Making Tracks
October 2024
Making Tracks October 2024
Contents:
- Halloween Train Displays
- History of Virginia Beach: Part 14
- Christmas Train Display at MacArthur Center in November
- Volunteers Welcome
- Japanese Gachapon (Capsule) Trains
- How to Get Started in Model Railroading
- Model Train Show in November
- Video of the Month
The Enchantment of Halloween Train Displays: A Whimsical Tradition
As the leaves begin to turn and the air becomes crisp, Halloween enthusiasts start to prepare for one of the most magical times of the year. Among the myriad of decorations and festivities, Halloween train displays stand out as a unique and captivating way to celebrate the spooky season. These whimsical setups combine creativity, craftsmanship, and a touch of nostalgia, enchanting both young and old alike.
Train displays have a long-standing tradition, often associated with Christmas. However, the charm of model trains has crossed seasonal boundaries, making Halloween a prime time for imaginative layouts. Enthusiasts began incorporating Halloween themes into their displays as a way to blend their love for trains with the playful spookiness of October.
Creating a Halloween train display involves a blend of creativity, planning, and attention to detail. Here are some key elements that make these displays truly special:
Halloween train displays often feature trains adorned with spooky decorations. Think ghostly locomotives, cars filled with pumpkins, and witches riding the rails. Hobbyists use paint, stickers, and model figures to transform ordinary trains into Halloween-themed masterpieces.
The layout is just as important as the trains themselves. Enthusiasts craft detailed landscapes that evoke the spirit of Halloween. Miniature haunted houses, graveyards, and forests filled with ghoulish creatures come together to create a captivating scene. The addition of LED lights can enhance the eerie atmosphere, making the display even more engaging after dark.
Many displays incorporate interactive elements to delight viewers. From spinning skeletons to animated witches, these features invite spectators to engage with the display. Some hobbyists even create sound effects, adding an auditory layer to the visual spectacle.
While many displays are found in private homes, some public venues have embraced the trend, offering larger-scale installations. Botanical gardens, parks, and train museums often host Halloween train displays, allowing families to enjoy a festive outing while marveling at the artistry involved.
For many, visiting a Halloween train display is a cherished annual tradition. The sense of wonder evoked by the intricately designed landscapes and themed trains creates a magical atmosphere. Families stroll through the displays, pointing out favorite details and enjoying the creativity on display. It’s a chance to step into a whimsical world where imagination reigns supreme.
Halloween train displays are a delightful fusion of nostalgia and creativity that capture the spirit of the season. Whether you’re a hobbyist looking to create your own layout or a family seeking a unique Halloween experience, these enchanting displays offer something for everyone. As October approaches, consider visiting a local display or even setting up your own, and immerse yourself in the spooky magic of Halloween trains. After all, this season is all about celebrating the whimsical and the extraordinary!
The Birth of Virginia Beach Part 14:
The Westerners Excursion Part 1
By Warren Leister
{Author’s notes are in brackets and italics}
Written Exclusively for Making Tracks October 2024:
From the May 8, 1877 edition of the Norfolk Virginian, Marshall Jr. is appointed by the chair of a committee of the merchants of Norfolk and Portsmouth at a special meeting to organize a reception for a group of Western merchants and businessmen who are expected to visit Norfolk shortly.
From the Richmond Dispatch dated May 10, 1877 titled "THE WESTERN BUSINESS-MEN EN ROUTE HITHERWARD," "Cincinnati, Oh. May 9. - An excursion-party numbering one hundred and fifty business-men of Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, Louisville, Indianapolis, Evansville, Peoria, Memphis, and other points in the West, left here tonight by the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad en route to the seaboard. The party will reach Richmond, Va. on Friday. The tour will embrace all principle cities on the seaboard between Richmond and Charleston."
From Norfolk Virginian Excursionists dated May 30, 1877 titled "THE SOUTHERN EXCURSIONISTS, How the Louisville Delegations Participated in the Festivities of the Journey, PLEASANT REMEMBRANCES OF VIRGINIA," "Correspondence of the Courier-Journal. NORFOLK, VA., May 16, 1877.-The ‘Great Central Dispatch’ excursion party, composed of merchants and businessmen from Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis and other cities of the West and Northwest, bide adieu to their hospitable entertainers in Richmond, Va., at six clock Monday morning, and embarked on the steamer Eliza Hancox for a day's trip to Norfolk on the bosom of the historic James river. The party had been augmented by the addition of some fifteen to twenty gentlemen of Richmond and half as many ladies, who joined us for a holiday excursion. ...”
“The James River steamers are not built like a Western steamboat, neither are they like an ocean steamer but a kind of cross between the two. They are less striking in appearance than our boats, as quite one-half of the establishment is under water, and consequently out of sight. You don't go aboard them and ascend a broad staircase through a crowd of Italian orange women {research indicates that this was likely a popular decorative wall paper of the period}, but you wind around through the baggage and machinery and ask some one ‘which is the way up stairs,' and are pointed to the narrow staircase with a brass carpet in it which leads you into the cabin, or into one of the cabins. You can wind around and go on up to three or four more cabins, all alike, if you choose to do so. I did not succeed in getting perfectly familiar with the 'geography' of the steamer we were on, there being so many narrow, winding ways, and so many cabins all alike. These boats, have but one chimney, like our ferryboats, but the machinery is said to be much more powerful, and I know their speed is nearly twice as great as that of a Western boat. The great 'walking beam' {this is a prominent design feature of early American steam engines that employ a walking, or pumping back and forth, drive shaft that transfers power between the stream engine piston and the paddle wheel that rotates to propel the boat through the water} projects above the roof, and see-saws up and down noiselessly, propelling the vessel at the rate of twenty miles an hour.”
“We sailed down the broad {James} river, past the spacious wharves of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company {downtown Richmond, Va}, with ships from all quarters of the globe receiving freight, were pointed to the old Mayo mansion {known today as the Taylor–Mayo House, also known as the Mayo Memorial Church House. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973}, with the antiquated graveyard near by, where it is said the famous Indian chief Powhatan is buried {it was believed in the nineteenth century that Powhatan was buried in the city of Richmond at the indicated location, today it's believed with some certainty that Powhatan's burial mound is located on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation in King William County, Va. where the remains were relocated by his brother, Opchanacanough}, and near which also is said to be the spot where Pocahontas saved the life of Captain John Smith {The famous story of Pocahontas saving Captain John Smith’s life is a captivating tale from American history. According to one version, Smith was exploring new territory, something he did a lot of in those days, when he was captured by Powhatan’s people. Positioned on the ground with his head on a stone, Smith faced imminent death at the hands of indigenous warriors. Suddenly, Powhatan’s young daughter, Pocahontas, appeared and threw herself over Smith, protecting him. Moved by her actions, Powhatan relented and allowed Smith to go free. Pocahontas went on to become fast friends with Smith and his fellow settlers, aiding the English colony of Jamestown in Tidewater Virginia during its early years. While some historians doubt the accuracy of this account, we do know that Pocahontas was a real person whose help likely saved the colonists at Jamestown from starvation. The exact spot of this hypothetical event remains a mystery, but the story endures as a testament to courage and compassion and has neither been proven or dis-proven today}. We steamed through the Dutch Gap Canal which the Federal soldiers kindly cut during the war for the improvement of the James river {Dutch Gap Canal is located on the James River in Chesterfield County, Virginia just north of the lost 17th-century town of Henricus. The canal's construction was initiated by Union forces during the American Civil War to bypass a meander loop of the river around a former peninsula now known as Farrar's Island that was controlled by Confederate artillery. The canal was more formally completed after the war and is now the main channel of the James River in this area}, and where they found ‘Uncle Robert’ with his columbiads {a columbiad is a large-caliber, smoothbore, muzzle-loading cannon able to fire heavy projectiles, the reference to 'Uncle Robert' is likely to Robert E. Lee a famous general and the overall commander of the Confederate Army indicating that these cannon were being manned by Confederates} trained to sweep their ranks as soon as the last spadeful of earth was removed and the waters of the James river rushed in to complete the excavation."
"Further down the river we reached City Point, where the exchange of prisoners was made during the war. We passed Harrison's Landing, the scene of McClellan's embarkation after his defeat {George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 1862. He was also an engineer, and before the war was chief engineer and vice president of the Illinois Central Railroad, and later president of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad in 1860, the reference about McClellan's defeat has to do with the end of the 'Seven Days Battles' in what was over all called the ‘Peninsula Campaign’ when Confederate forces eventually under the command of General Robert E. Lee stopped McClellan from his mission of entering Richmond and capturing it for the Union}, and the old 'Harrison mansion,' {aka today as the ‘Berkeley Plantation’, one of the first plantations in America, comprised of about 1,000 acres on the banks of the James River on State Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia, it was one of the first three-story brick mansions in Virginia, it is the ancestral home of two presidents of the United States: William Henry Harrison, who was born there in 1773 and his grandson Benjamin Harrison. It is now a museum open to the public} where, according to the statement of the captain of our vessel, every President from Washington down to and including Buchanan had been entertained in old Virginia style.” {today it's recognized that the first 10 U. S. presidents were on the property enjoying the Harrison family hospitality at some point: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison (who was born on the property), and John Tyler who lived nearby, are all known to have visited Berkeley}
“About 1 o'clock it was announced that we were in sight of Jamestown, the first settlement in Virginia. We expected, of course, to see something of a village, but not a trace is to be seen. The unhealthiness and unsuitableness of the location for a town caused it to be abandoned long since, except as a landing, and no trace of settlement is visible. We were shown the ruins of the old brick chapel, which was built in 1608, or thereabouts, only a part of the tower with the doorway now standing, almost obscured by the shrubbery which has grown up around it. It is said that in this old chapel young Rolfe and Pocahontas were married in 1621. {It’s believed today that John Rolfe and Pocahontas were married in 1614, not 1621, and it's uncertain exactly where the wedding took place though the church at Jamestown would be a good guess. Their union marked an important moment in early American history, as it symbolized a bridge between the English settlers and the indigenous Powhatan people} The old graveyard is still to be seen with its ancient tombstones; but our stay at the landing was momentary, and none of us went ashore for closer inspection. Our landing was effected to take on board a delegation of citizens of Norfolk, who had come up the river to meet us and offer the hospitalities of the city to the 'Western men.' (Virginians do nothing half way. When they know a guest in coming they don't wait for him to come and ring the door-bell; but they watch for his his coming, and rush down and open the gate for him.) Our meeting with the delegation from Norfolk was without formality. They did not bombard us with any {formal} speeches; there was simply general introductions and friendly conversation.”
End of Part 14
This concludes “Birth of Virginia Beach Part 14” the next installment, Part 15, will be published in November, 2024.
Holiday Display Opening
November 15, 2024 !
Second Floor, MacArthur Center
Volunteers welcome: Sign up here!!
Japanese Gachapon (Capsule) Trains
By Dave Pecota
I have spent over 30 years researching, operating, collecting (and more recently) writing about trains of all kinds. A “journey” that has taken me (at least in spirit) all over the world. While doing some online research about toy train manufacturers several years ago, I stumbled onto several videos from Japanese vloggers regarding “gachapon” (capsule) trains that were dispensed from vending machines. I was immediately intrigued.
“Gachapon” refers to the sound a capsule dispensing machine makes as you twist the dial (“ga-cha”) and hear the capsule drop (“pon”). This type of vending machine was developed in the US primarily to dispense gumballs, peanuts or super-cheap toys in tiny plastic capsules. These machines are still found in the US, but their popularity has been waning in recent years. In 1977, the Japanese company Bandai adopted the vending machine concept, using bigger machines to dispense much larger capsules that contained costlier but more profitable toys. Bandai termed these capsule toys “gashapon” and trademarked the name in Japan. Following Bandai’s success with this new genre, other makers soon entered the market and modified the name into the widely used generic term “gachapon” to avoid legal entanglements.
Many Japanese children who grew up in the 1970’s and 1980’s never stopped collecting gachapon items when they became adults. In the last 10-15 years, gachapon has become primarily an adult cultural phenomenon unique to Japan. (Collectors have paid as much as $1,000 for vintage gachapon pieces.) The love of gachapon is also consistent with the Japanese fondness for miniature things, like those remarkable bonsai trees. Dispensing machines now appear nearly everywhere in Japanese cities. Stores devoted entirely to row upon row of capsule dispensing machines … sometimes stacked 4 high … are commonly seen in shopping districts, malls and transportation centers. Capsule prices range from 100 to 500 yen (approximately $1 to $5). Aside from toys, capsules can also contain items such as smartphone covers, realistically painted animals, sculptures based on ancient Japanese paintings and yes, even erotic figures. Each machine is devoted to a single theme. Toy trains are one of the popular themes.
Of course, any “serious” discussion of Japanese toy trains must include the Tomy Plarail system. Tomy’s founder Eiichiro Tomiyama began making tin toys in 1924. The company was incorporated in 1953 as Tomy Company Ltd, and during that time switched to making toys from plastic. Tomy started development of the Plarail railway system in the late 1950’s, and has been successfully selling this system of motorized trains and track since the early 1960’s. Plarail has legions of dedicated fans of all ages, all over the globe.
In 1977, Tomy began making wind-up toys with the introduction of the now iconic Rascal Robot (see photo). Tomy’s ability to perfect the design and production of miniature gear mechanisms resulted in the sales of a dazzling variety of inexpensive wind-up toys including walking shoes, hopping frogs and chattering teeth. So, it seemed natural that Tomy would eventually combine its wind-up motor technology with the Japanese love of Plarail and gachapon. The company released the first set of wind-up Capsule Plarail (CP) trains under the Takara-Tomy brand early in 1999. Those of you familiar with the Plarail System will find Capsule Plarail to be a miniature version of this popular system. The CP locomotives and rolling stock are generally 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches long, and the track sections are molded in the same “Plarail blue” plastic.
As I watched the Japanese language videos about these tiny trains, their distinctive whirring sound and animated movements were not only entertaining but quite impressive technically. (Although I had absolutely no idea what the video hosts were saying.)
Individual CP gachapon capsules usually cost 200 yen ($2) and may contain locomotives (wind-up or static), rolling stock, vehicles, track, bridges, turntables, tunnels, buildings or other accessories … and of course, include a fold-out catalog. Capsules containing a piece of rolling stock also include a section of track. Some capsules contain only track sections.
Capsule Plarail is equivalent to N-Scale in model railroading. Indeed, model railroad enthusiasts in Japan often adapt CP locomotives and rolling stock to fit N-Scale sub-frames as a cost-effective method to add items that may not be available through N-Scale sources. Likewise, CP layouts often contain accessories made for N-Scale users, while circumventing the cost and complexities of layout “electrification”.
Each different Capsule Plarail set consists of 14 to 18 different items including varying combinations of powered and unpowered locomotives, rolling stock, track sections and accessories. However, gachapon machine dispensing is totally randomized. You can choose the machine’s theme, but not a specific item within that theme. Machine restocking is also randomized. A particular machine will not always contain the entire range of items associated with each set, and will likely contain duplicate items. New sets are produced every few months. In Capsule Plarail, there can be up to a dozen new sets each year. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the wind-up locomotives are the most difficult items to “win” from a dispensing machine. Clearly the marketing goal is to keep customers coming back repeatedly to get the items they want in a specific set, before the next new set appears.
As a result, the gachapon train hobby requires a level of patience and determination far beyond that imposed by budgetary limits alone. For Japanese fans, the timing of purchases plays a major role in determining which items they acquire. (“Do you feel lucky today?”) These challenges encourage networking with other fans, as trading is highly useful in building layouts without excessive item duplication.
As you might expect from a toy series that has been in continuous production for over 25 years, many design and detail revisions have taken place along the way. A significant track coupler revision took place in 2002, so the earliest track does not couple with later track. Likewise, train couplers were modified over time to help prevent unwanted decoupling. So not all couplers couple well with other couplers. The addition of moving side rods on the wind-up steam locos began in 2004, which give a whimsical animation to the operation of these trains. Detail changes in the locomotives, rolling stock and accessories can occur in almost every new set.
By far, the largest and most popular segment of Capsule Plarail is the Thomas & Friends series, which was first released in February 2000. Thomas is exceedingly popular in Japan. He even has his own theme park! Starting with only 2 different sets in 2000, the 50thdifferent Thomas CP set milestone was reached in 2013, and new sets are released each year. (The set #100 milestone has reportedly been achieved recently as well.)
In 2003, some of the Thomas & Friends locomotives were sold in the USA and UK in special holiday themed capsules as a limited series, but no track or accessories were available. (No gachapon vending machines were imported either. The capsules had protruding “feet” so they could stand on store shelves.)
The Thomas CP series is notable for the abundant use of stickers and its many operating accessories. Although the locomotives are ready to run immediately after removal from their capsules, most come with a sheet of stickers to complete the aesthetic details of each character. Application of these tiny stickers can be diabolically difficult and time-consuming even for the steadiest hands, to get the correct locations and alignments.
The operating accessories are perhaps the most endearing aspect of the Thomas & Friends series. As the trains speed around the track, drawbridges rise and fall, gates open, carnival Ferris wheels spin and railcars shake when they pass over intentionally bumpy bridges. Tomy even produced miniature operating gachapon vending machines (shown here) that dispense tiny capsules, just like their real-world brethren.
My preferred segment of Capsule Plarail features toy versions of actual Japanese trains, commonly dispensed under the Yujin brand (a subsidiary of Tomy). Although, the Shinkansen (“bullet trains”) are the most recognized Japanese trains globally, capsule sets include city commuter trains, freight trains, rotary snow plows and fantasy trains from pop culture themes like anime’ and Disney. To me, the “crown jewel” of this entire segment is the Tokyo airport monorail set. This tiny wind-up monorail is a remarkably detailed representation of its namesake system, even in the way it operates on its “beamway”. For this set, the standard CP track is molded in gray plastic and modified for vertical use with special support pylons and pre-formed track curvature.
Undoubtedly the most unusual CP railway set was the 3-dimensional Tokyo subway “map” of 2018. Capsules contained tiny tubular “sticks” and 4-point hub connectors, but no trains or accessories. When all the tubes and hubs were properly assembled, you had a color-coded, 3-D depiction of the entire Tokyo subway system. With all its bends and twists, the assembly looks very “organic”... like the circulatory system of some mysterious creature. (Godzilla perhaps?) It took Tomy designers 10 years to get this set approved and ready for production. Although many folks at Tomy thought that the concept was doomed from the start, it quickly and unexpectedly became a total sell-out. (The Pet Rock of toy trains?)
When adapted for locomotive use, Tomy’s wind-up mechanisms usually provide sufficient “stored power” to allow a 3-piece train to circulate once or twice around a moderately sized layout. However, there are options to minimize the need to continually pick up and rewind the motors. There is a mechanical winding accessory that attaches to a special section of track. You flip the signal on the track to stop the train. After engaging a small clamp, you crank the winding handle. When rewinding is complete, you release the clamp and the train speeds off (usually).
Layouts can also be upgraded with the addition of battery-powered locomotives, which eliminate the need for any winding. These locos are extremely scarce and sought after. They can be recognized by the on/off switch protruding from the loco’s roof. A battery-powered boxcar was also released shortly after the start of the Thomas series. The boxcar coupled behind an unpowered locomotive and pushed the train around the track. Reportedly this early attempt at motorizing was not successful … lots of derailments … so the boxcar never appeared in subsequent sets.
Due to the popularity of gachapon train sets with collectors, it was inevitable that some special edition items would be produced. In 2010, shiny metallic paint locomotives and vehicles were included in Thomas & Friends sets and packaged with selected Thomas DVDs. Metallic gold city train locos were also released as promotional items. These locos have now become quite valuable (as much as $40 to $50 each). In addition, Tomy partnered with the convenience store company Circle K to produce some limited production trains, only available at those stores. Several track-only sets were sold exclusively by Plarail dealers, but these sets were quite expensive ($150 to $350) so as not to discourage vending machine sales.
Capsule Plarail sets occupy a relatively economical niche in the “operating” toy train world, but they pose some unique challenges both within and outside of Japan. I was able to establish some personal connections with Japanese dealers and collectors to assist in purchasing items. Fortunately, I was allowed to select specific items and sets, rather than being left at the mercy of those heartless gachapon machines. The language differences are also a challenge. Virtually all the associated printed material, books and catalogs require translation. Therefore, I would like to give special thanks to Gretchen Kriss and Hart Larrabee for their invaluable help in performing the translating duties that made this article possible.
Photo Gallery
Figure 1 – original Tomy wind-up “Rascal Robot”
Figure 2 – USA/UK market exclusive holiday capsule with Thomas wind-up locomotive
Figure 3 – Thomas & Friends gachapon train layout with accessories
Figure 4 – miniature operating gachapon dispensing machines
Figure 5 – Yujin wind-up trains
Figure 6 – Yujin battery-powered trains & LE gold wind-up locomotive
Figure 7 – Yujin Tokyo wind-up airport monorail on beamway
How to Get Started in Model Railroading
Model Railroad Train Show in Virginia Beach
Video of the Month
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