GHOST TRAIN 2005

SOUTH KITSAP COMMUNITY PARK

Scene Descriptions

Special Notes:
     Lighting - Tiki Torches & solar lights

1.  Depot:
    
Decorations:  Nothing scary.  This year I used Creepy Cloth and fake barbed wire.  We also used a large air powered Grim Reaper archway that the line could walk through.

2.  Hitchhiking Ghouls:
        Two hitchhiking ghouls.  They stared out holding a sign that said "Disneyland or Bust" but as it got darker they would ask for a ride and then yell out comments about "That's the wrong way" or "there are scary things in the woods"

3.  Witches:
     
Three witches.  Best to wear some bright colors, not just black as they can be difficult to see in the darkness.
        Props included a large plastic cauldron, large witch broom, latex cat, gargoyle, and larger rats.

4.  Lone ghoul & Picnicking ghoul couple:
    
Ghoul is a volunteer that brings her own items.  She basically stands in the darkness and slowly walks out to the view of the train.
       The picnicking ghoul couple needs a dress nice, bright picnic blanket or bright plastic table cloth; ghoulish wine glasses and bowl.  Added a couple jack-o-lanterns for lighting.

5.  Jack-o-lantern patch:
    
Need lots of jack-o-lanterns!  We had more than 50.  To mass produce them, saw off the tops and use a key hole saw to cut out features.  Don't use the tops in the patch, they just get in the way and don't give off as much light.  We used 3 long burning votives per pumpkin that burn 4-5 hours.   Signs in the patch include "Pumpkin Carver."   At the track split, there is also a sign that reads "Mine - Do not Enter", just past the patch is the last sign "Abandon Hope All who Enter."   I tried to find someone to volunteer as the Pumpkin Carver but didn't have any takers this year.

6.  Skeleton yard:
    
There is a sign that reads "Miners Rest" and this starts out the skeleton yard.  These are the cheap plastic skeletons you can find at Big Lots around August/September.  (they are called Blucky's).  We set the skeletons in silly poses along the tracks so they can be seen, they each get their own spot light.

7.  Ghost Crossing:
 
      There is a sign that reads "Ghost Crossing" at the trail that crosses the tracks.  We had four ghosts this year.  It is recommended that the ghosts wear white clothes with black shoes, black does not show in the darkness.  We provided the ghosts with neon glow necklaces.  These show up as moving rings in the dark as the train approaches.  The ghosts walk along the tracks.

8.  Cemetery:
    
This is our most elaborate scene.  We have many tombstones made of plywood of various sizes.  These were spray painted black and had white painted epitaphs on them.  Other tombstones were Styrofoam purchased at Big Lots.  We added plastic skeleton heads, arms, legs and hands around the ground.  This year we added an iron fence cut into sections so they were light and easy to load on the train.  A fake chain with skeleton heads was wired onto the fence.  We made an archway from PVC pipe and at the top added a gargoyle.  The gargoyle was made from a cheap plastic wall hanger.  We filled it with expanding foam in layers and allowed it to dry between layers.  There was also a coffin with a blucky skeleton and two rats inside all of these had light up LED eyes powered with a 6 volt battery.  Two grave digging ghouls completed the scene.

9.  Vampires:
    
A girl and boy vampire were outfitted under a tree with a coffin.  There was a large latex bat hung above the coffin.

10.  Mad scientist
     
Table covered with Creepy Cloth for lab props: Giant hand, latex crow & rat, and head. 
        The electric chair was made from 4x4's and plywood and orange lights that run around the edges.  There is another light strip that runs to an old aluminum light shield for the electric skull cap.  A bone switch is used on the side for looks.  The lights plug into a power strip attached to the back of the chair.  This plugs into a power converter that is hooked to a mobile auto booster pack.
        Frankenstein's monster sits in the chair.  The monster is made from a dress form wearing coveralls with a manikin head that is attached.   Fake legs are old prosthetic legs/feet; arms are made from aluminum dryer hose, large plastic monster hands and feet are added and a Frankenstein mask is placed on the head.
        Two people are used in this scene.  One is the mad scientist and the other his/her assistant.   The scientists wears a lab coat and can stand closer to the train track semi-behind a tree.  When the train approaches, step out and say loudly "welcome to my lab, Igor, the switch!"  The lab assistant than turns on the lights the electric chair.  As the train departs, someone can yell "OH NO, the monster, he has escaped.  BEWARE of the monster!"

11.  Torture room:
      
This is a static scene.  We use two canvas flats painted to look like a dungeon.  These are angled together to form a corner.  Added is a manacled skeleton hanging on one and a giant spider on the other.  Hanging from the trees is a skeleton in a cage, this was made from PVC pipe and plywood.  A caged skull is hanging on the other side of the scene and a latex skeleton hanging from the branches.  Other props include a cauldron and axe.  A single torch is added in the front of the scene for lighting.

12.  Frankenstein's monster in the bushes:
      
This is a person willing to wear a Frankenstein mask who just pops up in the bushes as the train goes by. 

13.  Spider and web:
      
A large electric air spider is used on the ground, power is run via extension cord from the train facility.  A huge spider web is strung between the trees.  We added a skeleton wrapped in plastic wrap and webbing to the web and several large bendy spiders.  A sign reading "Bio-Tech Research" was hanging on a tree.

14.  Mutants in compound:
      
Two mutants are behind the fence to the train compound.  They act as though trying to escape.

15.   Bio-Tech Lab parking lot:
      
A sign is posted at the parking lot that reads "Bio-Tech Lab Parking Only"

16.  Lattails Stand:
      
This was a static scene with a Lattails stand manned by a skeleton hung on a pole that was stuck in the ground.  A table with two chairs, a fake witch and her companion sat there.  The other props included a cauldron and a large rat on the stand.

17.  Trolls at bridge:
      
Three trolls, each with trollish masks.  We had a fire pit set up with a footed cauldron, bones spread around but it is set back off the tracks and harder to see in the dark.  The trolls moved closer to the tracks and made up their own routine that worked great.