[ghostlland820]

After a fall hiatus, work on the Ghost Train has resumed. For the display to be effective, it needs a shock element. I want the invisible train's headlight to briefly appear while an airhorn sounds very near the trick-or-treaters. However, my yard has nothing behind which to hide a light, so I'm tinkering with the idea of putting it behind a "No Trespassing" sign that straddles the faux abandoned railroad tracks. I'll use Light-o-Rama software to synchronize the appearance of the light from behind the sign as an air horn sounds. I'm also planning to have a burst of fog around the light as it passes through the sign. This video shows my initial attempt to create a mechanism combining the light with the sign. I'll update after I get a pneumatic cylinder to move the light and figure out how to trigger a fog machine with the Light-o-Rama software.

 

[djjerme]

To add a little more realism, try to make the headlight oscillate (simulating a MARS light)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[J-Man]

Looking good! Triggering a fogger is easy if it has a manual button controller connected. Open up the control and connect a relay to the wires of the manual button. This will work 90% of the time when triggered. There may be times when the fogger is in a reheat cycle which obviously won't produce any fog when triggered.

 

[SamhainPropworks]

It's a great mechanism and a bunch of work!

Will the sign be in an entrance to a fake tunnel? I'm curious if people will understand if it is a train if it is not in context (Beyond the sound being a giveaway of course). I'm sure you have the whole thing figured out, more than anything I am simply curious

 

[ghostlland820]

It's a great mechanism and a bunch of work!

Will the sign be in an entrance to a fake tunnel? I'm curious if people will understand if it is a train if it is not in context (Beyond the sound being a giveaway of course). I'm sure you have the whole thing figured out, more than anything I am simply curious

Thanks. My goal is to make it look like an abandoned railroad line. The "No Trespassing" sign will straddle a length of abandoned track. There will be signage, other props, and sounds to indicate that it's a railroad. These are some of the other related projects:

--Crossing Signal
--Crossing Gate
--Railroad Track
--Passenger Lights
--Signs That Something's Coming

I'm also planning to have remains of a collapsed waiting shelter. Lots to make. Lots to improve.

 

[ghostlland820]

Looking good! Triggering a fogger is easy if it has a manual button controller connected. Open up the control and connect a relay to the wires of the manual button. This will work 90% of the time when triggered. There may be times when the fogger is in a reheat cycle which obviously won't produce any fog when triggered.

Thanks, J-Man. I bought a newer model, high velocity fogger that doesn't have a traditional wired remote. I think I'm stuck using its DMX input, but there's plenty of time to learn.

 

[ghostlland820]

To add a little more realism, try to make the headlight oscillate (simulating a MARS light)

It'll only flash for a second or less as it pops through the sign.