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The trials and tribulations of my latest adventure with one of my MOCs.
..... if you would rather skip the rambling...... the pics can be found
here
This past weekend I had the pleasure of participating in my first train show.
At one end of the display it was decided to have a kids area where they could
build. There was to be a small loop to run a train. I requested the middle
section of that track for a condensed version of a theme park, because I thought
that the kids would really get a kick out of seeing the rides.
When the park was nearly completed, my kids ask “Are you going to get them
running soon?”
ME? Get them running?? That will mean motors and bushes and gears... OH MY!!
I tell them gently but firmly “The rides are not going to move”... as looks of
disappointment cross their faces, I quickly realise, a fair that doesn’t have
moving rides is just not going to cut it.
So with great amounts of guidance from my oldest son, I reluctantly agree to
motorized the ferris wheel. Surprisingly, once we get that one moving, I get
hooked, and together we work on getting the other 6 rides running.
Never having participated in a train show before this event, and never having to
move my MOC very far the idea of building modular didn’t even enter my head.
Lessons learned...
A cumbersome size MOC with underdeveloped structure holding a top heavy design,
mixed with a 8 hour drive on a major freeway..... I *should* have known that
this can only spell disaster. Well sure enough, by the time I arrived in
Ottawa, the fair had taken quite a beating.
Then in a moment of graceful elegance I drop the rcx resulting it its
programming being wiped clean. Ah brilliant!!
With some help and parts loaned out from other members we quickly put some of
the rides on battery boxes and feed the others from a regulator.
Unfortunately, the rebuild just didn’t have the same integrity the original
design had, mainly because of two reasons. One, I couldn’t really recall
exactly how it supposed to go back together, and two, there is a bit of a time
crunch. Deep down knowing fully that the design is now flawed and very
unstable, I pretend that it’s fine, and run the monorail as it should have run,
only to have it come crashing through the park, wiping out a few other rides
with it as well. Well this is the point where you either pack it in or have a
good laugh, and just shake your head at your own stupidity. Of course, the
laughter begins.
Apparently the fair was doomed from the beginning, because by the end of the
show, when it was oh so carefully carried out to my vehicle it collapse
completely in this grand moment of slow-motion domino effect disaster resulting
in a huge round of laughter.... I must say, I have never seen one of my MOCs die
such a graceful death.
Janey “(Apparently I should stick to building houses) Red Brick”
A moment of silence for the figs that were knock from their seats, and a round
of applause for ParLUGment for putting up with my self-destructing theme park.
You guys totally rock!!!
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