Hey all, my son wants to put a Drive-in movie theater on his layout. My question is, what would the dimensions for the movie screen for HO scale? I plan on printing out a photo from his ( I love toy trains) video and glueing it to the screen.
Drive-in movie
- Thread starter Scoobie
- Start date
Its depend oif the size of the theater (how many cars). The smallest screens were about 10 m in width (30 feet) and for normal movies (old time) the ratio of the screen is 1.3 (i.e. 7,7m height). In cinemascope movies the ratio is almost 3.
Anything between is OK.
Anything between is OK.
I think this is a case for "whatever looks right". Have you thought about putting in a working screen? Maybe one of those portable DVD players poking up through the layout? 
Andrew
Andrew
OH MAN!!!!!! that is a great idea, Andrew. I'll have to do a little shoppin for this. That would be so nice. My wife's startin to think I'm going over board on this. Now I'll prove to her that I AMbounce7 Thanks for the idea:thumb:
Now that's one hell of an idea! I hanen't even seen the "pro's" in the magazines do that. ( but then I've only been reading 'em for a coupla years)
walthers had one listed in their sale flyer a few years a go, ho scale drive in complete with dvd player and screen to scale. it was a costly item to purchase they still might carry them
It's an old idea--at least one model railroader in the Sixties used a Super 8 projector and a tiny screen to project home movies. The advent of small LCD screens definitely expands the possibilities for integrating video with our model railroads. There is a book on animation and model railroads out there by Kalmbach that talks about how to use video screens to add "live" action to the inside of HO scale buildings!
Thanks guys, I will look in to this futher with out a doubt. I'll let you all know how it turns out. Thanks again for the ideas.:thumb:
Scott
Scott
sign1 sign1 sign1 Andrew.... you better hope that Scoobie's wife doesn't get your phone number 
You might get an earful
You might get an earful
Drive-In Movie Theater
I saw a drive-in movie theater that incorporated a small flat screen TV set built into the side of a mountain on an HO modular layout. The mountain absorbed the remainder of the TV set and the TV screen was framed to resemble the construction of the old movie screen. It looked pretty authentic with the snack bar in the center and the posts with hanging speakers at every spot. Even the movie they were showing was from the 1950s. It certainly was an attention getter!
Let us know what you decide to do.
-Ed
I saw a drive-in movie theater that incorporated a small flat screen TV set built into the side of a mountain on an HO modular layout. The mountain absorbed the remainder of the TV set and the TV screen was framed to resemble the construction of the old movie screen. It looked pretty authentic with the snack bar in the center and the posts with hanging speakers at every spot. Even the movie they were showing was from the 1950s. It certainly was an attention getter!
Let us know what you decide to do.
-Ed
OK guys, although I haven't run this be my wife
thanks N Gauger, I've been thinking about it all day. Not much done at work either I'm thinking about a 5 to 7 " dvd player and I'll build a concession building that goes over the base of DVD player concealing all the DVD player buttons and etc. Then I'll be able to lift it off when I need to.
thanks N Gauger, I've been thinking about it all day. Not much done at work either I'm thinking about a 5 to 7 " dvd player and I'll build a concession building that goes over the base of DVD player concealing all the DVD player buttons and etc. Then I'll be able to lift it off when I need to.Blair line has a kit. http://www.blairline.com/bldgkits/
Also check this out for a working one:
http://www.elivermore.com/photos/model_railroad.htm
Also check this out for a working one:
http://www.elivermore.com/photos/model_railroad.htm
Thanks for all the help guys. Mrs Scoobie looked at me kinda funny when I told her about the idea. I took thay as a NO!:cry: So I ordered one off the web site Will gave. Maybe on the next layout. Thank again!!!!:thumb:
Scott
Scott
Faller announced an HO drive in with LCD screen at the 2006 Nurnberg show. Should be available from Walthers later this year
lol i build one years ago using a b/w tv hooked up to videoplayer(beta even)
was one of the `rover' 6" b/w portables that ran off a car battery, a stack of d cells or a mains plugpack
i also used the `forrested hill behind the screen' idea to hide the guts of the tv
it may not have been `scale' but i liked it
modern lcd screens opens up lots of possibilites-esp with portable dvd players being so cheap
the `giant operator' even gets to watch for free ;-)
another thing to think of is burning custum dvds for the drive in-adds for the sunday special steam excursion etc etc
was one of the `rover' 6" b/w portables that ran off a car battery, a stack of d cells or a mains plugpack
i also used the `forrested hill behind the screen' idea to hide the guts of the tv
it may not have been `scale' but i liked it
modern lcd screens opens up lots of possibilites-esp with portable dvd players being so cheap
the `giant operator' even gets to watch for free ;-)
another thing to think of is burning custum dvds for the drive in-adds for the sunday special steam excursion etc etc
I realize that this is an old message, so the following information may be irrelevant: There is a drive-in kit up for auction on ebay. It's not mine; I just saw it.
Thanks Old n Weary, I ended up making one myself. Didn't turn out to bad, if I do say so myself. I'll take a look at the one on ebay.
Thanks again:thumb:
I'll take a look at the one on ebay.Thanks again:thumb:
You can buy a black and white surveilance TV with a camera for $20 to $30. You can hook up a DVD/VCR (another $20 to $30, but I've seen them for $10), .... OR you can use the camera that comes with it and conceal it in your station and show the trains as they arrive and depart.
