Slotcars and trains together in HO scale - advice wanted

[MarkVIIIMarc]

My layout has enough empty space for roads.  Instead of stationary cars I would like to install a simple HO slotcar set.  I would like advice from the railroad perspective.

Lifelike offers the physical crossing itself, railroad and some slotcar sets so they SHOULD know what they are doing.  I also like the way they seem tied in with Walthers who are reasonably priced and easy to talk to. 

Is the crossing a quality enough piece?

Any experience with them?  Since the slotcar track seems not to be compatible from company to company I do not want to get too into it and change my mind.

Also, have you ever seen their HO cars?  I have read slotcar scale is unpredictable but are they serviceable?

And eventually I will need a set of functioning crossing gates or two for my DC set up if you have a set you like or always wanted point me towards it!

There is more interesting conversation here than at the bar, thanks again.

[HHPATH56]

I made the mistake of thinking that I could run Faller Auto System cars on Slot Car track. Faller cars trucks and buses have a magnet to follow a wire. Faller cars are very expensive, but I wanted the bus that leaves the main road, stops at the bus depot, and then proceeds back to the main road. The dump trucks are animated. I have a two way road connecting two towns with a dogbone loop. One could make the slot car track a two way road, with proper wiring, and cutting the end loops so that they reverse the direction, for the return trip. One may find trucks that are also slot cars. Walther's crossing gates should be OK. Bob Hahn

[IRONROOSTER]

My experience with slot cars is that they run too fast to look right as a scenery adjunct to a model railroad.  I don't know if you can slow them down and still have reliable operation - might have to regear the cars and possibly replace the motors.

Also racecars are not typical traffic, although you could repaint the cars and maybe rework some of the bodies for a better effect.

Good luck

Paul

[MisterBeasley]

As Bob said, the Faller car system is expensive, but it is much more appropriate for HO scale modeling.  Faller allows you to make your own roads by embedding steel wire in your own streets, though, so if you are planning an extensive network of roads you don't need to buy slot car track, just the cars.  Faller also makes control sections that will cause the cars and trucks to stop at RR crossings and wait for trains.

Faller cars are battery-powered, and run autonomously at a constant, "sensible" speed.  The roads don't need to be powered like track, as the wire in the Faller street is a passive magnetic path.

[rrinker]

 Also interesting as I am reading the early 60's MRs right now when HO slot cars first came out. Some of the early ones had 2 pins so they could go forward and backwards, and were more models of street cars and not all race cars. In Dec 63 I think there is a layout visit article with integrated slot cars for the roads. The bulder of this also isulated the slot rails and made multiple 'blocks' with independent power to adjust the speed. With the scenery built up to the slot track (so it's not raised up above the surrounding territory), it doesn't look too bad, if you ignore the slot down the middle.

 In the early days, slot cars were advertised as (specifically in the case of Aurora) "model motoring", promoting realism as well as racing. It was only later that they became full-on race sets, with various brands trying to outdo each other on speed. "Our HO slot cars go 250 scale miles per hour" "Well ours go 280!" And then adding things like the magnets to actually keep them on the track at those speeds. One last gasp for somethign a bit more realistic was the Tyco USA 1 Trucking sets, those could run scale speeds and run forward and reverse. Regular slot cars could run on the track, although not reverse (I think I once hacked a second pin on a car so it could back up).

 Interesting letter to the editor in late 63 as well, wondering how many more grade crossing accidents there would be starting in 1968 or so as the kids got old enough drive after having grown up with the road and rail crossings which in many cases were advertised with the cars trying to beat the train. Several railroads at the time wrote about thisin their company magazines and newsletters.

                           --Randy

[joe323]

As I recall HO slot cars are a bit oversized more like Hot Wheels cars then scale HO?

[Medina1128]

joe323

As I recall HO slot cars are a bit oversized more like Hot Wheels cars then scale HO?

I think you're right. The Aurora "HO" slot cars were 1/64th scale, IIRC.

[Texas Zepher]

MarkVIIIMarc

My layout has enough empty space for roads.  Instead of stationary cars I would like to install a simple HO slotcar set.  I would like advice from the railroad perspective.

Having been involved with the Model Motoring slot cars since 1964 and trying everything under the sun to get them to look and run well, by advice is to not waste your time trying.

1.  The cars will not go slow enough.

2.  They look goofy (too big, too erratic running, and too few - a huge road and only two cars on it!).

3.  They go off the track and destroy scenery.

On the other hand if you want slot cars that race around with a train to dodge it is a different story.  I've had hours of fun trying to wham the slot cars with the train.

 

 

 

[mobilman44]

Hi!

I'm with Texas Zephyr.    Existing slotcars and HO layouts do not go well together for a prototypical layout.

That being said, if the layout is for a youngster (or young at heart oldster) who wants to play with trains and slot cars - then I would go for it.