Nice, interesting thread! Shakes the dust off the memory, too...
As what I'd consider a 'typical kid' of the late 40's, early 50's, I had the usual assortment of toy soldiers, plastic/metal military toys, cowboys/Indians/horses....'Western' stuff,......and, of course, my beloved Lionel trains. But it wasn't until we started hauling my older sister up to a Poconos girls' camp for the summer, making the obligatory stop at Roadside America in both directions, that I found all sorts of new inspirations for integrating my toys.
Among them was The Parade. Now, I distinctly remember a parade vignette on this iconic layout, but I'll be darned if I can find any photos of such on-line or amongst my RA paraphernalia. Any support for this memory out there?????
In any case, now that I'm older and wiser (debatable on the latter....), I find another reason for having a parade on the O scale layout.......those ubiquitous automobile CONVERTIBLES!!!! Good Lord, what is the reason for so many CONVERTIBLES among the diecast autos appropriate to the transition era, et al?????????
Anyhoo, I remember far more convertibles being celebrated and displayed in parades as I was growing up, than the number going through town, parked in neighbors' driveways, passing on highways, etc.. In fact, as I was going through my abundant accumulation of CONVERTIBLES, I decided to convert an old Walthers' Cornerstone structure....Krazy Ken's Car Town...to Krazy Ken's Konvertibles, just to have a parking place/justification for all those CONVERTIBLES!!
Oh, yes, the other take-away from Roadside America was the switchless track siding....my hobby introduction to 'Trompe l'oeil'.....Fool The Eye. Brilliant!......sidings for railcars at trackside industries without the expense/complication of operating track switches! But, that's another topic........
Always an interesting read....
KD
