Awhile back, by lovely wife (Azucena for those that weren't sure) designed a slot car track with a pulley system. This consists of a 4x8 plywood, several pulleys and a crank. We attached the crank to the wall, cables go from the crank through the pulleys to the plywood. This is in the garage and allows us to lower the table to play with the slot cars and raise it up when we are done.
Well, I've been "done" for about a year and 1/2 now and when I lowered the table, the dust sent my allergies into high gear.
The size of the table and lots of extra track have afforded me the luxury of designing various styles of track. On a few occasions, I'd build a separate short or medium track into the design so we could have two separate races going on at once. Sometimes I'd have the track intersect and hope no one crashes. I think one of the best tracks I designed is viewed here (still on our old web site). I like to try to get about 20 - 30 seconds per lap and that being at reasonable speeds.
I purchased a few sets off e-Bay and got inspiration from those (don't get me started on the cars I found - glow in the dark, Jeff Gordon 18 Wheeler, 3 section bullet train). One set showed me how to race the cars halfway around the track sideways. This also gave me ideas on racing halfway around the track upside down (take a loop and extend it). Since the cars use magnets, this really isn't a problem. As long as they don't stop, they'll go as long as needed. I had one track that was so well done that you actually got lost on the straightaway. One setup I did was a bit too hard to work with and the last one I did (probably the reason it's been sitting idle) did not play well. I kept having dead spots. Since I didn't feel like taking the track apart to work on different sections, I just let it set and forgot about it.
So, why am I telling you all this? We've got a garage sale coming up in about 2 weeks. I have enough track that I was able to put together 4 separate tracks to sell. So, my project now is to put together a track that will use up as much as I can and we'll sell most of the rest. My problem... I'm having creativity block. I use to dream up different types of track. I can't even come up with a corner section to get started. Yeah, I did the short track with the crashing intersection, but the main track I can't vision. This has been three days now. Once I get an idea started, it takes about 2 days to put it together. I'm talking loops - long and tall, extended sideways racing, "spiral" racing, racing through loops, u-turns, high speed curves.
Now. Nothing. Nada. Brain dead. I have one loop. A loop that goes up, then loops in the middle and morphs into sideways racing for the length of the race track. Hmm, maybe I can have it turn the corner, then morph into an upside down stretch that finishes in another loop that loops into an oval spiral. Ok, still thinking this out. The idea is to use up as much track as I possibly can. No sense on selling my leftovers only to find out I sold too much and have to buy off e-Bay again.
Comments
Cats and racing
The most fun we had was when we set a track on the floor and watched the cats trying to catch the cars as they went by.
Ok. Azucena suggested that after the sideways stretch, that I finish with a sideways loop. I don't know if I tried this before, but I think it will be messy. Need stability and this doesn't have it, but I'll try. Since I've tied part of the track to the pulleys to help hold it together, I may be able to do it with this.
I'd like to have a sideways section run below the sideways track, maybe in the opposite direction, but I don't have the braces for it, or do I?
Track setup
Well the track is coming along. With some help from Azucena, I'm about 2/3 done. Lots of loops on one end. I need to test it to see if it will work.
Even though the track is not connected from end to end, you can still test sections. It doesn't have to have a closing cuircut. In fact, if you use the right controller, you can go "forward" or "backward" in your testing. The way I have it set up, I'll need these controllers to go backward through the track since I don't have the front half done yet.
I bought two tracks that with a push of a button on the controller, instead of going forward, the car will go backward. One of the tracks is a demolition derby track. I got it mainly for the demolition intersection. The other track is an Extreme Sports track. Instead of cars, it's skateboarders. I got this mostly for the design.
Alright, back to the grindstone. Should be done by tomorrow. Another reason it's taking so long, I have to clean each piece of track. I was using an eraser, then changed to the scour pad, but everything recommends using sandpaper to clean the rails and it's actually quicker.
Track
Well, the track is finished, sort of.
With some testing, the cars would only go about 1/3 distance. The track that was causing problems was a banked curve. Once I changed it out with a basic curve, the problem went away.
I had a loop section that was a loop that turned into a sideways spiral that ended up as a sideways straight. The problems were I didn't have enough straight to get up to speed for the initial loop, then the sideways straight kept shooting the cars way off the track because too much speed was built up to to a sharp turn onto the table. So while the track curved downward, the cars kept going sideways. Still need to work on this last section.
I've lost power in another section and it appears to be the high speed curves. I may have to change them into basic curves.
More Track work
Ok, I have started to take it apart and play around some. It wasn't workable in many places.
Sooo, I guess I'm working from the beginning, testing it, working some more, testing it again. This give me a chance to see the problems ahead of time and think about the layout some more. I'm thinking about including a 2nd track to mingle with the first.
Maybe by this weekend it'll be up and working completely.
Yea, I'm done
I finally finished the track. Wasn't sure how I was going to finish it since I had two connecting sections sort of going in the same direction, but I was able to get them both to do 1/2 u-turns.
I have two loops, parallel tracks and enough turns to get you momentarily lost.
I also have a short track running that intersects with the longer track. I tried to keep it simple so kids can play on it as well as a track for the train and a semi.
Now I get to tarp it over and put it up until we have company.
Thanks for all your suggestions and Azucena was a big help in the final design. By her comments, I'm guessing she likes it.