a DVD player behind the backdrop, I believe.

 

Put your mind to it and I am sure you can do something similar.  It will take up a certain amount of space if done correctly, though.

I have figured out what is wrong with my brain!  On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!

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Posted by KidatHeart06 on Sunday, June 27, 2010 2:47 PM

 Nice. Do you know what they used for the speaker posts and speakers?  Thanks. George

Modeling the B&O in the 50-60's

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Posted by BIG JERR on Monday, June 28, 2010 7:36 AM

wow ;some nice picks . The drive in Idea seems like a good choice for a inside corner w/ tracks accross front or back . of corse I havent built any thing yet so I m just thinking out loud.....Jerry

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Posted by viperj on Friday, July 16, 2010 10:43 AM

Check utube for this and i have seen people use a dvd player screen for the movie screen in n scale before at a train show which was cool but do a search on u tube I believe I saw it there before .

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Posted by Big Boy Forever on Friday, July 16, 2010 11:27 AM

The Drive-In above with the white screen, looks like the real thing. Does it actually work? ha ha

There are several working Drive-Ins around the L.A. area.

 The modern hi-tech theatres are really great, but nothing beats driving your car into the Drive-In, finding a spot and hooking that speaker up, and watching the movie from a lawn chair or even while sitting in your car, then going to the snack bar and buying some good junk food or popcorn,

 

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