It’s been weeks ago now, but the 2024 Rocky Mountain Train Show at the National Western Complex in Denver went a lot different for your HB than last year’s event! I attended the shindig on the 2nd day this year, which is generally less well attended than the first day. In some ways that’s cool because its less crowded, but the downside is that most of the best bargains have already been grabbed.
Due to last year’s dearth of items for slot car enthusiasts that downside didn’t concern me much, so I went on Sunday with a few bills in my pocket but not really expecting to find much other than a few 3D-printer diorama enhancements and maybe some 1:64 die-casts, which would have been enough to make the trip worthwhile.
Like Indiana Jones when he went to Nepal to recover the “headpiece” from Marion Ravenwood, I got more than I bargained for!
Like last year, I met my old friend Harrison at the event. Harrison is an avid model railroad enthusiast who has an O-scale layout in his basement that your HB could take a lesson from; take a look at my visit to his basement toy room and his models and diorama here. Now-you can’t make this sh** up-as the day was growing long while we were moseying through the aisles for what I figured would be the last time before taking off, I made remark about how I’ve had an idea for a while that I would like to turn one of the infield areas of my track into a carnival area with some rides and games, since this is a popular side show at many racing tracks, especially older, European style tracks, but that I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do that because, after all, where on earth would I be able to find 1:64 scale amusement park rides and decorations?
It wasn’t 15 minutes after I made that remark that we came up to the end of an aisle that I had somehow missed repeatedly despite my frequent passes through the area, and I found THIS…
State Line Customs is the name of the company that makes these superbly detailed 3D Printer carnival rides, the quality of which blew my mind! They also blew my wallet! I walked away from his table $215 dollars poorer that day, but with the intent to buy much more! I would have, on the spot, except that-as you would expect-most of his stuff that was there on display was N, HO or O scale with very little S (1:64), but he assured he can make his other display pieces in whatever scale I wanted! I took several of his cards in addition to the wares I bought and will be contacting him shortly to get at least 2 more rides and a few more decorations to go with the sudden construction at the track! What construction? Why, the new CARNIVAL AREA, of course!
The fuel depot has now been relocated across the track to an area that wasn’t really in use, and the section of infield where the fuel tanks once were is now under construction to become the Drag City Carnival!
And HERE is what I got!
This ferris wheel, made entirely with a 3D Printer and hand-assembled, is magnificent! Mounted on a trailer with wheels to be towed by a semi, you can see the potential for this to be the anchor of the new carnival area which is now moving forward as fast as funds will allow! Note the sign indicating the entrance to the area, also provided by the same vendor. I also picked up a couple of food vendors booths that I haven’t put together yet but will be doing so soon.
The presence of the construction equipment is meant to indicate that, despite the interest and excitement the ferris wheel will generate from the crowd, this is still a restricted “hard hat only” area not yet open to the public. Rest assured, however, that in the near future those construction vehicles will have finished their work, and a new area of fun and adventure will greet the crowd!
Sharp eyes may notice in the video above that the original pedestrian gantry has been moved, and a second one has been added. There’s a lot more info on those changes coming up, because they are part of some great new additions to the diorama…with even more coming in the future! So, as always, stayed tuned, dear readers, because as you can see, the fun never stops at DRAG CITY!
I still can’t believe how you were talking about a carnval and bang, there is this guy that specializes in just that thing, on top of which, his stuff looked great! You bought some great stuff and this looks fantastic at Drag City! I’m loving it and it was a fun show!!!