Monday, December 12, 2016

Slot car "shelfie"?

Micro race track

I always like to have a "Layout I'd like to build" winner at every model railway show, well this is the one from the Slot Car Swapmeet described yesterday. 

A time trial rather than racing circuit, I recon there's a lot of fun in a small space here - a lot like Paul Marsall-Potter's "Shelfie" layout ideas

In use, you'll be looking to improve your lap times. At first, just keeping the car on the track will do it. Then you'll have to get better at putting the power on for the straights and getting it off again for those tight bends. Reaction times are all. 

Construction (of course I asked) involved routing the slot and then sticking copper tape around it. This stuff is flexible but achieving a smooth finish must still take a lot of work.

The board folds in the centre for carriage and storage, making this a handy home circuit that most people could own. Very clever indeed. 

And yes, I had a go. I kept the wheels on the ground but can't claim to produced a great time.

1 comment:

Nick Brad said...

That's a very cool setup, even if you just used it for practice away from a club room or for testing new cars. I agree that some time and care was spent with the copper tape, I wouldn't have been able to lay it that smooth around bends without a few mishaps