#55 – September Status Report

October 9, 2011

The Big Train Project Status Report (Part 55)

In this installment we’ll look at some temporary additions to the EnterTRAINment Junction (EJ) Layout consistent with the Halloween theme most ably represented by the Jack O’Lantern Junction Halloween Event.  All of the scenes shown below are in the area around the Modern City.  As usual, the descriptions mostly follow the order in which you would see the described items as you follow the aisle in sequence from entrance to exit.

Just beyond the parking lot for the main underground subway terminal and adjacent to it, a Halloween party is underway with lots of costumed characters and, of course, some large large-scale pumpkins (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Halloween Party

Figure 1.  Halloween Party

The residential area just beyond the party field has been spruced-up for the season, and all of the houses sport some elaborate decorations (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Halloween Decorated Houses

Figure 2.  Halloween Decorated Houses

A representative example is shown in Figure 3 with its enormous scale jack-o-lantern.

Figure 3. Decorated House Details

Figure 3.  Decorated House Details

Since cemeteries are always favorite spooky haunts, the one next to the church is no exception with its ghoulish goings-on (Figure 4).

Figure 4. The Cemetery

Figure 4.  The Cemetery

The most noteworthy is a scene intended for the soccer field across from the in-layout restrooms.  It was still in work in the volunteer workshop when the following photos were taken.  It’s a superb replica of a very popular Cincinnati Halloween haunt, the Dent Schoolhouse (Figure 5), shown here still on the workbench.  Spooky lighting, moving ghosts, and a line-up of customers waiting to get are all there to add fun to the scene.  Like the lighted sign out front says, check it out at www.frightsite.com for more information.

Figure 5. The Dent Schoolhouse

Figure 5.  The Dent Schoolhouse

And, among the waiting Dent customers are some characters in costume (or are those really costumes?).  You never know what frightful offerings are part of the meant-to-scare-you entertainment at the Dent.

Figure 6. Dent Schoolhouse Customers

Figure 6.  Dent Schoolhouse Customers

Check these scenes out the next time you come to see the layout, but don’t wait until after Halloween, when they’ll probably be gone again until next year.

© 2011 Tom Bartsch
MVGRS Big Train Project Coordinator