Slot Cars and Scalextric

[DJ Dangerous]

Anybody here on the forum into slot car / Scalextric type layouts?

I guess there’s not a huge crossover between 1/43 (O Gauge) railways and 1/32 (Gauge 1) slot cars, but it’s always struck me as a veritable option for moving vehicles on a layout…

…Unless you have some of Bowaters 1/32 Irish stock sitting around, then it’s perfect!

Then there’s the slot car racing side of things itself, the cars, the racing, the layouts, the dioramas.

Some builders put incredible effort into the detail of the layout, whereas others focus on the accuracy of the cars, while some just want to go fast.

And some builds are not cheap:

https://www.slotmods.com/gallery

Any thoughts or comments appreciated, whether exclusively slot car racing, or integrating them with railways, or adapting railway-related vehicles to move via slot based systems.

[Horsetan]

47 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Anybody here on the forum into slot car / Scalextric type layouts?

I guess there’s not a huge crossover between 1/43 (O Gauge) railways and 1/32 (Gauge 1) slot cars, but it’s always struck me as a veritable option for moving vehicles on a layout…

…Unless you have some of Bowaters 1/32 Irish stock sitting around, then it’s perfect!

Then there’s the slot car racing side of things itself, the cars, the racing, the layouts, the dioramas.

Some builders put incredible effort into the detail of the layout, whereas others focus on the accuracy of the cars, while some just want to go fast.

And some builds are not cheap:

https://www.slotmods.com/gallery

Any thoughts or comments appreciated, whether exclusively slot car racing, or integrating them with railways, or adapting railway-related vehicles to move via slot based systems.

The immediate problem with slot car systems is the jackrabbit acceleration and speeds, making them unsuitable for use as a working background for model railways.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Faller did produce a slot-car system in HO, similar to the later Aurora racing sets, which was remarkably comprehensive. Didn't catch on, though.

Nowadays, you have the current Faller Car System, or DCCar (an industry in itself) or even remote control in 1:87.

[DJ Dangerous]

45 minutes ago, Horsetan said:

The immediate problem with slot car systems is the jackrabbit acceleration and speeds, making them unsuitable for use as a working background for model railways.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Faller did produce a slot-car system in HO, similar to the later Aurora racing sets, which was remarkably comprehensive. Didn't catch on, though.

Nowadays, you have the current Faller Car System, or DCCar (an industry in itself) or even remote control in 1:87.

Faller AMS.

https://www.hobbydb.com/marketplaces/hobbydb/subjects/faller-ams-series

https://www.marklin-users.net/cookee_nz/ams/ams-intro.htm

I had never heard of that before, thanks!

[Horsetan]

1 hour ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Faller AMS.

https://www.hobbydb.com/marketplaces/hobbydb/subjects/faller-ams-series

https://www.marklin-users.net/cookee_nz/ams/ams-intro.htm

I had never heard of that before, thanks!

Ingenious system, yet crude. It was of its time, using the technology of that time.

[murrayec]

[irishmail]

Always wanted a Scalextric set when I was young, but never had one. Still occasionally think about getting one, but I don't think SWMBO would be too impressed!!  

[Horsetan]

3 minutes ago, irishmail said:

Always wanted a Scalextric set when I was young, but never had one. Still occasionally think about getting one, but I don't think SWMBO would be too impressed!!  

I had an Aurora set in the early 1980s - the police-themed "Chase & Race", which was a knock-off of the Matchbox "Race & Chase" but without the U-turn function.

Edited February 21 by Horsetan

[DJ Dangerous]

My track has been boxed up for about 15 years. Only took some out the other day to start cleaning and polishing it:

 

 

[Horsetan]

Just now, DJ Dangerous said:

My track has been boxed up for about 15 years. Only took some out the other day to start cleaning and polishing it:

 

 

IMG_9717.mov

I think I might still have the remains of some TCR racing sets in the attic. They might be alright for spares donors.

[skinner75]

Back when I was renting with mates, we got a Scalextric set, and then one of the lads got a load of track for free off a guy in work. 
I'd say we ended up with around 20ft of track - it made for some cool track layouts!

[Georgeconna]

As a kid I never got one for as a present despite being annually listed on the Santa list but while courting my now wife gave me a nicely wrapped big box that contained an F1 set with Jordan and William cars!!  After a lot of racing the front wings and rear wings detached and about 2 kilos of super glue added over time!

Planning to have a bundle of sons to play with  the best way to expand was to buy sets in Argos, ended up with about 150ft of track which needed power droppers.

Then digital came along which enhanced the racing big time with crossovers and braking. Fantastic system especially with two transformers powering each track so no spikes in power when another car comes off.

Every so often I invited a few friends come along and have race nights with a few beers, All good fun

The planned sons turned out to be into daughters when the missus popped them out and in the end the sets were never used and were sold off to a lad in Carlow that buys and sells them.

Had a nice collection of cars, my favourite was the Subaru 4wd stuck like glue to the track and a Ford Focus Police car with lights and siren which was re wired so the siren only came on when the car moved instead of all the time. 

Also had the motorbikes which were pure shite and the old stuff and track you cant give away

Great fun though and good memories and a cracking toy.

The new cars are so expensive and delicate its a tough call to drive them!

Always fancied the TCR stuff, the adds sold it really but I understand in practice they were not that great.

 

 

Edited February 25 by Georgeconna

[Mayner]

Had a workmate in the last job who was seriously into model cars, diecast, slot and RC and full size (Holden) member of several model car clubs. Had a great send off when he passed away several years ago several model car clubs represented, eulogies about his interest in cars and a Ferrari shaped casket quite something. 

 

[WRENNEIRE]

Back in the day when I collected Wrenn products I came across a Wrenn 152 Slot car set
Because it said Wrenn on the box I had to buy it
As I didnt know much about the set I started to do some research , no Google then
It turned out that Wrenn had gotten into some money problems a coupls of years after they launched the 152 sets
They then got involver with Tri Ang, hence the Tri Ang Wrenn series of models
Part of the deal was that they had to cease production of the 152 sets as Tri Ang were about to launch their Scalextric models
I52 was because of the scale 1:52 and in my opinion a much better set up than the Scalextric one

https://slotracer.online/lost-and-found/wrenn/

 

[skinner75]

The set we started off with was the truck racing one.

One ended up damaged, so we took the body off, and taped a couple of batteries to it - made it so that it could take pretty much any corner at full speed without flipping off the track!

[Georgeconna]

development today..

 

Hornby steers sale of 70 year old Scalextric for £20m