Scale model plans for funfairs?

Not sure exactly if you mean a street fair or a carnival, or whatever, but in HO scale Faller, IHC, Vollmer and others all offer a number of kits suitable for modeling street fairs, amusment parks, carnivals, whatever (Walthers used to lump these all in a separate 'Circus' section in their catalog, but no longer does). Rides, concession, stages, sideshows are all available, but as may be expected tend to have a distinct 'Central European' feel to them (no surprize there). If you don't have a Walthers Catalog, then check the on-line shop (which you probably know already, but just in case:

It sounds like a difference in meaning between different cultures. The "Funfair" I mean is one which usually is on the road, visiting small towns, providing a number of exiting rides for kids of all ages. There are some permanent places in UK holiday areas, but overall, the glory days are gone, since the Victorian era. Therefore examples rides I am interested in are "Waltzers", "Hobby Horse" rides, and even one whose name I cannot recall, where you climb to the top of a tower and slide down the outside of it in a spiral. This probably has long since been disposed of in favour of more exciting ones. Thanks for these links.

Pheep

I don't know of sources of plans but Langley Miniatures had a range of fairground kits in 1/76th scale. They have a web site that might be worth a look.

Gordon McLaughlin

Helter-Skelter

We still have the travelling "sideshows" or carnivals here in outback Australia ,that travel from town to town.

Our annual rural show is actually a travelling one which starts in one town and week by week moves to the next until finally ending in Darwin. We just add our own local content by way of business displays etc.

There is also a circus or two that still operates in the same way.

What you call fun fairs (events with rides, games, food, entertainment, etc. that travel from area to area) have several names in the US (at least New York), either Street Fairs, Carnivals, or (especially when sponsored by Italian Civic Organizations) 'Feasts' - there may be other terms, but the meaning is the same. I think the name you general find on the equipment (trucks/trailers) usually includes the word Carnival, and indeed one term for the guys who work these fairs is 'Carnie' These rides are often pretty impressively engineered, as the wide bumper car rides, and the tall Ferris Wheels, and the massive octopus/swingers/whirlers have to be packed up basically in one US street legal trailer (

get the parlors open, boys, here come the marks. and just like the circus, yelling "hey rube" will bring a horde of carnies to fight fires or drunks.

Hi Pheep,

I don't know if there are "suppliers" but there is a "supplier." at .

Best wishes, Frank

Pheep wrote: