Trains.com

Mixing slot cars with 0 gauge trains.

23060 views
43 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: South Carolina
  • 9,713 posts
Posted by rtraincollector on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 4:47 PM

that may of been who all I know it was in HO that was when I was like 9 and I'm about to turn 61

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: Hopewell, NY
  • 3,233 posts
Posted by ADCX Rob on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 2:28 PM

rtraincollector

Okay I didn't read every comment but I do remember back in mid 60's aurro or how ever you spell it had a track that ho trains could cross there race track...

There was a company called "Lionel" back in the 1960's that had the same set up with road/rail sets in their catalogs with the requisite grade crossing(s) for the slot cars.

Rob

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: South Carolina
  • 9,713 posts
Posted by rtraincollector on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 11:27 AM

Okay I didn't read every comment but I do remember back in mid 60's aurro or how ever you spell it had a track that ho trains could cross there race track as a friend had it on there layout. we use to see if we could beat the train at the crossing a lot of the time lol. 

I have seen also where some use super streets for a section of track to go thru town for the train the go back to regular track and it looks realistic and nicely done. 

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 1,207 posts
Posted by stebbycentral on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 7:08 AM

Boyd
Wow I started this thread 10+ years ago.

 
Which is not surprising since this idea has been around for 30+ years.  Those of us who are old enought to remember the early days of slot car racing (those devil machines that alledgedly "killed" model railroading) know that rail crossing accessories were available practically from day 1 in all MRR scales. 
 
In fact SuperStreets is nothing new.  There was a European manufacturer (Faller I think) offering a system like it in the 1970s in HO and N.  Instead of electricity it used track sections with a kind of mini garage-door opener chain thingy embedded in it, that pulled the vehicles along at a realistic speed.  You could use just about any of the manufacturer's vehicles on it by simply attaching a clip device to the undercarriage of the car or truck. 
  
The problem is as it always was, that slot cars are/were sold as racing sets.  The cars are geared for speed.  And it's not very prototypical to have Ferarries and Formula One racers speeding through the middle of your rural community.  That is why the SuperStreets idea works better for our application.

I have figured out what is wrong with my brain!  On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: St. Paul, Minnesota
  • 2,116 posts
Posted by Boyd on Monday, January 4, 2016 9:47 PM
Wow I started this thread 10+ years ago.

Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • 1 posts
Posted by DavidB59 on Saturday, December 26, 2015 2:19 PM

Many years ago, back in the 60's, Ideal Toy Co. made a line of slot cars called Motorific. These cars were 1:48 scale. You can find a few still on ebay. Since these cars and trucks were battery operated they wouldn't require special track. If you were handy with power tools you could cut grooves for the slot pins in the roadways of your layout with a power router.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • 1 posts
Posted by Rob The Sea Cow on Wednesday, December 23, 2015 9:40 PM

I've been looking into this.  They make a 1/43 scale slot car, pretty close in size and readily available.  I'm also using Lego's for my buildings and people.Smile

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Lake Worth FL
  • 4,014 posts
Posted by phillyreading on Friday, December 28, 2007 11:45 AM

seacoast, I have H.O. race cars and know of two places in West Palm Beach FL that handle H.O. race cars, both cars and track.  They are not dead, just overlooked alot of times, also new company is making the old Aurora style cars called Johnny Lightning, and a another new company bought out the rights for Model Motoring a.k.a. the old track style of Aurora H.O. race cars.  Also one other company is making H.O. race cars, Life Like.

pbjwilson, I like your idea about using race cars from Walgreens for your layout, I did not think about that. Might be too late for this layout as I am very crowded for space right now. You might be able to buy a two train transformer in H.O. to control your race cars if they are D.C.

A quick note about Super Streets, I can run Lionel passenger cars # 6-15104(Reading company) & 6-7012(New York Central) on the small size curves, locomotive was the Plymouth switcher.  Play around with Super Streets and your rolling stock and you may be surprized at what goes through the Super Street curves.

Lee F.

Interested in southest Pennsylvania railroads; Reading & Northern, Reading Company, Reading Lines, Philadelphia & Reading.
  • Member since
    August 2006
  • 108 posts
Posted by dochooter on Friday, December 28, 2007 9:24 AM
I set up my first set of Superstreets and I am very pleased.  Love the tight turns weaving through my emerging city.
  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Powell, OH
  • 1,257 posts
Posted by Wes Whitmore on Friday, December 28, 2007 6:11 AM

Superstreets is still the way I plan to go.  Just for the fact that it's more to scale and you can run trolley's on it.  I don't have enough room to make a real raceworthly track, and I have seen cars fly off and hit stuff constantly with the wrong driver, so real racetrack isn't ideal.  I had a bunch of Carrara track in storage and thought I would try it.  Superstreets finally was delivered to my LHS right before Christmas.  That's probably where the next $100 goes...

Wes

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • 108 posts
Posted by dochooter on Thursday, December 27, 2007 10:14 PM
Great topic.  We saw a demonstration SCX digital set up (1:32) at FAO Swartz in Chicago Macys last weekend and the kids and I were blown away.  Have not thought much about slot cars since I was a kid.  I am now considering building a slot car layout under my train layout.  With lots of planning and space, I think it would be fun to have a 1:43 Artin race track on a layout landscaped nicely.
  • Member since
    July 2005
  • From: Northeast Missouri
  • 869 posts
Posted by SchemerBob on Thursday, December 27, 2007 9:45 PM
Might be slightly off topic, but what about K-Line SuperStreets? These cars are (I think) full O scale, in fact they run on "streets" that are actually O scale track, and they're made by Lionel. I thought this would probably be the way to go for me, if I ever had operating city streets, which I think I may someday. I think having operating cars with the trains makes things look much cooler. You could also still have some side streets where you have other stationary vehicles. Not everything has to be in motion, but I think a good portion of it should be.
Long live the BNSF .... AND its paint scheme. SchemerBob
  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Powell, OH
  • 1,257 posts
Posted by Wes Whitmore on Thursday, December 27, 2007 8:51 PM

I set up my older Carrara 1/32 set in a 6ft oval just to see how things looked.  Things look ok with the 1/32 cars.  The cars are around 5.5" inches long.  The only problem is that I don't think there is a way to set them to run around the track at one voltage.  I can't seem to hold the trigger at a voltage that the car goes around the track without slugging around the corners, or zooming in the straights.  I think at a minimum, I would have to pull out all of the magnets inside the car to require less juice to move it, then I would probably need to chop off the plug on one of my extra controllers and mate it up to the output of a DC transformer from an HO or N guage set.  That might work.  There are 3 prongs on the controller, so I will need to investigate to see what that third one is for.  All in all, since I own the sets already, they look ok.  the 1/43 would look better.  I don't know if you can get them to creep along the track, but they look OK sitting there.

Wes

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Roanoke Virginia
  • 34 posts
Posted by watinva on Thursday, December 27, 2007 5:25 PM

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.

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Powell, OH
  • 1,257 posts
Posted by Wes Whitmore on Thursday, December 27, 2007 12:01 PM

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

edw
  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 169 posts
Posted by edw on Thursday, December 27, 2007 10:54 AM
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. Wink [;)]
  • Member since
    April 2004
  • From: MO
  • 886 posts
Posted by Dave Farquhar on Thursday, December 27, 2007 10:13 AM
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.
Dave Farquhar http://dfarq.homeip.net
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Hightstown, NJ
  • 2,886 posts
Posted by anjdevil2 on Thursday, December 27, 2007 9:41 AM

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... 

I am the monster in your head...And I thought you'd learn by now, It seems you haven't yet.
I am the venom in your skin  --- Breaking Benjamin


  • Member since
    January 2004
  • 1,634 posts
Posted by pbjwilson on Thursday, December 27, 2007 9:05 AM

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.

 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 7, 2005 10:46 PM
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
  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Seacoast New Hampshire, USA
  • 126 posts
Posted by seacoast on Friday, January 7, 2005 7:40 PM
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..
George
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 7, 2005 4:59 PM
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.
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • 6,434 posts
Posted by FJ and G on Friday, January 7, 2005 11:01 AM
Seacoast,

Would have missed the nice site except for mention on Coffee Always on Post: best yet!
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: The great state of Texas
  • 1,084 posts
Posted by TurboOne on Thursday, January 6, 2005 10:39 PM
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
WWJD
  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Sandy Eggo
  • 5,608 posts
Posted by dougdagrump on Thursday, January 6, 2005 4:22 PM
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]

Remember the Veterans. Past, present and future.

www.sd3r.org

Proud New Member Of The NRA

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Adel, Iowa
  • 2,292 posts
Posted by jonadel on Thursday, January 6, 2005 3:54 PM
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

Jon

So many roads, so little time. 

 

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Seacoast New Hampshire, USA
  • 126 posts
Posted by seacoast on Thursday, January 6, 2005 12:12 PM
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
George
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: The great state of Texas
  • 1,084 posts
Posted by TurboOne on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 10:37 PM
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
WWJD
  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Sandy Eggo
  • 5,608 posts
Posted by dougdagrump on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 9:59 PM
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.

Remember the Veterans. Past, present and future.

www.sd3r.org

Proud New Member Of The NRA

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month