Enclosed are a number of pictures of my home layout. The layout is 16 feet
by 5 feet. The substructure is comprised of balusters (11) for the legs. The
framing is 1" x 4" poplar comprised of 3 stringers on edge 16' long and then
9 cross-members on the flat for supporting the top. The surface (top) is one
inch thick honeycomb cardboard, yes cardboard. The cardboard is used in
structural packaging and is surprisingly rigid. The original logic behind
this combination of structural materials was to build a foundation for the
race course that was lightweight, inexpensive, and durable. The whole layout
does not weigh more than 50lbs and I have moved it several feet on my own.
The materials were inexpensive, The 1" x 4" x 10' boards were about $5 (6 of
them) and the 1" x 4" x 6' (11 of them) were $3.50, the balusters were
damaged discounted pieces for a $1.00 apiece, the card board was scrap that
I obtained for free from my place of employment. All of the wood pieces were
screwed together with plain old drywall screws. The cardboard was attached
to the top with contact cement. To provide some moisture protection to the
cardboard, I painted it with green latex house paint, the paint was leftover
from a front door (gee a gallon was the smallest quantity of this custom
color they would sell me dear wife). It is fair to surmise that I have less
than $100 in the table for the layout and the freshly painted front door. I
told my wife, home improvement is expensive, she agreed and now contracts
everything out, I'm always the high bidder (whew).
The race course, is comprised of Tyco track. Hey it's what I had ok. The
course is four lanes, each lane is individually powered with a stock Tyco 14
amp power supply. There are three power taps at this time per lane, we'll
see how well it works for awhile. The course is wired for a computerized lap
counter, got the computer, got the software, wired the dead track, what do
you mean the cars motor acts like a generator going across the dead track,
why that'll ZAP my computer. The computerized lap counter is on hold until I
can fabricate some optical switch pieces of track.
Having two layouts (the second being a US1 trucking and train layout, the
trucks actually load rail cars) in one room makes for some confined &
restricted movement. And since there are not enough of us to assign
spotters, everyone wants to race, I had to come up with a way to slow the
pace of the race when a car goes off course. I wanted the races to be
competitive while realizing most of us racers aren't very skilled at braking
and accelerating in a controlled manner. Thus, the most innovative feature
of my layout, is that only three of the four lanes are actively raced with
the fourth lane being used for a pace/caution car.
Each drivers station has a two way switch that powers a section of single
lane dead track where the pace car rests in waiting until the switch is
thrown. The house rule is that when a driver goes off course, he is to throw
the switch, which sends the pace car out onto the track, and no driver may
pass the pace car until the pace car pulls back off the course. This gives
the driver (panicked and pride injured) time to calmly and collectively
retrieve and reslot his car in an orderly fashion without losing numerous
laps to the rest of the field and destroying my layouts or some of my prized
slot car memorabilia displayed in the room. The power for the fourth lane is
controlled with a rheostat (fancy variable resistor) to maintain a smooth
slow speed for the pace car around the course. Upon returning to the driver
station, the switch is to be immediately turned back off which results in
the pace car stopping on the single lane turn off of the dead track. The
race is back on.
The turn off for the single lane was made from the Turn off track and single
lane pieces found in the Tyco/Mattel Nascar Showdown set. What I did, is
split the turn off section of track down the center, separating it into two
halves (use a steel ruler and an exacto knife, score, score, score, and then
snap the track in half). Next I split a standard 9" straight the same way.
With a piece of sand paper lying on a flat surface, I sanded the cut edge of
the halves of the track (Moving the edge of the track back and forth on the
sand paper LIGHTLY don't sand to much or the finished pieces of track will
be to narrow). Next I cut some small stripes of styrene. I then put one half
of the straight track next to one half of the turn off track. I then connect
an uncut section of straight track to each end off the split halves of
track. If everything seems smooth, I turn the track pieces (still connected
together) over and with a modeler quality liquid glue, I glue the small
strips of styrene to the underside of the seam. Be sure to turn the track
piece back over to dry so it does not wind up permanently bonded to your
work table. Gee wife I have no idea what the kids did to get that piece of
track stuck so solidly to the kitchen table. I can never get anything to
stay together when I glue them back together, remember the cordless phone?
Paint the piece of track and your done.
I liked this turn off single lane deal so well, that my course features a 6'
long functional pit row on the fourth lane as well.
I realize I gave up a functional lane, many purists may say that's horrible,
but for my enjoyment, with kids and reckless adults, it adds an interesting
caveat that is functional for novices like me, and keeps the expert drivers
from running entirely away in only a few laps. The track is far from
complete, I have crash barriers, catch fences, grandstands, garages,
functional caution lights etc yet to add. Hey, I just started working on
this two months ago.
The idea was to introduce my children and friends to a toy that was so much
more than a toy to me when I was a child. To pique their interest in
socially interactive activities that require coordination, self control, and
judgement in a competitive and entertaining way. I also hope, that on a snow
day when they are home from school, that they and their friends will create
their own fond memories of slot car racing in a basement that will be with
them for a lifetime of reflection and joy in their youthful carefree
happiness. And maybe they'll learn a thing or two about electronics and
mechanical devices that will nurture a future career.
