Be sure to consult our Buyer's Guide & Fakes Database before purchasing a carousel figure. Each day, more and more knock-offs come on the market. Some look old but looks can be deceiving. Become an informed buyer.
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Miniature Carousel Builders Corner
Each month a different beautiful miniature carousel will be featured here. Building plans and assistance is available to members of the Miniature Carousel Builders. Persons interested in joining the MCB may contact President, Ken Adams, 736 S. Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201 or e-mail Ken at Kadams@innernet.net. New members are ALWAYS welcome!
 This month we are featuring an interesting and unusual miniature carousel built by Robert "Bob" Curran of Rhode Island. Back in 1994, Bob was employed by the city of Pawtucket, RI and worked in the City Park Building. The city purchased the 1895 Loof Carousel in 1910 which is located in Slater Memorial Park and during his employment with the city, Bob operated, maintained and restored the carousel, piece by piece, While sanding and repairing, he found the rounding board design under about 10 layers of paint.
In 1995, Bob built a one inch scale model of the 1895 Loof Carousel. It features the details of the full scale restored carousel as it was in 1995 during its 100th anniversary, e.g color scheme, picture panels and rounding board scenes, lights, number of animals, chariots and band organ. Hundreds of measurements and photographs were taken of the full scale carousel to provide the information needed to make the model.
 
THE DETAILS:
- Base: 48" square
- Carousel: 44" Diameter; 24" Height
- Eighteen sweeps, three rows
- Type: Stationery
- Lights: 54 clear lights
- Replica: 1" scale model of 1895 Loof Carousel
There is a menagerie of 50 animals hand carved by Debbie Martinez, Texas from pictures of the full scale carousel. (The hand carved animals replaced earlier ceramic animals.) Bob hand painted the animals, and 36 pictures of nature scenes on the rounding board and panels to match the originals. The back side of the rounding boards have scroll work. He built and painted the wooden chariots and used wood filler on the sides to create the original design. The seats are foam with a fabric covering.
 
The main gear is made of a sewing machine belt and a spline that turns the machine from almost a complete stop to about 10 rpm, although it is run at 6 rpm like the big machine. Also, there is a unit that slowly starts the model automatically and after a complete circuit, it slows the carousel to a full stop, then completes the cycle again.
 There is a six-inch wooded band organ, built and painted by Bob, that plays carousel music.
Bob has displayed this carousel at the Chambersburg Mall, PA, Knoebels Amusement Park, Hershey Amusement Park, and City Hall, Pawtucket, R. I.
Note: Pictures and/or articles of this carousel have been featured in the CAROUSEL NEW & TRADER, November 1996,
July 1997, November 1997, and March 2001.
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