Mixing slot cars with 0 gauge trains.

[Boyd]

Anyone integrate slot cars with O gauge trains? I have several sets of the cheap slot cars that look to me to be close to O gauge. Its hard to describe them, accept around christmas these sets are easy to find between $10.00 and $30.00. Wish I could post some pictures. I think if a person was adventurous enough they could make a custom working crossing for the train track and slot car track.

[jkerklo]

I have been wanting to do that very thing. However, when I have asked about 1:48 slot cars at the hobby store, I get a blank stare.

Lionel made a set that came with a crossing track, but the only one I have seen on e-bay went for far more than I was willing to pay.

I think I would be willing to settle for 1:32 size cars, but these, too, seem to be rare. What is the scale of the cars you mentioned?

John Kerklo
TCA 94-38455
www.Three-Rail.com

[Dave Farquhar]

The thought has crossed my mind a number of times and I'm sure I eventually will do it. It's funny how the only thing that moves on most train layouts is the train, and the occasional operating accessory.. The cars and the people stand frozen in time.

I know at least one classic Lionel PW layout had a highway with cars moving in and out of a city, so there is a precedent. I'd sure love to know how they reversed the cars.

[jkerklo]

As I composed my first reply, this website came up in the Google ads: http://www.hobbylinc.com/

There are 1:32 slot cars listed there, but nothing in 1:48. I will have to get some 1:32 model cars and see how they look next to the trains.

John Kerklo
TCA 94-38455
www.Three-Rail.com

[Anonymous]

Boyd
It is your railroad and you pay the bills for it.
If you think it is a good idea and will enjoy it, then do it and share it with us all. Presonnel I think it is an outstanding concept.

[Anonymous]

carrera imports a line of 1/48th slot car. They are under the go line, cars retail for under 20.00 but are modern. I purchased the 007 set for my 4 year old son for christmas[:D][:D][:D].we are having fun

[Boyd]

My slot car sets are in the storage 12 miles away. Not sure how big they are but they look very close to 1:48. I'm picky and I have seen the 1:32 cars and I myself think they would look too big. A good way to check if there are no numbers on the bottom of the car is to measure its length. Each 1/4" is a foot, so if you found a model of a 79 Mustang which is 179" long, that should be just a hair under 3-3/4" long.

[Anonymous]

If you want to have moving vehicles on your layout check out www.rokenbok.com. They have remote control constuction type vehicles with no need to stay on the track or in the slot.

[jonadel]

This topic really interests me for the future (3-5 years) during a rebuild. We had visitors this weekend and the first thing one of the little guy's (3 1/2) said even before I could turn the transformers on "can we race the trains?" I'd really like to see pics of how builders have used this option. I can also see how this might take up a lot of room on the benchwork. The kid in me would like to see the cars cut in front of a steamer but I'd sure feel bad if a car hit an expensive engine and plopped it onto the floor. Wouldn't it be fun just to put a "I don't care about this train" on the track and battle against the cars, oh man, I love the visual of this description.

Jon[:D]

[Boyd]

Another scene that could be done: have a double door box car with doors open in a train with only box cars or tall cars like hoppers. Use a directional light detector next to the track with one or two relays and you could make a slot car jump through the open double doors via a ramp and pre-set voltage for the slot cars track. Kind of like Dukes of Hazard.

[TurboOne]

Do you all remember I think it was Tyco that used to sell the HO train/ slot car set combo. Haven't seen one since I was a kid, but alway wanted one of those.
Boyd The Dukes of Hazzard idea is great, but you got to have a Daisy Duke figure with those Daisy Dukes shorts.

Wooooooooo Hoooooooooo

Tim

[seacoast]

HO slot cars are a thing of the past. 1/32 slot cars are now avalable from SCX, Scaletric, Carrera and others. Most of these companie have digital sets so you can run 2-3 cars per track -just like DCC. 1/24 is the next scale up but to big - better for G scale. Try http://sportcraftcars.com/ they nothing but slot cars or check out any of the aboved named companies web sites..

[Anonymous]

I just started building my layout and have given this some thouhgt but I'm not really sure how good it would really look does anyone have pics using slot cars

[palallin]

QUOTE: Originally posted by seacoast

HO slot cars are a thing of the past.

Hotwheels sorta disagrees. This past Christmas, Wally World sold HO-sized, battery-powered sets under their label. The tracks are orange. Power pick-up for the cars uses steel wool :-/ The sets run like crap--either the cars sit still or they fly off the track. (My ex bought my son a set, and I'm cursed with trying to make it work :-/ )

[dougdagrump]

The concept is good but instead of trying to go with a grade crossing why not just use this idea to set up a fully motorized town. Instead of all the cars and trucks sitting stationary you could theoretically have some vehicles moving thru town as well as some being stationary. Overpasses and or underpasses would be way cool.

[TurboOne]

QUOTE: Originally posted by seacoast

HO slot cars are a thing of the past.

A lot of things seem past. Then they become collectables. Lionel Trains made out of metal. Baseball cards. Star Wars toys. Pedal cars.

I wish I had all of them like I did when I was a kid. So many things are returning, and I still see small scale slot cars. I also just had a neighbor throw away an old tyco racing set, and it works great. Yes I dumpster dove, but it was it great shape and the price was right. Even added two cars from the local race car hobby shop.

Be careful what you say is past, it may come back like disco music.

Tim

[seacoast]

Well I guess everything is " a thing of the past" no harm in your HO slots, check out the
new 1/32 the run well are big for O but are cool. Found this site from a hobby shop in RI.
Guy runs slots with 1/32 with O.
http://www.hobbyri.com/mr_mike.htm

[jonadel]

seacoast--that is an unbelievable web site, thank you so much. I would love to do something like that, we simply need a bigger house.

Jon

[dougdagrump]

I have echo Jon's comment. [wow][wow] I can't imagine the wiring for 500 ceramic buildings, it just flat boggles the mind !!!!!!!!!!!! [:O][tup]

[TurboOne]

Seacoast that is awesome. You ought to start a topic post so that everyone can check it out. It looks so incredible. I think I want that. All I have to do is sell my house, my cars, my kids, the dog, and work for the next 500 years and then I could build it.

Way cool,

Tim

[FJ and G]

Seacoast,

Would have missed the nice site except for mention on Coffee Always on Post: best yet!

[Anonymous]

WOW! Thank's for sharing this, How awesome , I think it just goes to show how much can be accomplished with good planning & keeping things simple.

[seacoast]

I spent my youth at the Apponnaug Color Shop ( Hobby Shop) in Warwick, Rhode Island. The guy who started it in 1950 my Dad got to know and than I started going there in the 1960's-70's before moving up to NH. I have not been there in years but I was checking the web a few years back and his son know runs the hobby shop (still going) and I emailed him to say hello. I stumbled up this huge Mr. Mike O Guage 1/32 slot car layout thats HUGE that a guy there built for a customer..

[Anonymous]

Yes I have seen it done about 30 years ago. The slot cars were HO but no one cared. Thye ran on their own tracks around a basement layout with a big mountain in the middle. Not to well done but the kids had fun. The layout was in a backyard neighbor of my Dads house and we could see into the basement glass sliding doors at Christmas time.

A word of caution, the kids will play with the slot cars rather than the trains. I have the same problem with my X-10 TV camera car when I have kids over. I hold it to the end of session to keep it from stealing the show.

Charlie

[pbjwilson]

I found a 1/43 slot car set at Walgreens. I got it for my son for Christmas. It cost all of $9.99. I thought if it lasts through Christmas break it will be worth it. Actually I wondered if it was going to work at all for the price.

We set it up Christmas day and the set is really nice, but the contollers are junk. I am using a couple Bachmann starter set controllers to operate the cars.

But the cars and track are really nice quality. And they run really well using the Bachmann controllers.

Another nice thing is an oval of the slot car track fits right inside an oval of O-27 Lionel track.

The set is made by Artin. I looked on ebay and other cars are available. The two cars that came in my set are very generic modern sedans.

For $9.99, I think I will pick up another set. I think these could make an interesting city scene with having trains and cars running. No grade crossings but the trains could pass over the roadway on a bridge. Lots of possibilities.

 

[anjdevil2]

This idea got into my head when I went to Target.  There is an SCX 1:43 slot car set on sale for $40-50.  No, it won't cross the tracks, but it can go over or under the tracks with bridges and tresles.  I just didn't like the car selection, and with Christmas (at that time) looming in my "rearview", I didn't look to see if there were any other selections.  I MAY have to look again at the F1 cars, but there will be no RICERs on my layout!!

Just a thought... 

[Dave Farquhar]

At these prices, particularly the $9.99 price point, it makes me wonder about changing the bodies from the set to something that you want. It would require some chopping and dicing, but if you mess up you haven't lost much. You'd probably buy multiple sets anyway just to get more track.

[edw]

Be VERY careful guys. We all know that slot cars were blamed for the decline in toy train popularity in the late fifties. PLEASE, think twice before you unleash that evil force again.

[Wes Whitmore]

I have a couple of 1/32 Carrara sets, and some extra pieces.  The cars available for this size are just supurb.  The Carrara track can also accept 1/24 cars.  It's pretty big stuff and probably wouldn't look right next to my trains.  Also, I don't know how slow you could continually make these things drive (compared to something like Kline streetscenes).  I'm used to holding the throttle wide open, and eventually, I get a spinout or a car flying off the track.  I wouldn't want to damage any scenicking that I did for the train part of the layout. 

You are right, slot cars are a different kind of fun, and would grab the attention of most people more than the trains, but if you are looking for anything you can find to keep your kids attention so you can spend some good quality time with them, then this might be a good solution.

Wes

[watinva]

Interesting topic... this Christmas my grandson got a Lionel NYC Freight set from me and a Carrera 1/43 slot car set from his uncle. We had the train set and the slot car setup together under the Christmas tree in the basement. He liked the train, but really liked the slot car set. We got both the Lionel set and the Carrera set at our local hobby store. Here is a link to one store on the internet that sells Carrera sets and separate items...

http://www.oakridgehobbies.com/slot_cars/carrera_pages/carrera_go_track.html

These Carrera (GO)1/43 cars really go fast, you cannot go around track with throttle full open or you leave the track. They also have a turbo button, we have not been able to use the turbo button because these cars go into orbit if you hit it. I have some pictures I will try to post later if I can get that feature to work. Did I mention that me and my 31 year old son also had a great time playing with this as well as my grandson. I had a Strombecker set when I was a kid and this Carrera seems to be as much fun. Hope this helps and a belated Merry Christmas to all.