Slot Magazine - November-December 2016

MODULAR TRACK
NO.21
100 CONFIGURATIONS FOR WOODEN ROUTED CIRCUIT
November/December. No. 021. 4.99 www.slotmagazine.co.uk
LE MANS CLASSICS
FORMIDABLE FRONT-ENGINED REPLICAS
CARRERA 1:24
SCALING IT UP
PLAYCRAFT
SCALING IT DOWN
OVER
50
NEW S
SE
RELEA
MAD MAX TRUCK

ITS BIG, ITS DIRTY, - AND THERE IS A NEW CAR AS WELL
11
TECHNIQUE NEW PRODUCTS CLUB REPORTS LATEST NEWS

SLOT ISSUE 21 COVER.indd 1
9 7
772052 552011
26/09/2016 14:40
CARRERA EVOLUTION
1/32 SCALE NEW ITEMS
Like us on Facebook
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slot racing
p 02 Carrera 021.indd 25
Carrera is distributed in the UK by;

The Hobby Company Limited, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG
See your UK Carrera dealer for further information
www.hobbyco.net
ADHPublishing.com
Founded in 1963, Carrera has built a

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To see the 2016 range of Carrera sets
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Carrera 1/32 scale cars are fully compatible
with all leading analogue track systems.
26/09/2016 11:53
CONTENTS
Issue No. 21 November/December 2016
38
30
REGULARS
4
NEWS & NEW PRODUCTS
What is happening in the

SLOT magazine world. News,
announcements, and interesting slot
gossip. Plus see the new cars that
are in the shops since the last issue
of SLOT magazine. We look at brand
new models coming your way.
16 PAST FORWARD
We used to learn about slot car

building and racing from books.
Richard Hills goes back to the 1960s
library to see if it is still relevant today.
64 SLOT CALENDAR
If you want to race or have a look

around a Swapmeet, there is probably
an event you wont want to miss. Send
your event details if you want to be
included.
66 FINISH LINE
FEATURES
24 SCALING IT DOWN HO SCALE
When model railways were the biggest

hobby in town some of the rst slot
cars were produced to integrate with
train layouts. The birth of HO scale
cars starts here and James Day looks
at the earliest items.
46 LIFE (AND SLOT CARS) IS FULL OF

COMPLICATIONS
REVIEWS
WORKSHOPS
30 LONG BONNETS AND

CLASSIC SHAPES
The end of competitive front-engined

racing cars around 1960 saw some
classic endurance cars built for races
like Le Mans. We take a look at slot
replicas of design icons the Ferrari
TR61 and the Jaguar E2A and their
short but interesting history.
All sorts of complicated things have

been tried on slot cars. Slot historian
Don Siegal has documented several
that worked and a lot that didnt, and
takes us through the rst part of many
that you may recognise.
12 BUILDING A MODULAR WOODEN

TRACK
The FLBT (Four Lane Black Top) club

wanted a new track suitable for all scales
and types of event. What they have now
is a custom built track that can be quickly
assembled in many variations. How did it
happen?
38 DUCK DOWN UNDER MAD MAX IS

IN TOWN
Just as Scalextric release the Ford Falcon

XB Mad Max car, Pete Simpson has built
the other iconic vehicle from the lms the
massive armoured fuel tanker. This is kitbashing at the highest level and we can see
how he did it.
56 SCALING IT UP 1:24 SCALE
60 IN A STATE OF SUSPENSION
Is big really better? Carrera is one

company that thinks so. We thought
wed take a look at how the sizes
compare with the bigger Carrera cars.
Suspension is essential on real cars, but

what about slot cars? We t some and see
where performance can be improved by
testing it on some nice fast tracks.
Richard goes truckin and nds out that

being upright isnt always a good idea.
67 SLOT DIRECTORY
Find the retailers and specialist

services you need for all your slot
racing shopping.
CONTACT
T. 01525 222573 F. 01525 222574 ISSN: 2052-5524
enquiries@adhpublishing.com
Editor: Gary Cannell - editor@slotmagazine.co.uk
Slot Magazine, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe,
Bedfordshire. LU6 1QX. United Kingdom
November/December 2016 - SLOT MAG 3
p03 Contents 021.indd 3
26/09/2016 14:41
INSIDE
TRACK
All the latest slot racing news from around the world
SLOT CAR LIGHT CONTROLLER
Do you like to run slot cars with lights? Not only night-time endurance sports racing cars but, for example, police cars
with ashing lights? This processor-based controller from Neunkirchen-Seelscheid in Germany will be just what
you want.
Have a look at the demo videos at www.slotcarlight.com and youll see an American sedan with a aming side exhaust
as well as front and rear light. Or an Audi Police car with not only blue roof lights blinking but also headlights alternating
and ashing. You could have a Safety Car or Pace Car for your track realistically running headlights like that.
Patrick Biel of SlotCarLightController (sic) said that ...even in delivery status it comes with a lot of preprogrammed
functions to satisfy nearly every light wish for a slot car. For those who want even more we provide the SLC Manager.
With that you can program all 14 channels of the SLC completely freely. The compiled programs can be uploaded to
the SLC with a USB-FTDI-adaptor via PC. Any conguration can repeatedly be changed and saved as an slc-le to
use it again later. Several effects like exhaust ames can also be saved.
35 Euros buys you the controller, wiring and resistors. For a very reasonable 5 Euros more comes a good number of
LED lights to t to your cars in ve colours. Comprehensive instructions and ideas for lighting are downloadable free
from the SLC website.
4 SLOT MAG - November/December 2016
NEWS SLOT 021.indd 4
Follow us on Facebook
facebook.com/SlotMagazineUK
Follow us on Twitter
@SlotMagazineUK
28/09/2016 13:51
Grid
Talk
ummer is traditionally a quiet time

for slot car racing. Nice weather so
you want to be outside, not building
cars or racing them, and there is so
much else to do. Many slot racing
series have big gaps in their calendars during
the summer (even real Formula 1 has copied
this in the past couple of years) and with so
many members absent on vacation or doing
outdoor things, many clubs scale back their
activities.
It is also a quiet period for new cars
because many prominent slot car
manufacturers are based in southern Europe,
where it is traditional that many businesses
close for the whole of August. Even if slot cars
are still being churned out from the factories
in China, they cant be received or distributed
by many of their European clients. For the
same reason, news is almost non-existent for
about ve weeks until things get going again
in September. Then comes the autumn and
pre-Christmas rush
We have taken the opportunity of a relatively
quiet time to take a longer look back through
slot car racing history. Richard Hills has been
seeing how we learnt about slot racing in
the many books published in the 1960s, and
Don Siegel shows us a lot of experiments
and dead-ends that have been tried in the
past. Some good, some quite bizarre, but all
interesting. Don has promised more in the
future so pour a cool drink and sit back for a
complicated slot car journey.
We also take a look at two scales that dont
get much coverage HO Scale which started
because of the continuity with model railways,
and 1:24 scale which has never been as big
in the UK as other parts of the world (before
you comment on this, its bad joke time 1:24
scale is in fact exactly the same size at inch
= 1ft wherever you are). Although most of you
will be buying, building, or racing 1:32 scale
cars, we do want to include items of interest
for all slot car racing enthusiasts, and hope
something here will broaden your horizons or
at least be interesting to read.
Of course we still have some more usual
articles in this issue: a fabulous workshop
build by Pete Simpson, reviews of some
classic Le Mans cars, modular track building,
and a bit of tuning for high-speed racing. We
also have some nice features on scenery, new
BTCC cars, running a slot car club, and some
festive spirit planned for the next issue which
will be out a few weeks before Christmas. By
then you will be back to full time racing and the
summer will be forgotten, but of course slot car
racing will never really stop.
Gary Cannell
Gary Cannell, Editor.
26/09/2016 14:43
INSIDE
TRACK
GAUGEMASTER
AUTOFEST
Every year major slot car
distributors Gaugemaster
have a slot car Autofest. This
years event will be held on
Saturday 22 October at the
Gaugemaster HQ in Arundel,
West Sussex, between 9am
5.30pm.
Gaugemaster are the UK
distributors for slot car
brands Fly, Slotwings,
SRC, Sideways, Cartrix,
NSR, Slot.it, Ninco, Policar,
Racer, and Thunderslot.
Many other useful items
suitable for slot racing are
stocked from Preiser, Deluxe,
Humbrol, K&S, and their own
Gaugemaster range of scenic
materials.
In the past Gaugemaster
have offered many items at
clearance prices at Autofest,
so if you are in the area you
could pick up a bargain as
well as trying many different
slot cars and tracks.
NEW SLOT CLUB

IN WORTHING
One of the things that
gets mentioned to
Gaugemasters Terry
Smith at their annual Slot
event held every October
is the lack of slot car
clubs and tracks to race
on locally. Considering
the size of area around
Littlehampton and
Worthing, and if you
include the close
proximity to Brighton and
Hove, it is amazing that
there is nowhere to race
plastic 1:32nd slotcars.
After speaking to a local
Community Centre in
East Worthing, Terry
is pleased to say that
he is setting up a track
which will be known as

East Worthing Scalextric
Club, at the centre in
Pages Lane, Worthing.
The track which is being
build with the help of
Sussex-based track
builder Roger Feest will
be a semi portable 4 lane
routed track based on
ve 8ft x 4ft baseboards.
They hope to be up
and running by early
November with race
nights initially on the rst
and third Wednesday
of every month. Anyone
interested please contact
Terry direct on 07759
761455.
PIT LANE
The latest products and innovations
Avant Slot Peugeout 207 WRC 4WD
Carrera Audi R5 DTM Teufel
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Carrera Chevy Bel-Air
Carrera Corvette C7R
Carrera Corvette Stingray
Carrera Ferrari F1 Vettel
Carrera Ford Mustang # 16
Carrera Mercedes SLS Martini
Carrera Porsche 917 Gulf
Carrera Porsche RSR GT3
Fly Buggyra MK08 Racing
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:43
JOIN THE
SCALEXTRIC CLUB
FROM ONLY 15
The Hornby Hobbies Club membership
package offers the following benefits:

3 magazines and a winter special edition

Discounted entry to various UK attractions
Club badge and membership card (postal)
Competitions including chance to win entry
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Junior section with competitions

20 Voucher to spend on club exclusive
models online and over the phone orders
10% discount on Scalextric Club products
Join at Scalextric.com/club
Download Membership
Postal Membership
Consists of all member offers on this page except the

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Consists of all member offers on this page plus you

will receive three Club magazines and a winter edition
through the post from only 20.
Keep up to date with the latest news and offers from Scalextric!
Go to www.scalextric.com/slotmagazine for details.
INSIDE
TRACK
GREENHILLS GARAGES REIMS

MARSHALLS BOX KIT 1:32
The Circuit de Reims, established in 1926, was
located in the Champagne region in northern
France initially for Grand Prix de France races
and subsequently Formula 1 , sports car and
motorcycle races until the circuit closed in 1972.
Many of the iconic Reims buildings still remain
and this Marshalls Box is the latest addition to
Greenhills range of circuit buildings which also

include Silverstone and Goodwood.
Measuring 150mm long , 150mm wide and
155mm high it is available from their website
greenhillsgarages.co.uk for 18.99 including free
UK postage.
NEW AIRBRUSH COMPRESSOR

PERFECT FOR MODEL CARS
News from The Airbrush Company about their new Sparmaz Arism Viz compressor which has 2 novel features
that modellers will nd useful. The rst is the Smart Stop
which pauses the compressor when the airbrush is placed
into its holder and restarts it when it is taken off again. The
rst of its kind in the market, it is compatible with pressure
regulators and bleed valves. Using the Smart-Stop the
working pressure before the compressor is paused will be
maintained upon restart; this is comparable to the pressure
stabilizing effect of an air tank, minus the space taken up!
The second feature is the Silver Bullet Plus moisture lter
with built-in bleed valve. With air ltering at just 5 microns it

is also very light, and ts comfortably into your hand when
tted on the airline below the airbrush.
The compressor has all the expected features : Pressure
range 0 50 psi with pressure gauge, airow 16 18 lpm,
oil-less single piston operation at 220 240 volts, and
complete with braided hose and airbrush stand.
For more information go to www.airbrushes.com and
search for C-AR-VIZ and many other airbrushing products.
PIT LANE
Fly MAN TR1400 Gulf
Fly MAN TR1400 Looney Tunes
LMM Ferrari TR61 # 17
MR Slotcar McLaren G1GT Gulf
NSR BMW Z4GT Shift 2
NSR Ford MK4 Rothmans
NSR Ford P68 Gulf
NSR Porsche 917 Targa Florio
Ostorero Lotus 79 Andretti
Scaleauto Dodge Viper # 53
Scaleauto Dodge Viper # 93
Scaleauto Porsche 991 # 91
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:43
Untitled-2 1
22/07/2013 17:25
INSIDE
TRACK
BOMBER COUNTY SLOTSTOX YELLOWBELLY TROPHY
We recently told you about the new SlotStox
club in Lincolnshire which takes its name
from the many airelds that surround it. See
SLOT # 20 for more details.
Staying with the local and historical theme,
Bomber County SlotStox are running their
rst Yellowbelly Trophy meeting on Thursday
13 October at 7.30pm. If you want to race
a Parma SlotStox car you should be at
Brothertoft Parish Hall PE20 3SW or look on
Facebook for more details.
Why the Yellowbelly Trophy? Because:
The Royal Warrant for foot soldiers in
1751 stated the colour facings on uniform
was to be yellow for the Lincolnshire
Regiment.
Lincolnshire Longwool sheep grazed in

mustard elds and yellow pollen stuck to
their bellies.
Farmworkers who spent all day without
shirts got their backs tanned and the
reection on their pale bellies from the corn
shone yellow.
Women market traders used to have two
pockets for their money, one for copper and
silver and one for gold. After a good trading
day they said they had yellow bellies.
The mailcoach from Lincoln to London
had a yellow undercarriage.
A species of newt, frog or eel found in the
fens has a yellow belly.
PIT LANE
Scaleauto Spyker Laviolette # 94
Scalextric Ford Falcon Mad Max
Scalextric Mercedes Petronas Hamilton Sideways GP5 Mustang Turbo
Slot.It Audi R8 LMP
Slotwings Lola T70GT
Slotwings Porsche 917 Martini
Slotwings Porsche 917 Snorkel
SRC Ferrari 312PB Monza
SRC Porsche 907L Racing
Team Slot Alpine A310 Calberson
Team Slot Alpine A310 Gitanes
Team Slot Lancia Stratos Le Point
Scalextric Audi R8 Crocodile
Scalextric BMW M3 Demon Tweeks
Scaleauto Spyker C8 # 85
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:43
p 23 ADs Collated 021.indd 1
26/09/2016 11:55
FEATURE
ROUTED WOODEN PORTABLE TRACK
MASTER
CRAFTMANSHIP
Four Lane Black Top - Going Modular with Lee Parsons
here are times in everyones

life when events unfold quite
unexpectedly which can
challenge the norm and change
our approach to the way we look
at things.
Four Lane Black Top has been running
as a slot car racing club now for more than
twenty years and over that time has gone
through some signicant changes as well as
ups and downs, the lowest point probably

being the re at their clubhouse based in
Swindon back in 2008. Club members had
spent months personally refurbishing a derelict
set of premises let out to them by the local
Master craftsman Lee Parsons at work. CNCd sections await their turn for assembly.
Lee Parsons
final designs.
MODULAR TRACK.indd 56
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:44
FLBTs original track plans proved impractical.
Council. Work had not long been completed,

including the installation of a new four lane
routed circuit. The cause of the re? A stolen
motorcycle which had been dumped next to
the building then set alight. The clubhouse
was burned to the ground with next to nothing
remaining salvageable.
Several members at the time vowed that
they would never go through that pain and
effort again. However the club was not about
to die a death. Only weeks after, an initial
meeting was held in a club members garage
in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. It was on a very
simple oval made up of Scalextric track and
timing equipment. This developed into events
transferring to a larger facility a few miles
further down the road, where more space
was available for a larger circuit. Then came
an opportunity for what appeared to be some
more permanent club premises, courtesy of
an old works social club which had become
available near Bradford on Avon. It had the
potential for a fantastic facility with space
for a full size routed circuit as well as one or
two smaller circuits, plus a drag strip to boot.
FLBT purchased Timaru clubs old track and
spent weeks refurbishing and re-assembling it.
However, within six months FLBT was on the
move again! Unbeknown to the members, the
company on whose land it sat had developed
plans to extend their on-site generators and
the building was to be razed to the ground to
accommodate the new equipment.
SEARCH FOR A NEW HOME
Undeterred, FLBT searched for a new home

and later that year moved to what remains
their current base in Marlborough, Wiltshire.
To begin with, a small upstairs room was hired
and makeshift Scalextric circuits erected and
dismantled each week. Later on a Ninco circuit
was developed and mounted on boards to
help speed up the weekly set-up/breakdown
activities. It provided some good racing, but
The clubs take on a possible

modular design.
deep down the club knew it needed a routed

circuit. The Timaru track wasnt an option
as it was designed as a permanent raceway,
eventually being sold on and subsequently
completely overhauled by its new owners.
Today it stands as a ne (but still permanent
track) at The Dudley Parkway slot car club.
Then came the offer of Honitons old four
lane circuit. Not only was it a wooden routed
circuit but it could be put together then
broken down again in a matter of minutes. To
accommodate it meant a move to the larger
main hall. That circuit has provided some
fabulous racing over the past ve years as well
as serving as the main circuit at the annual
Swindon Swapmeet each January. However,
it was recognised that it was not going to last
forever. Should FLBT overhaul their current
circuit, or bite the bullet and plump for a brand
new track?
A healthy inux of new members whilst
based at Marlborough had increased the
coffers and in early 2015 it was decided to
approach some track builders, as members
had little desire to go through an in-house
track build again!
Computers can only do so much; you still

need a craftsman.
Painting commences.
ENTER LEE PARSONS
Known to many as one of the top slot car

racers in this country if not the world perhaps less known are Lee's track-building
abilities. Numerous examples come to mind
including the Electric City track at Leicester,
the slotstox tracks at Luton and Pinewood,
plus of course the BSCRA Nationals 'X
Track', albeit all of these had been designed
as permanent layouts. FLBTs brief was
somewhat restrictive as not only must the new
track be portable, but it had to be designed to
be put together in no more than hour and
when disassembled, stored into a 2m3 space
in a small storeroom shared with other hall
users. When erected it should be capable of
being marshalled by as few as two to three
Track sections to be wheeled into the workshop

for painting. Luckily the weather held.
>
The art of lane marking.
November/December
September/October 2016 - SLOT MAG 13
61
26/09/2016 14:44
FEATURE
ROUTED WOODEN PORTABLE TRACK
Black epoxy paint is applied.
Final touches are applied to the power and timing

equipment. Note the compact PSUs.
Mark Bailey providing alternative transport for larger track

sections.
modular system whereby every section can

be swapped and interchanged. Im not sure
if anyone has actually sat down and worked
out all of the permutations for the new FLBT
circuit, but with eleven sections currently
available there are at least 100 different
congurations available.
So how did Lee do it? Well to ensure
the accuracy needed to interchange track
sections, computer aided design (CAD) as
well as CNC technology was utilised. Initially,
various ideas and track plans were kicked
about between Lee and FLBT over the course
of nearly three months, which might sound
a long time, but bear in mind the technical
challenges, plus a Christmas holiday thrown in
for good measure and my view would be that
this project has been an excellent example
of the old 80:20 rule of planning versus
execution.
Once the green light was given by the club
in February 2016, Lee set about ordering all
of the necessary materials and nalising the
CAD drawings ready for the board sections
to be machine cut. With other track-building
commitments needing to be put to bed, Lee
set a start date of June 2016. The materials

were duly transported to the build facility with
all of the other materials ready for construction
to begin. Two months later, with Lee spending
the majority of every weekend gradually
turning FLBTs dream into a reality, the track
sections were nally ready for transfer to
Marlborough.
FLBT was fortunate in that it had a couple of
members with facilities for the track to be built,
which saved on the cost of hiring somewhere.
Not a lot of space is actually needed for the
basic construction a standard garage will
do and Neal Callaghan, FLBTs club treasurer
kindly stepped forward to make his garage
space available for Lee to undertake the initial
assembly of the sections. However when it
came to painting the track surface it helped
enormously to have the use of Mark Bailey
Racings unit space. Mark has invested a lot
of time and effort into the club over the past
couple of years and it was very generous of
him to clear his workshop for FLBT to move
in for a few weeks. The weather and general
temperatures during July and August were
excellent and meant that track sections
Each section is interchangeable.
individuals. Oh and it should be BSCRA

compliant. Not a lot to ask for really then, eh?
Lee being the busy chap he is took a while
to track down but once engaged, it didnt take
long to arrive at a solution that ticked all of the
necessary boxes on both sides. His previous
form came into play, not only as a slot car
racer, but also as an accomplished cabinet
maker to ensure that from the outset, no
expensive mistakes were made.
>
100 DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS
You can see from the images what FLBTs

original track plans looked like and from that,
what Lee eventually developed. As always
there was some give and take during the
design process, but overall the result has
blown everyone away at the club and could
provide an answer to clubs throughout the
country who would like a professionally
nished wooden routed circuit, but have no
permanent facilities in which to house it. I
suppose the easiest way to describe this
new circuit is as a bespoke version of what
the Slotre system has to offer. What Lee
has managed to produce is a completely
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:44
could be wheeled into the unit to

be worked on, then if necessary
moved outside to make more
space for the next batch. It was like
working with a huge sliding puzzle
at times but with some careful
planning it all came together very
quickly.
KEY FEATURES
It is also worth mentioning

some of the other key features
employed on the new track. Lee
used two different types of MDF
to construct the sections: A water
resistant compound for the main
sections and what Lee describes
as bomb-proof extra-hard MDF
for track joints. Power to the lanes
is provided via routed braid as
opposed to solid copper tape and,
as a result, should be much more
durable. The club also decided
to invest in separate PSUs for
each lane and each of these has
a variable rating of 13-16 volts, 10
amps sufcient for FLBTs racing
needs. Wiring has also been kept to
a minimum and wherever possible
the braid terminated directly into
track joint connectors etc. The track
surface has been treated to an
epoxy based paint and early signs
are that it is going to be very grippy
indeed. FLBTs previous track used
IKEA screw-in legs and a similar
solution has been used on the
new track. In fact the design has
been updated and whilst they are
slightly thinner and lighter (though
just as sturdy) they have the added
bonus of adjustment for uneven
oors. There are also some other
very nice features developed and

incorporated by Lee Parsons which
to the ordinary bystander wouldnt
even be noticed; all things which
make for a quality product built
to last and at a very reasonable
price in comparison to other
comparable options.
What things might have been
done differently? To be honest
there seems to be very little that
Lee Parsons and FLBT havent
thought of. Some of the sections
are large and heavy and possibly
could have been cut down in size
to make them lighter, but wheres
the fun in that?! FLBT have actually
developed skate boards for each
section so that they can not only
be rolled into position before the
legs are screwed in and then turned
upright, but also stored away in a
safe and secure manner.
Lee Parsons has hit upon a truly
great concept with the development
of the new FLBT circuit. Its modular
design not only provides for
different size layouts (useful say
if only a handful of members turn
up to a meeting), but also variety
as well as expandability. For more
information on what Lee might be
able to develop and produce for
you, contact him on 07717 666 483,
or alternatively track him down on
Facebook under Lee Parsons.
Editor's note: FLBT featured
in Club Focus in SLOT No. 13.
The club meets Tuesday nights;
go and have a look at www.bt.
co.uk and www.facebook.com/
fourlaneblacktop
The FLBT modular circuit erected and ready to go.
Fast straights and flowing bends feature throughout the circuit.
Initial shakedown for the track in Marlborough.
The track is proving to have plenty of speed and grip.
26/09/2016 14:44
PAST FORWARD
Taking a look at the history of slot racing
PAST FORWARD 21.indd 48
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:45
Racing
onto the
page
slot racing books

of the 1960s
Pipe-smoking bow-tied slot car racer; how times

change. Early on V.I.P. used on/off switches to control
cars, the entire track carrying the electric current.
As slot racing took off in the early 1960s publishers scrambled onto the
bandwagon. Richard reviews a selection.
e'll take a look at what found

its way into bookshops and
model shops on both sides
of the Atlantic; indeed more
than one American book was
later published in the U.K. Most appeared in
the three-year rush from 1963 and it's in this
year we'll start:
TABLE TOP CAR RACING
Richard F. Dempewolff's book

may have appeared in '63
and two years later in Britain
but seems to have been
written earlier. For example,
an appendix reproduces
a newsletter from July
1959 reporting on the
second annual Kalamazoo,
Michigan rail racing grand
prix with six English proxy
entries from the likes of Duncan Laycock,
Laurie Cranshaw and Walkden Fisher. A
whole chapter is dedicated to the debate over
'Rail versus slot systems' ok, rail didn't die
until '64, in the U.K. Elsewhere Dempewolff
suggests, tongue in cheek that 'if you want to
break up a race some night, just say in a loud
voice: Variable controls are the only sane way
to run these cars (p. 71). In other words some
diehards still preferred on-off switches, but
they would have been a small minority by the
time the book was published.
We admit to a soft spot for this book
because it was the one slot car book available
to the then nine year old me on the shelves of
our local library, before my rst set appeared

next birthday. When I found a copy not so long
ago on an internet auction site, there once
more was crewcut-haired Tom Cook (U.S.
pioneer of the Kalamazoo club), the beautiful
scratchbuilt models of 1950s 2 litre Formula
1 cars, and the plans of tracks I hoped to
build. With photos or diagrams on most of
its 150 pages this is one book to seek out,
especially if you're into the early days of rail
and slot at the turn of the 1960s. There are a
few around via internet bookshops although
prices range from 20+ to more than double
that. The lower gure looks more reasonable;
ours was around the 15 mark three or four
years ago.
THE COMPLETE BOOK OF MODEL

RACEWAYS AND ROADWAYS
Another U.S. (1964) then U.K. ('65) publication

is Louis H. Hertz's substantial but quirky
offering. At 210 large pages it's the biggest
book here. Primarily a model railroad
enthusiast involved in magazine writing
since the late 1930s it's not surprising that
Hertz included road
and railways within
this book. Chapter 8
is called 'Combining
automobiles and
railroads', reminiscent
of the Playcraft article
elsewhere in this
edition of SLOT. More
common in the smaller
sizes it was interesting
Earliest international rail race in the USA was won by

proxy-driven car from Walkden Fisher of the Southport,
England club.
Back cover of Hertzs book with the torn

front in colour.
>
26/09/2016 14:45
PAST FORWARD
to nd Scalextric's 1930s Bentley and Alfa

Romeo shown alongside Gauge 1 trains.
Hertz seemed closely associated with
Polk's Model Craft Hobbies, Inc. and many of
the numerous photos are attributed to Polk's.
Hence it is at times not easy to recognise the
manufacturer of some of the slot cars pictured.
Pedantically Hertz is at pains to emphasise
the difference between scale and size or ratio,
labouring on for paragraph after paragraph
then albeit usefully showing it all on a
chart. Thus we learn that 1:24th is the size or
ratio of the model, whereas its scale is inch
to one foot of the full-sized car. Not so useful
is his persistence in captioning photos, like
the Ferraris in the Eldon set shown, with their
scale (3/8) rather than the 1:32 by which the
rest of the world knows them.
Although slightly away from the mainstream
this is nevertheless a book worth tracking
>
Scalextric vintage Bentley and Alfa pictured in

Hertzs book running alongside Gauge 1 trains.
down. Printed on thick, good-quality paper you

might expect to pay around 30 for it.
ELECTRIC MODEL CAR RACING
We now turn to two, smaller books by British

pioneers Dickie Laidlaw-Dickson and Vic
Smeed. Our copy of the former has its dust
jacket missing; ironically so do the ones we
found for sale on the 'net so we can't depict the
cover for you. 'Electric Model Car Racing' is an
important book because Dickie, like Vic, was
there in the early days and can speak of '
the pioneer[ing] effort of a few enthusiasts and
two model clubs... the author is proud to have
been one of those pioneer enthusiasts' (p. 13).
He was editor of 'Model Cars' magazine and
'Model Maker' before that. Modestly he does
not identify himself in print with 'the rst model
contrate gear and pinion from Eldi Service...
which sold 50,000 before selling the business
Hertz pedantically pointing out that what we call scale

is more correctly ratio or proportion.
to Super Shells...' (p. 14). Eldi was L.-D. i.e.

Laidlaw-Dickson himself.
Small-sized print and text frequently not
interspersed with diagrams make this book
not easy to read at times, but it's worth
persevering. There are, however, two sets of
photos within the 150 pages and we reproduce
a couple of the most interesting here. Above
the Ian Stewart-built Ferrari chassis we see
two of the British entries proxy-driven in
the U.S.A. in the rst international rail race.
Dempewolff reports and pictures this too; the
British cars won. We rather liked the picture
of the pipe-smoking Elleston Trevor, author of
'Fight of the Phoenix' around this time, whose
Rolls Royce parked underneath the garage
slot track when the circuit was winched up into
the rafters!
Early British slot racing books tend to
be quite technical, for the model engineer
3/8-inch scale Eldon Ferraris are 1:32 in anyone but

Hertzs language.
Early 1:24 commercial chassis sold by Polks, pictured in Hertz.

Laidlaw-Dickson also (above) pictures the early British rail racers that did so well in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The car below is by Ian
Stewart, elder brother of three-times world F1 champion Jackie. Ian himself ran near the front of 1950s endurance sports car races.
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:45
Early Birdcage Maserati of Luis del Rosario Jr. pictured in Hertzs book;
sidewinder motor has integral rear axle.
Author Elleston Trevor, left, smoking a pipe with Dickie Laidlaw-Dickson centre. The Trevor family Rolls
Royce occupied the garage when the slot track was hoisted back up to the ceiling!
and hark back to the days when

commercially-built parts were
sparse. For example, using the
diagrams shown you could build a
steering front end for the race
at Rockingham held each year
nowadays.
For the dedicated enthusiast
rather than the casual reader
this book is still worth seeking
out. There's one via a U.K.
online bookseller as we write
(early September) at a highly
optimistic and unrealistic 79;
a quarter of that would be
nearer the mark.
SIMPLE ELECTRIC CAR RACING
Technical diagrams
from Laidlaw-Dicksons
book. Build yourself a
steering front end for
Rockingham 2017!
Published by MAP (Model

Aeronautical Press),
who were responsible
for 'Model Cars'
magazine amongst
others, Smeed's 100+
pages are an easier
read than LaidlawDickson's because
photos and diagrams
are interspersed with
text. Like Dempewolff, Smeed is useful if

you're interested in the history of the hobby.
We learn that the December 1954 edition of
'Model Maker' carried an article by reader
Tebbutt on experiments with what became
rail racing see SLOT No. 6 based on
Geoffrey Deason's earlier ideas. That article
'caught [the] imagination' (p. 6) of members
of Southport M.E.C. Vic Smeed, assistant
editor of 'Model Maker', visited the Southport
track in August 1955 'and on publication of a
subsequent article and pictures, other people
began to sit up and take notice'. 1957 was
the important year as the rst commercially
available slot racing set was released by
Scalextric, coinciding with the publication
Laidlaw-Dickson's 'Model Car Rail Racing'. We
must look for a copy of that too!
For the 21st century historic slot
racer Smeed's book has useful
information like clear diagrams of
open-frame motors available in the
early 1960s, with dimensions so
you can work out whether you can
shoehorn a motor into your chosen
body. Again, though, some advice
would have been out of date by the
time of publication in 1965 e.g. how
to scratchbuild a slot guide from
>
26/09/2016 14:45
PAST FORWARD
By the time Smeed published in 1965 there was no longer a need to make
your own slot guide from curtain rail.
Useful: Smeeds diagrams with

dimensions of open-frame motors.
On the other hand, making braids from TV coaxial cable was a cheap and
effective alternative!
curtain rail. By '65 your choice of a guide to

buy was extensive. To the then impoverished
schoolboy, though that would have been
me advice like making braid from a length of
TV coaxial cable would have been invaluable.
Richard remembers the local Scalextric
stockist, who also was the TV repairman,
advising this 10 year old to save pocket money
that way!
'Simple Electric Car Racing' is worth looking
for, especially because it's relatively common
and thus prices reasonable. Indeed there's
one on eBay U.K. ending today, which has so
far attracted just one bid at the starting price
of 10.
>
YOUR BOOK OF
MODEL CAR RACING
This 1965 offering by
Kenneth Gee, revised
in '71 although I can't
spot how, was one
of over 90 titles in
the 'Your Book Of.. .'
series which ranged
from Acting to Wild
Twice F1 world
champion Jim
Clark (next to lady
driver) featured
in Scalextric
advertising, pictured
here in Kenneth Gees
book.
Flowers. Described as 'a handbook for the

young driver' we can nd little to recommend
amongst its 90 pages. We did nd Jim Clark
starring in a heavily-retouched early Scalextric
advert as you can see. Does anyone
recognise the other people?
HERE IS YOUR HOBBY...

SLOT CAR RACING
Similar in concept to
Gee's book, this 1966
book was one of a
run whereby young
Americans could
try archery, hunting,
car customizing and
outboard boating!
Those were the days,
before Health and
Safety... Oh, and the
girls were expected to
collect dolls. Its 120 pages give a
real sense of the mid-1960s U.S. craze of slot
car racing. Bob Braverman and Bill Neumann
knew their stuff; Bob had been building and
racing since the earliest days and was an
editorial contributor (sounds familiar) on 'Rod

& Custom' magazine, 'the leading monthly
magazine for the model car enthusiast' (p.
128). Bill was its editor.
The book is amply illustrated with many
half-page pictures. Braverman and Neumann
sensibly discuss building a car from a slot
kit before a chapter
on scratchbuilding.
Thus we see
mouthwatering
images of K&B,
AMT, Monogram and
The Braverman and
Neumann book is typical
of 1960s books in showing
you how to scratchbuild a
chassis.
Cox kits amongst

others. You can
wonder at the size
of the tracks in the
raceways, and the sheer acreage covered by
those raceways.
This book is highly recommended. Ours
even came with the lending docket still
The spirit of the

1960s slot racing
craze in America;
long raceways
tracks in big
buildings, young
racers crowding
around the parts
counter.
Two British club tracks shown by Smeed. The Bolton club (above)
is still at it over 50 years later; we guestdrove for them in a retro
endurance race in 2015.
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:45
pasted in, from Lower Dauphin

High School Library. The school
is still there, in Hummelstown,
Pennsylvania. Much sought after,
you will have to pay a bit if you can
nd one. As we write we can see
one on offer at USD 90.
SLOT CAR RACING
The cover on Phil Drackett's

1968 book is really attractive, with
vacuum-formed body Ferrari P4
cars leading
on a six-lane
track, but...
but the text
disappoints.
Mr. Drackett
can't have
taken too
long on this
one. We did nd one or
two choice quotations
though: '...for all of us
ageing Walter Mittys,
slot car racing can, in
a modest way, make
dreams come true...' (p.
12). With the benet of hindsight you have
to smile about one of Drackett's opinions: '...
exciting as it may be, the 007 Set comes more
into the toy category and the genuine slot-car
enthusiast is likely to be more taken with the
Scalextric Grand Prix and sports car racing
sets'. Nowadays the sky's the limit on the price
of an intact James Bond 1960s set. If this
book has a saving grace it's in (some of) the
pictures. Like in the Braverman and Neumann
book, we can wonder at the popularity of slot
cars in the '60s, in Britain this time. Thus a
track in John Lewis' Glasgow shop is shown,
and the eight-lane routed track installed at the
ski resort of Aviemore. Those were the days.
Worth buying? Maybe. We can see a couple
at the moment via Amazon. 20 seems OK but
60? No thanks.
Those were the

days: Routed
eight-lane track in
a hotel at Aviemore
ski resort.
Useful page in
Drackett showing
which Mabuchi
motor is which.
Kits in the U.S.A. feature in Braverman and Neumann; the Atlas 1:32
Ford GT40 and Porsche 904.
The big old

lump of a
Pittman 706
pictured in
Braverman and
Neumann with
one of our own.
26/09/2016 14:45
PAST FORWARD
No we werent lucky enough to

nd the free booklet with the
magazine, we bought them off
the net separately.
Model Cars magazine alw

ays included the latest
bits you could buy.
A HISTORY OF ELECTRIC MODEL ROADS

AND RACETRACKS 1908 1985
Not from the 1960s but the '80s, Roger

Greenslade's big red
book is, in our opinion,
indispensable. That is,
if you're into slot racing
archaeology and need to
identify the latest tarnished
pile of bits. Amateurish
and quirkily formatted it
may be but I wouldn't
be without it. Thus, for
example, we were able
to identify our REH from
late '67 / early '68. This
one's notable in the
transition from road and wire chassis to
brass plate with pans.
Only 2,000 books were printed; a rst 1986
issue of 1,000 numbered copies and a reissue
in 1990 not numbered. Because of its rarity
prices can be speculative how about 185?
- but you might just get lucky on an internet
auction site for 20 to 30.
MAGAZINES FROM THE 1960S
So fast was the pace of development in the

'60s that even monthly magazines say
with a six-week gap between a race and its
report ran the risk of the latest innovations
being quickly out of date. Nevertheless, if
you want to really know what was happening
when, search out the magazines. In the U.K.
earlier competition was, by '68, overtaken by
or incorporated into 'Model Cars'. Occasionally
they'd offer a freebie like the slot motors
booklet here. If you can nd the magazine with
the booklet you'll be lucky, but the booklets are
not infrequently offered on the 'net separately.
The magazine choice in the U.S.A. was
wider. Whilst readily available, prices look high
at typically USD 15 apiece. What does look
good value is a complete run of 'Car Model'
magazines scanned to DVD for under USD
50 from www.rmtcustoms.com We must get
round to ordering ours. A word of warning to
the British reader, though. Slot car reviews, for
example, are sometimes not technical in U.S.
magazines to the extent of not naming the
motor, or showing the chassis, and some of
the language used may have been trendy then
but quaint and not easily understood this side
of the Atlantic in 2016. We highlight 'Model
Car & Track's February 1967 review of the
Cox Cucaracha, for example. We covered the
Cuc in SLOT No. 14. You might expect such
a milestone in chassis design to be shown,
although it is at least described , and you're
left guessing what the 'medium size Mabuchi'
motor might be (a FT16D).
Dont expect American mag

azines to be necessarily
as
technical or informative.
Wheres the shot of the Cox
Cuc chassis?
Greenslade: Big, red, quirkily formatted but

indispensable.
We identied our
1967/68 REH (bottom
left) from Greenslade.
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:45
PAST FORWARD
THE ORIGINS OF HO SCALE SLOT CARS
SLOT CARS AS
ROADWAYS
PLAYCRAFT, AURORA, MINIC & BEYOND!

James Day looks back at the original HO car system
any will be familiar with the

evolution of slot cars and the
rst appearance of commercial
slot car systems from Scalextric
and VIP. In the larger scales,
slot cars were nearly always intended for
racing. However, not only did smaller-scale
slot cars emerge slightly later, but they were
originally intended to be a roadway system for
use with model trains and not for racing, but of
course that is how they ended up!
CARS AND TRAINS TOGETHER
The man who invented smaller scale slot

cars was an Englishman - Derek Brand (1926
to 2012). He ran a company called Crafco
who specialised in inventing and developing
toy products. They worked closely with
companies such as Revell. In the mid-1950s,
Revell introduced an HO Scale model train

system and, like several other manufacturers
in the United States, they used Atlas model
railroad track. Over the years several other
manufacturers copied the geometry of Atlas
track, the most recent being Life-Like.
It was therefore probably no coincidence
that Brand made the length of his standard
roadway section 9, which was the same as
an Atlas straight. The Brand slot car geometry
as introduced became the industry standard
being used by Aurora/Tomy, Tyco and a whole
host of others, most recently Life-Like.
Brand was initially unable to get a
manufacturer to take on the concept in the
USA but did get Playcraft in the UK to produce
it. The rst Playcraft Highways sets reached
the shops in late 1959, but sadly the product
was not a commercial success here. It was
PLAYCRAFT.indd 56
in production for only a year or two and was

never developed beyond a couple of sets, four
vehicles and a handful of extra track sections.
It was, however, the acorn from which all
subsequent HO scale roadways and raceways
developed Minic Motorways, Faller AMS,
Aurora Model Motoring, Tyco and many others.
Although Playcraft Highways was a
commercial failure, the product was quickly
taken up by Aurora in the United States.
Brands unusual AC vibrator motor was soon
replaced by the ubiquitous ThunderJet DC
motor (also designed by Brand) and the
product eventually became Tomy AFX.
Sadly, the roadway ambition of the range
was soon cast aside in favour of racing, as
it was eventually with all makes, even Minic
Motorways. The last true roadways system
to be launched was Tyco US-1 Trucking in
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:46
1980, but this would only last around ve

to six years. Ironically Tyco US-1 with
the wonderful automated loading and
unloading features, was also designed by
Derek Brand!
Playcraft highways was the rst slot
car product in this scale -Launching in
late 1959 The inventor was Derek
Brand
The product was not that successful in
the UK, only ever extending to four cars,
two sets and a handful of extra track
sections
It was news of the development of
Playcraft Highways that inspired Tri-ang
to start to develop Minic (launched
1961) This has been conrmed by
Richard Lines formerly of Tri-ang/Hornby
Hobbies
The idea was taken up by Aurora in the
US and the rest is history
Playcraft Railways did not appear until
1961, just as Playcraft Highways was
discontinued
THE PLAYCRAFT EXHIBITION LAYOUT
Some ranges such as Minic Motorways,

Faller and Heras/Wiad were designed
to be closely integrated with model
trains. Sadly, despite Brands intentions,
Playcraft Highways never was. Playcraft
did not launch their own brand of
imported model railways until 1961, just
as Highways was withdrawn. (All the
railway track, stock, accessories and
buildings on this layout were marketed by
Playcraft during the 1960s).
However, early Aurora and Playcraft
roadway sections are completely
interchangeable, so on this layout
we have used Aurora level crossings
(grade crossing in the U.S.), crossroads
(intersections) and other items of track
to make our layout a little more dynamic.
Apologies for the right-hand running,
which looks odd when combined with
British trains but that is how Aurora was
sold!
On the upper level we are using Tyco
US1 Highways slot car track, together
with Life-Like track supports. Our aim is
to run various makes of roadway system
vehicles: From Playcraft, through Faller
to Tyco US-1 and Bauer. You may even
see us running the odd Micro Scalextric
vehicle! Please note that in the interests
of reliability none of the Playcraft still
vehicles have the original vibrator motors
all have re-engineered T Jets.
The single track section uses Faller
AMS track and here we will be happy to
demonstrate independent control of two
cars on one track using 1960s Half Wave
1: The grey section is an original piece of Paycraft Highways Track from 1959/60. This had brass contact strips. The later
Aurora Model Motoring track was almost identical and wholly compatible although the plastic was black and contact
strips became steel. In the centre is a length of Life-Like Power-Loc track dating from around 2008. This follows the
geometry used by Atlas 60 years earlier. Finally there is a length of Life-Like Racing Dura Lock track also dating from
2008. This system closely followed the original Playcraft geometry. Note that all are exactly 9 long, exactly the same
length as the Atlas Snap Track Railroad straight! 2: Some rather grubby early Aurora Model Motoring
Track sandwiching a 9 piece of Atlas Snap Track. This is the model railroad track
that has indirectly influenced the geometry of many H0 slot car systems! Photo
courtesy of Chuck Higdon. 3: The Playcraft Highways range only ever extended to
the four vehicles shown here, although they were available in a variety of colours.
The two sports cars were later manufactured by Aurora. 4: Original Playcraft and
early Aurora cars came with an unusual vibrator type motor; they were fed from
an AC power supply and a coil caused the agitator to move up and down acting
on the geared rear axle. The original chassis were much loved by fans but tended
to run hot and be unreliable. Derek Brand then designed the classic much copied
Thunderjet chassis with the pancake armature and the rest is history! 5: Tyco US-1
Trucking was a brilliant system with lots of play value. The lorries could be reversed
into loading and unloading docks, where the transfer of good would take place
without intervention!
>
November/December
61
PLAYCRAFT.indd 57
26/09/2016 14:46
PAST FORWARD
6 & 7: The twin peg system used by Tyco US-1 allowed

both the lorries and trailers to be reversed easily. The
wheels on the trailer are on a bogie that can swivel freely.
8 & 9: Aurora Model Motoring Intersection. Many roadway
systems featured a crossroads, but strangely none were
ever automated. Minic proposed to do this, but never did.
Faller later made working traffic lights but these did not
stop the cars, drivers were expected to obey them! 10:
Like crossroads, many manufacturers made level or grade
crossings to allow the combination of road and rail, but
only Marx ever made one that actually stopped and started
the cars. It lifted and dropped the barriers too! Tri-ang
catalogued an automated Minic level crossing for many
years but sadly it was never produced. 11: US slot car grade
crossings The grey Tyco US-1 version from 1980 and
the black Life-Like Racing version from almost 30 years
later. They both copy the Playcraft/Aurora Geometry Both
crossings were sold separately and in combination sets. 12:
The Aurora Model Motoring Grade Crossing was originally
made in 1961 around the same time that Minic Motorways
was introduced. It appeared in a third party combination
set too, featuring Tyco Trains. The trains here are Life-Like
and the cars are from the Ideal Dukes Of Hazard race and
chase set. Unlike the Knight Rider and The Professionals
set, these cars are not half-wave.
>
10
Playcraft never made crossroads or

level crossings themselves which is why
the Aurora ones used in the layout were
set for right-hand running.
The single-track section was from
the Faller AMS range another product
inspired by Playcraft/Aurora.
The grey elevated track and the
American lorries are from the Tyco
US-1 Trucking series of the 1980s - also
designed by Derek Brand.
The buildings were made by Pola in
Germany but sold as part of the Playcraft
Railways range. The trains themselves
were made for Playcraft by Jouef in
France.
11
12
PLAYCRAFT.indd 58
Technology beating Scalextric Digital to

it by thirty years! Makes here are Faller,
Rasant and Ideal. You are even welcome
to drive a vehicle on this circuit.
>
13
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:46
14
15
16
17
13: Two different versions of the Life-Like Racing grade crossing. 14: Playcraft - Railways, Highways and Buildings spot the original product? The trains were imported from Jouef in
France. The buildings were made for Playcraft by Pola in what was then West Germany. The Highways system was made by Playcraft themselves under licence from Derek Brand, but was
not successful in the UK. The irony of this is that the roadway system was obsolete by the time Playcraft began marketing the trains and the buildings. My combination layout is therefore
chronologically incorrect! 15: Half-wave cars from Ideal Toys these were sold in race and chase sets in the 1980s and enabled to two cars to run on the same track under independent
control. Sets included 'Knight Rider' and 'The Professionals'. 16: Half-wave cars from Rasant these are all metal in construction and beautifully engineered. 17: Faller AMS made a
huge range of cars from the early '60s into the 1980s. They pioneered the half-wave idea and the cars shown here are equipped with diodes to permit two to be on the same track under
independent control.
>
Crossroads and level

crossings add a lot of
interest as the cars have to
give way.
PLAYCRAFT.indd 59
26/09/2016 14:46
PAST FORWARD
There are four separate roadways

and two train tracks in this shot,
so there are always several things
moving simultaneously.
MINIC AND SPARE PARTS
Sadly, you will not nd any

Minic Motorways vehicles
running on this layout, as Minic
had a completely different
pick up system to the industry
standard as developed by
Brand which simply wont
work on these track systems.
However, if you have Minic
Motorways and need to
replace your slot rubber, we
produce that and many other
items for Minic, Model-Land,
Battle Space Tri-ang Hornby
ask us at jamesday@
btinternet.com
Editor's note: Minic cars
used a gimball pickup that
was directly copied from that
used on the rst Scalextric
tinplate cars. As Tri-Ang had
gained ownership of Scalextric
before Minic was launched
it was a logical step to copy
an existing system, although
it did not progress on the
larger Scalextric cars when
the plastic Scalextric range
was introduced. Minic design
and development was already
underway and the gimball
system was ideal for the very
small cars and continued
throughout their life.
Although mostly
continental in origin,
plenty of buildings
add interest to the
layout.
Roads were available as both single and

double carriageways which adds a lot
of variety and enables more complex
systems to be built.
Author James Day on the left admires

the layout on. Brian Salter in the dark
shirt is the author of the book on SpotOn cars.
>
PLAYCRAFT.indd 60
Both roads and

railways can be
elevated if you want
to avoid using level
crossings.
Plenty of cars and

trains running
continuously on this
show layout.
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:47
26/09/2016 11:56
NEW CAR REVIEW

A NICE PAIR OF LE MANS CLASSICS
GOLDEN AGE
SPORTS CLASSICS
C
Formidable front-engined Ferrari TR61 and Jaguar E2A
lassic sports car enthusiasts will
instantly recognise these cars.
The Ferrari TR61 is the famous
Ferrari Testarossa in its 1961
disguise with the sharknose that
Ferrari made popular in that year. It was also
designed into the Ferrari 246 Dino and the

Ferrari 156 Formula 1 car. The 1960 Jaguar
E2A is the missing link between the Jaguar
D Type and Jaguar E Type, and followed the
short-lived E1A which never raced. Although
the real cars never actually raced each other,
TR61 & E2A.indd 38
they are from the golden age of front-engined

sports cars and excited crowds on the same
racetracks.
FERRARI TR61
The Ferrari Testarossa was a successful
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:47
sports car for several years. Using a V12

engine, the racing specication had red-painted
cam covers which gave it the name. The nal
development was the TR61 which was built
for the 1961 Le Mans race, although cars with
more conventional front ends raced in 1962.
The Testarossa had previously won Le Mans
in 1957 and 1958 as well as many other sports
and endurance races. Ferrari won the World
Championship in 1958 and 1960 with the
Testarossa, and would do so again in 1961. The
1961 body was designed by Fantuzzi and built
by Scaglietti with an early vision of the Kamm
tail and the famous nostrils of 1961 Ferraris.
Just two cars were built as originals, a further
third car was converted from a 1960 model, and
you can see the differences in the side vents
and other details. At Le Mans the new cars
raced with numbers 10 (the winning car) and
17; the converted car raced with number 11.

As well as Le Mans, the 1961 cars with
the sharknose nostrils also raced at Sebring
with numbers 14 and 27 before the front was
redesigned with a more conventional single
intake. These ve identities are the only
ones that are correct for this very individual
sharknose car.
JAGUAR E2A
Jaguar had won Le Mans three times with the D

Type, and plans were made to develop a semimonocoque chassis for road and racing use. In
1957 Jaguar built prototype E1A using a similar
spaceframe and tub to the D Type, but with
independent suspension and sleeker bodywork.
It was solely a test hack and was later broken
up, but it laid the groundwork for the unique
Jaguar E2A.
>
TR61 & E2A.indd 39
26/09/2016 14:47
NEW CAR REVIEW

The
LMM Ferrari
TR61 looks good
from every
angle
The E2A was born in 1960 and rst

appeared in public at the Le Mans test
weekend, where it had bare aluminium
bodywork, the streamlined cowling behind
the drivers head (a la D Type) but without the
n. The screen was tall and tapered into the
bodywork, and it ran with plain number 7 on
the car which was road registered VKV 752. It
had a special 3-litre all-aluminium engine
When it appeared for the race in June
1960 it was in the white-with-blue-stripes of
the American Briggs Cunningham team, to
be driven by Dan Gurney and Walt Hangsen.

It had also gained a n behind the driver for
straight line stability in a similar way to the
Jaguar D Types. The car raced with number 6;
at six hours it was retired with head gasket and
burned piston problems.
After a rebuild by Jaguar which included
tting a 3.8 litre engine, the car was sent to
the USA where the Cunningham team raced it
very successfully. During this time it was driven
by Walt Hangsen, Jack Brabham, and Bruce
McLaren. Returning to the UK, E2A was stored
The sharknose nostrils hide spotlamps inside
TR61 & E2A.indd 40
An early version of the Kamm tail with nice exhaust detail
until 1966 when the n was removed and it

was painted in British Racing Green and used
as a decoy during testing of the Jaguar XJ13.
It was later rescued after being scheduled for
scrapping at the factory, and was rebuilt into
1961 Le Mans race specication, including
having the special 3-litre alloy engine.
LE MANS MINIATURES FERRARI TR61
We expect great things from Le Mans

Miniatures. Attention to the minutest details,
perfection in the presentation and nish on
Bonnet and cockpit detail is exceptional
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:47
the hand-built cars, and quality technical

parts such as the Slot.it components. Other
manufacturers may have thought about
offering a car like the Ferrari TR61 with
different numbers on the same tooling, but
not LMM. Each of the three models they have
released is individual, from the bodywork
differences to the accuracy of the driver
portrayed in each car. They are all identical
underneath, and the description can be
applied to any version.
As usual the bodywork is nished in awless
and deeply-glossed paintwork. It is impossible to
see how the crystal clear windows are attached;
the assembly work is immaculate. The dominant
features of the Ferrari TR61 are the shark nose
nostrils and the cover over the V12 engine
intakes on the long bonnet, but looking closer
at the number 11 car pictured here you can
also see the tiny yscreen and all the bonnet
straps and catches on the front surfaces, and
the spotlights lurking inside the intakes. Before
moving to the cockpit we can look along the
sides and see the etched-metal spoked wheels
and the surrounds for the side vents above the
twin exhaust pipes along each sill.
This car has a full cockpit and driver gure,
two seats, and a wiper and mirror on the screen.
The driver is fully detailed and complete with
goggles which rest on his early period helmet.
There are rivets everywhere picked out in silver:
all around the engine cowling and yscreen,
following the glass line on the bodywork
including the doors, and there are more at the
rear lip spoiler. At the back there is the Prova Mo
registration that allows the works Ferraris to be
driven on the road, plus an additional number
plate. The exhausts have silver extensions with
correct detail inside the ends.
Looking underneath we see there is a
front-mounted inline S-Can motor, and a
Slot.it offset crown wheel at the back. After
dropping the chassis out of the bodyshell we
can see this is driven by a nylon pinion, and
gently running the motor on low power proves
that this gives an almost silent gear mesh.
The chassis itself is a very simple one-piece
resin mould with no adjustment anywhere.
One-piece chassis with front mounted motor
Resin bodyshell with full interior and lots of fixing posts is very heavy
Slot.it motor drives a shaft with nylon pinion and offset crownwheel
All the alloy wheels are secured with grub

screws, and the tyres have a nice tread pattern
moulded in, the rear ones slightly larger as on
the real car.
SLOT CLASSIC JAGUAR E2A
Alloy wheels with finely etched wire inserts Drivers helmet looks outdated even for 1961
Slot Classic have also built a reputation for

superbly detailed slot cars. To get some idea
of the quality, you can refer back to SLOT No.
3 where we reviewed the MGB GT and the
Cisitalia 202 Berlinetta, and SLOT No. 7 where
we looked at the Mille Miglia Cisitalia Nuvolari.
Now we have the chance to examine a unique
car, the Jaguar E2A as it raced at Le Mans in
1960 in the Cunningham team colours. Slot
Classic have also made a limited edition run of
>
TR61 & E2A.indd 41
26/09/2016 14:47
NEW CAR REVIEW

The Slot
Classics Jaguar
E2A is very sleek,
part D Type and
part E Type
the car as it was at the Le Mans test weekend

with red numbers on the silver bodywork.
The Le Mans Jaguar E2A also has a nice
lacquered nish over the decals, not quite
as glossy as the Ferrari but perhaps a more
realistic nish. The very long bonnet seems
plain in comparison, but your attention is
drawn to the rear n which characterises
the car. The front intake has internal detail,
otherwise is interchangeable with the later
Jaguar E Type, in fact the whole front end is
almost identical between these cars. What is
very noticeable is that almost every panel on

the real car is joined by rows of rivets which
are clearly dened on the Slot Classic model.
The cockpit is another superbly detailed
area, the driver gure holding the steering
wheel has a full crash helmet and is wearing
his goggles. Although the Jaguar raced a year
earlier than the Ferrari, the driver looks a lot
more typical for the period as the helmet style
has outgrown the pudding-bowl with side
aps era. The sturdy screen surround holds
a crystal clear window and sidescreens, and
>
The long bonnet has detail inside the front intake
TR61 & E2A.indd 42
The fin was a late addition. Rivets everywhere...
is set off with the passenger side canopy the

regulations allowed at that time. As this also
includes a clear panel it is easy to see there is
another seat tted. The canopy fairs into the
rear deck which is almost a copy of a Jaguar D
Type with its nicely rounded corners and rear
light positions. The n tted between Le Mans
testing and the race completes the picture.
The car has the normal Slot Classic
adjustable-wheelbase plastic chassis installed,
holding a S-Can inline motor. This drives a
plastic gear and crownwheel similar to those
Cockpit canopy is faired in to the screen and the rear deck
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:48
eck
Slot Classic plastic 2-piece chassis has

adjustable wheelbase
Serial number moulded into the bodyshell
found on cars by many major brands. The

back axle is held by brass bearings clipped
into the chassis, the front axle simply sits in
slots at the front. Removing the bodyshell
shows us the car serial number moulded into
the bodyshell, as every Slot Classic car has to
identify it. Now we can see the plastic wheels
are accurate replicas of the Dunlop alloy
wheels used at that time for Jaguar racing
cars, fitted with lightly-treaded tyres.
How do they drive?
We said the LMM Ferrari TR61 chassis isnt

adjustable, but this isnt really important
as tuning for outright performance isnt the
point if this car. What it does do is conduct
itself around a track at a slightly more than
respectable speed for its vintage. Using Slot.
it parts including the motor and running gear
gives it an efficient and reliable performance
which is just a little out of character in two
respects. The real car would not be as fast in
a straight line compared to other cars as this
slot car is compared to other slot cars. The
real car would be a lot quicker and more stable
through the corners than the slot car, the result
of having a relatively heavy bodyshell and full
cockpit on a light chassis which makes the car
want to tip over when the real one would sit
down and accelerate through the bends. It isnt
As simple as it can get inline S-Can motor driving plastic gears
Compare the tyres. LMM Ferrari on

left, Slot Classic Jaguar on right
too bad to drive, but dont expect it to keep up

with modern machinery.
As with all Slot Classic cars, the enjoyment
comes with having a detailed replica of a
special car that will drive around a slot track.
Not at great speed, but lively enough. The
deficiency is again in the cornering, a relatively
narrow and tall car isnt prone to sliding easily
even with little grip from the tyres. Fitting
magnet would help the performance a bit, but
why would you want to? As it is, the Jaguar
E2A is a great competitor for the LMM Ferrari
TR61 as both can lap in approximately the
same times with careful driving.
And the answer is?
With cars like these you just dont want to

speed around a track because you would miss
so much of the detail. The thrill is recreating an
era of classic front-engined sports cars driving
on road-race circuits, at speeds that were fast
at the time over 65 years ago but nowhere
near the lap times of today. It is right that these
slot cars are replicas in performance as well as
looks, and we must remember the adage that
a good race can be really slow as long as the
competitors are equal. Certainly true of these
cars, and we wouldnt have it any other way.
They look so good on display as well n
Resin Jaguar Dunlop wheel inserts have etched spinners Drivers helmet and goggles look right for 1960
TR61 & E2A.indd 43
26/09/2016 14:48
WINNING F
RACE
CHAMPS
Bigger certainly looks more impressive
CARRERA 132.indd 38
26/09/2016 14:49
FORMULA
FERRARI
RACERS
Carrera is distributed in the UK by;

The Hobby Company Limited, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG
See your UK Carrera dealer for further information
CARRERA 132.indd 39
www.hobbyco.net
28/09/2016 13:54
The CAD image of the 3D printed chassis kit
MAD MAX TRUCK.indd 38
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:50
WORKSHOP
SHOWING YOU HOW ITS DONE
MAD MAX II
Pete Simpson builds

the perfect model to
accompany the new
Scalextric Ford Falcon XC
from the Mad Max film
TANKER
T
he Gaydon Slot Festival is a superb venue for meeting

fellow enthusiasts, manufacturers and dealers to
discover all the latest innovations and developments.
A few years ago Chase Cars introduced their rst
models, emulating the inherently unstable chassis
of all those great Yank Tanks seen in lms and on television.
This was achieved by designing a set of running gear that not
only allowed considerably more body roll than can be achieved
simply by slackening the xing screws, but
also included realistic steering to replicate
the impossible wheel angles that result
in suicidal power slides. During these
formative years, 3D printing became a
viable method to produce low volume,
specialised products thereby permitting
several variations of chassis and body
to be produced without over-burdening
tooling costs. Subsequently a broad
range of vehicles has been added to
the collection culminating in a much
larger enterprise to allow tractor
units to be constructed. The 2015
Festival witnessed the prototype truck,
inspired by the HYPERLINK "https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenworth_
W900" \o "Kenworth W900"Kenworth
W900A and refrigerated trailer
>
26/09/2016 14:51
WORKSHOP
Revell kit modified to accept Chase Cars chassis parts
Chase Cars steering unit prior to being bonded into position
Structure for third axle added
Sleeper section of the cab is removed
from Smokey and the Bandit lm. Fortunately,

construction of the vehicle was facilitated by
using a Revell SnapTite kit. This was sufcient
to raise my interest, prompting an investigation
into the availability of these kits leading to
the discovery that a Mack Tanker, not too
dissimilar to that featured in Mad Max II, was
also included in the range. Although the

truck chassis was still in development, Gareth
Jones agreed to supply one sample which
was modied to accept a long-can motor
as the initial example was deemed slightly
underpowered with a lowly Mabuchi. This is
the key benet with 3D printing: for little more
than the time taken to modify the design les

a revised print was produced including all
twenty-two wheels that my project demanded.
FIRST STEPS
When the new moulding arrived in the middle

of February, delighted though I was initially,
>
Bull bar starts to take shape
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:51
Starting to take shape but lots of details yet to add
I soon realised that the build was likely to

get a bit daunting. First, due to the size and
basic nature of the Revell kit, a considerable
amount of work would be required to adapt it
to a detailed model and, secondly, that May
2016 became a non-negotiable deadline to
present Gareths new chassis to the public.
As with any project, completion is
dependent on getting started more than on
the time spent once in progress. The rst
task was to gather details on the subject:
this was to be relatively easy as there are
several fan websites as well as a DVD
to study, although that did highlight a few
discrepancies in the gradual deterioration of
the vehicle throughout the lm. The most
obvious changes that would be required to
the SnapTite kit were the addition of a third
axle to the tanker and the removal of the
sleeping compartment from the Mack.
When writing a report on how a model
is constructed, I often regret not being
able to match the narration to my build
progress: commencing with opening the
box to applying the nal coat of lacquer.
However, as most of my builds progress
in a random fashion, regularly switching
between converting the base model, creating
the chassis, painting, adding details prior to
eventually assembling all the parts into the
nal creation, I need to be a bit creative in
my reporting. Dont be fooled into thinking
that the mythical portrayal here represents
any version of reality in which the Mad Max
Tanker was constructed it merely serves
to summarise the stages, arranged into a
coherent process.
sleeper compartment very little care was

needed as the remaining part retained its
structural integrity and showed no signs
of distorting: a simple ller piece was then
added, from which the rear window was
subsequently cut. There was no need
to fashion any glass as it disappeared
very early in the lm. The remainder of
the Mack was straightforward with the
only other modication required being the
conversion from left- to right-hand drive. A
Scalextric driver underwent minor surgery
and was bonded into place: his hands had
to be superglued to the steering wheel
to overcome the exibility of his limbs.
Construction of the cowcatcher was a
compromise between accuracy and strength:
the assembly benetted from having a basic
frame constructed in a single plane rather
than having an angled joint part-way up.
The angled section was then added and
panelled for extra strength. Although it is
unlikely to be used in anger, it will still be
the rst part to contact an obstacle. The
exhausts were scratch built from a range of
plastic bar and tubing as the kit only came
with a single exhaust which was too short:
cross bracing was over-engineered from
brass bar. All the other detailing parts are
from the Revell kit, with minor modication to
capture the used appearance required.
The chassis was modied to
accommodate the Chase Cars chassis
motor pod and steering unit by adding a
few chassis cross-members and by careful
removal of lower parts of the
engine moulding.
CONVERTING THE SNAPTITE KIT
CHASE CARS CHASSIS CONSTRUCTION
As alluded to above, a little surgery was

required to bring the basic kit closer to the
version used in the lm. In removing the
This was the day Id been savouring as

Gareths Chase-Car parts always go
together perfectly. Even without specic
Modifications to the back of the cab
Truck mudguard assembly
>
Truck mudguards. Built as separate assembly to

facilitate wheel fitting
26/09/2016 14:51
WORKSHOP
Chase chassis motor and axle mounts
First track test of basic build
instructions, assembly was a pleasure: the

parts were removed from the sprue, a few
moulding nibs were led clean and the parts
put together following the instructions on
the Chase Cars website. Mine was the rst
example that had been moulded for the long
can Boxer motor but, having been modelled
accurately in the virtual world, all went together
rst time. As soon as the two parts were
complete they were screwed to the unpainted
Mack and given a run around a small test
track. All worked ne with plenty of power
to drift the two axles around the tightest of
curves. The prospects for the complete tanker
were encouraging: the Boxer motor

certainly outperformed the original Mabuchi
prototype.
TANKER BUILD
The only complication at this stage was the

addition of a third axle. This was implemented
by building up extra under-frame detailing in
front of the existing axle frame. It is this front
axle that takes the weight of the trailer, with
the other two being free to move vertically.
Hopefully the photographs illustrate the way
in which the axles are carried in tubing which
is then sleeved to ensure that they remain in
>
position. Axles
were required that
would normally be far too
long for a 1:32nd slot car and even
then not quite long enough for the outer
wheels. As these were 3D printed, with the
chassis, bonding them to the inner wheels with
superglue, whilst mounted on a dummy axle to
ensure alignment, would be permanent. The
wheels are printed to take two M2 grub screws
each so can be relied upon to remain in place.
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:51
Completed Bull Bar
The rear ladder was modied slightly, to

replicate the damage it sustained early in
the lm, and the under-chassis pipework
was retained, despite being missing in
the lm. The two elements were united
using K&S brass tubing: one piece was set
into the fth wheel whilst the mating part
passes through the bottom on the tank and
bonded to the under face of the top, thereby
providing a rigid towing pin.
PAINTING
The tanker was primed in white then
sprayed in Mercedes Silver: the underframe

was later picked out using Citadel acrylics.
The only issue with the decoration was
the need to replicate the Seven Sisters
Oil Company logo and side stripe on the
tanker. Added complication arose as I cant
print white decals: the red and blue stripes
and logo were printed on decal paper,
lacquered and applied in the usual manner
with the central stripe being cut from white
decal paper. Applying the long stripes was
a challenge but, after several attempts they
were deemed to be good enough. Actually
>
Rear axle detail shows how 2nd and 3rd

axles have unrestricted vertical movement
Rear wheel detail
Truck wheel protection in place
26/09/2016 14:51
WORKSHOP
Accurate Armour provided sand ladders for wheel protection
Exhaust bracing from brass rod
Front turret defences in detail
the rst effort was probably even straighter!

The Mack was primed in red oxide then the
cab was given a top coat of Nissan brown,
left to dry and then adorned with a stripe in
Ford Sand. The chassis was sprayed black
before being misted over from below with a
combination of various shades of beige.
glued it to the end of each pin: in parts of the

lm it can be seen as simply draped over the
brackets: I maintain that mine looks better
even if less accurate! The turrets were formed
from plasticard, glued to the top of the tanker
then adorned with spikes as close to those in
the lm as possible. These were taken from
a Tamiya beach defence set and provided
sections that were convenient to shape and
bond into place.
The mudguards were formed from photo
etched, 1/35th scale sand ladders obtained
from Authentic Armour: not cheap but very
difcult to emulate in any other material. Their
positioning and inclusion is debatable as

licence is required to accommodate continuity
discrepancies in the lm.
The chrome parts from the kit required
considerable toning-down to try and ensure
they blended in with the overall look rather
than stand out: all were given an ink wash prior
to being brushed over with weathering powder.
The wheel inserts were all as supplied in
the kit, although augmented by a couple
borrowed from a second kit something
to worry about much later. The 3D printed
wheels were designed to accommodate these
perfectly: the outer wheels merely required the
>
DETAILING
This is where the fun began transforming a

nice model into something that comes to life.
The side protection afforded by the barbed
wire suspended from angled stand-offs took
more effort than was necessary as I carefully
RESOURCES:
Chassis kit from Chase Cars

www.chase-cars.com
Tyres from RS Slot Racing
www.rsslotracing.com
Running gear from Typhoon Slots
www.typhoonslotsandmodels.com
Etched detailing parts from Accurate Armour:
www.accurate-armour.com
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:51
HISTORY FEATURE
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST?
COMPLICATIONS
Don Siegel looks at some of the Complications of slot cars Part 1

ver the years slot cars have
seen their own complications,
from steering and suspension
to brakes, four-wheel drive and
even simulated engine noise.
To me, this is one of the most exciting aspects
of slot car history: all the wonderfully odd
features that budding Thomas Edisons and
Steve Jobs have engineered into their cars
over the years.
Almost none of these features have proven

to be very effective, of course, but they sure
are fun. Lets take a look at some of the more
picturesque examples from the past, starting
with two iconic cars, one from each side of the
Atlantic. From England, the MRRC four-wheel
drive series, still the only production slot car
that offered both 4WD and steering (plus
a very powerful motor and ball bearings all
around). All the experts were afraid this car
would dominate the eld when it appeared

in 1965, but they didnt reckon with two
things: the advent of rewound Mabuchi can
motors and sponge tyres and the fact that
all these complications really didnt help the
performance!
From the USA came the all-singing, alldancing Adam & Sons Quad Mk I and Mk
II: cast aluminum chassis and big Kemtron
motor, 4-wheel suspension, steering and a
In horology, complication refers to any feature in a timepiece

beyond the simple display of hours, minutes, and seconds.Wikipedia
Scratchbuilt ERA from England with carved

wood body, Ks motor and homemade
steering unit.
COMPLICATIONS.indd 56
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:52
MRRC Mercedes W154 and Novi-Ferguson Indy models with 4-wheel drive and steering a
technology marvel at the time, especially at the price of 39/11d not sure how much that is, but
sounds like under 2 British pounds in 1965!
Cars with steering in 1:32, a small sampling of F1 models. From 1:00 oclock: Airfix/MRRC
Eagle, Lindberg BRM, Airfix Vanwall, Prefo Melkus-Wartburg FIII (East Germany), Policar
Ferrari F1. The Policar has a simplified version known as cart steering, with a solid axle
that just pivots.
drop arm. Built on demand, it was introduced

in 1965, at a list price of $24.95 over three
times the price of a typical car! The ads did
say the car was delivered with a body, but it
wasnt pictured, and the chassis was the thing!
While at least a few hundred were built and
delivered, it doesnt seem to have won any
races but it did fascinate a large number of
13 year olds like me, who drooled over the
adverts, then spent years looking for one!
STEERING AND SUSPENSION
Both of these cars had steering, which was

really the rst complication. After all, if real cars
had it, so should our little ones! This was also
one of the rst big debates in the hobby, with
many British enthusiasts absolutely convinced
it helped handling, while many others totally
ignored this advice, including just about all
Americans. A fair number of production slot
cars included this feature, especially on the
Continent, and mostly in 1:32. It was rarer in
1:24, but one of these was the late lamented
line of MRRC cars with steering, winner of a
24-hour race in 1967, when they were already
totally out of date!
Adam & Sons Quad Mk I and Mk II top and bottom views. Priced at $24.95 in 1965,
this artisan built car now one of the holy grails of slot car collectors must have
sold enough to go into a second version.
Cars with steering in 1:24 scale, left to right: MRRC Chaparral 2C, Lindberg Cobra GT, Yamada
Lotus 30. Steering was nowhere near as widespread in 1:24 as in 1:32. For many years only
MRRC 1:32 cars would remain faithful to this tradition!
Another real-car feature that found its way

into slot cars was suspension, not so much
to duplicate reality, but in a vain attempt to
improve road-holding in the early years when
tracks were bumpy, and tires were hard and
skinny. It was a sophisticated feature, but
French company Miniamil already included
both steering and suspension on their
inexpensive set cars, in about 1963-64.
In the United States, Ulrich, an established
maker of cast model train parts, came out with
a rear suspension unit in 1964, followed by a
front steering and suspension unit. Along with
a complete chassis, Ive also shown one of my
entries for the Bordo vintage race: an Ulrich
rear suspension chassis grafted to a K&B
steering unit very appropriate for the hybrid
Caddy-Allard!
Other companies later added their own
versions of suspension, the best known
being Dynamic in the United States and
Tamiya of Japan. Dynamic introduced the
Dynaex chassis in 1966, and this simple
concept seems to have been very successful
at the time although today weve found it
handles better if you lock the suspension.
At about the same time, Tamiya introduced

its own suspension chassis, rst inline, then
sidewinder. These werent independent
suspension, but rather a spring-loaded engine
cradle, and can be made to handle very well
indeed.
MINIATURE MASTERPIECES
Some scratchbuilders took this concept to

new heights, such as this precision chassis
under a 1:24 Strombecker Maserati 250F body
(restored by a friend). Again, rear suspension,
combined with front steering, which seems
to have been a popular combination. Ive
also included a mystery 1:32 model, from
Switzerland (seems to have a Ferrari
12-cylinder engine, but whats the body?).
FWD AND 4WD
To introduce the next complication, front-wheel

drive, heres an odd scratchbuilt that combines
FWD with steering! (Can you gure out why
theres an extra gear on one side?). It wears
a factory experimental Toronado body by
Thingie maker extraordinaire Classic.
Of course, FWD reaches back to the
>
November/December
61
26/09/2016 14:52
HISTORY FEATURE
French-built Miniamil 1:30 scale F1 car from

about 1964, with steering and suspension
>
Scratchbuilt chassis by Don, featuring an Ulrich rear suspension, Pittman DC77 motor and K&B steering unit very
appropriate for the hybrid Caddy-Allard body by Pactra.
beginning of the hobby, in 1956, when U.S.

racers from Kalamazoo, Michigan sent
several proxy front-wheel-drive rail cars
to the Southport Grand Prix in England.
FWD was a way of avoiding rail clearance
problems because of the gear.
Scalextric was probably the rst with a
production FWD car, with their
realistic Mini.
Only one U.S. manufacturer tried the
FWD concept: the little-known UHP, which
in fact simply bought AMT chassis, turned
them around, added a drop arm, then
screwed on a Johan Oldsmobile Toronado
body (the real car was also FWD, very rare
in the States at the time). It also featured a
limited slip differential, which was in fact
front wheels held on by spring pressure.
UHP later added a Mako Shark to this
lineup, but FWD stopped there!
Four-wheel drive cars enjoyed more
success, especially the twin-Microperm
or Milliperm layouts developed in Great
Britain, using these small motors by
German hobby rm Marx. As explained by
Tony Condon in his recent book, History of
Electric Model Car Racing in Britain, 4WD
was one way of solving the lack of grip
offered by period tires.
Twin-motor setups had their own history.
Undoubtedly the best-known is the Black
Widow series from American Russkit,
including a Lotus 38, Lola T70 and IsoGrifo. A lot of scratchbuilders also tried two
>
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:52
Commercial suspension systems: a Tamiya

King Cobra and Dynamic parts under a
Corvette Gran Sport roadster vac-form body.
Overall view of chassis and close-up of the
suspension: a Dynamic Dynaflex rear paired
with a piano wire front; the Tamiya has a
suspended motor cradle.
A complete Ulrich chassis with front and rear suspension (worth

$4.95 and $3.95 back in the day). Highly sought after these days
among slot car collectors.
A period scratchbuilt car using a 1:24 Strombecker

Maserati 250F kit body and an impressive
chassis, machined and bolted together, with rear
suspension and front steering.
>
26/09/2016 14:52
HISTORY FEATURE
A mystery car that comes from Switzerland, maybe a custom sports car with
Ferrari V12 engine (Cegga?); the body is in fiberglass. A watch-like chassis
with 4 wheel independent suspension and twin pulley drive from a can motor
located between the rear wheels!
Scratchbuilt Experimental Toronado (probably the Classic version of this car,

very much Thingified), with a very clever front-wheel drive/steering unit, all
mechanical. Can you guess why one side has more gears?
motors, either all-wheel drive, or using two

motors to drive a single rear axle (shades
of the Alfa Bimotore). Perhaps the oddest
attempt was a Buzco chassis, with two
Mabuchi X-10s (15R) driving a single spur
gear. This idea hasnt died, as shown by
the relatively recent Silk Cut Jaguar XJ, a
small production run by Derek Moore of

the Southend club.
MY KINGDOM FOR A BRAKE!
To close out the rst part of this article,

lets look at the solutions developed to
address the almost universal problem
>
Scalextric Mini chassis with FWD.
of early slot cars no brakes! Heres a

selection of the aftermarket mechanical
braking systems offered by Cox, MPC and
K&B in the 1965-67 timeframe.
Two 1:24 RTR cars came with brakes
in 1967: Classics 1967 Gamma Ray, a
Thingie with a real disc brake, and the
>
The UHP Toronado from about 1966, showing the AMT chassis thats been turned around to provide FWD like
the real car (rare at the time). A drop arm has also been added, of course!
@SlotMagazineUK
28/09/2016 13:56
Corvette Gran Sport with front-wheel drive,

MPC Dyn-O-Can motor and of course a
drop arm!
Russkit Lotus 38 with the

Black Widow chassis: a pair of
Russkit 22s (Mabuchi 16D) for
four-wheel drive.
A British-built Corvette with twin Milliperms stateof-the art in 1965!
26/09/2016 14:53
HISTORY FEATURE
Very odd Buzco twin-motor chassis both of

these Buzco X10 motors (Mabuchi 15R) drive
the same spur gear! Came in kit and built-up
versions.
A small production run of these twin-engine cars came about 10 years

ago from Derek Moore of the Southend club.
A scratchbuilt Porsche Carrera 6 with twin 13D motors and a

K&B steering unit. Hope springs eternal
Aftermarket brakes by K&B, Cox and MPC the

MPC is just a lever that tightens a string around
the front axle when the car slows down!
Two production cars with brakes: the Classic Gamma Ray with a disc brake actuated by the motor pivoting
in the chassis as it decelerates; and the K&B Ford MkII (a rare beast) with K&Bs brake unit, also sold in a
sidewinder version.
rare K&B Ford MkII and I still havent gured out

how the brake works!
Of course, not all brakes were on the cars
power brakes enjoyed a brief vogue in the U.S. in
the mid-'60s, meaning that 3 or 6 volts of battery
power were added to the dynamic braking circuit to
reverse the motor when you let up on the controller!
A few companies came out with commercial versions
of these brake units, including Strombecker.
Perhaps the purest expression of the braking spirit
is this home-built chassis found on eBay, from the
Heath Robinson school: four-wheel electromagnetic
brakes, in normal-on layout; i.e. the brakes are
applied when the power is off, and when you press
the controller it activates the solenoid at the back,
moving a lever to release the brake pad from the
motor shaft. Theres also a reversing switch and a
little drop arm. Thats a big Ram DC857 padlock
motor, so torque is not a problem.
See you next issue, when well cover odd
drivetrains, aerodynamic aids, moving chassis and
wet wicks.
Strombecker Power Brake one

way of adding brakes at the time,
with up to 3V of battery power
spinning the motor in reverse!
1/24 chassis with two can-drive 16D

motors, each driving its own axle.
Independent front axle too.
>
Scratchbuilt chassis from the U.S. with electromagnetic brakes.

The solenoid in the rear actuates an arm that runs along the
chassis, attached to a pad pressing against a disc on the motor
shaft. Its normally on: when you press the controller, the brake is
released! Makes for an odd driving style. The fancy wiring is just a
reversing switch and of course theres a drop arm!
@SlotMagazineUK
28/09/2016 13:56
Manufacture of over 800 slot car body shells produced in 1/32nd and
1/24th scale.
Now under new management!
An example of finished model from our BETTA

body shells. Made for the speed racer in clear
polycarbonate or white plasticard.
An example of finished
model made from one of our
CLASSIC shells. These shells
are manufactured from fibreglass
which gives an excellent strength
to weight ratio.
We also stock a large range of components for all the

running gear required.
See our Website for full range of all our products. Or ring 01704 563707
or Mobile 07740722665. Ask for Ian.
26/09/2016 11:57
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p 54-55 SlotSubs 021.indd 32
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p 54-55 SlotSubs 021.indd 33
26/09/2016 11:59
SCALE FEATURE
LOOKING AT THE COMMON SLOT RACING SCALES
The 1:32 scale car is dwarfed by its big brother.

Its a tight fit racing two of the big uns.
Would you choose 13.2cm or 17.5cm for your car?
Bigger certainly looks more impressive
CARRERA 124.indd 38
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:54
IS BIG
BETTER?
E
Carrera make 1:24 scale cars how do they compare?

ver since slot car racing began,
1:32 scale has been dominant
in the UK and many other
countries. The larger 1:24 scale
cars have been dominant in
the USA and many other countries, and
Carrera are one of the few manufacturers
to keep them alive commercially. We
decided to examine the benets and
attractions of the Carrera 1:24 scale cars
and work out if big really is better.
WHAT ABOUT THE TRACK?
Bigger cars need bigger track, but that

isnt a problem with Carrera because the
same track is used for their 1:24 scale
Digital cars and the 1:32 scale Digital and
Evolution ranges. You can just about run
1:24 scale cars on Ninco track as well,
but it does get a bit tight in the corners. If
you have Scalextric track then move on
now unless you are thinking of a complete
new layout, because you wont be able to
run 1:24 cars on the narrow lane spacing.
Wooden tracks can be built to cater for any
size cars, and the majority of club tracks
are made wide enough to run 1:24 scale
cars. Now we have decided where you can
race the larger cars, its time to have a look
at them.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
When you look at the 1:24 and 1:32

versions of the same Carrera car the larger
one seems massive. Look closer and you
nd out you can get a lot more detail onto
them, although Carrera do such a good job
on all their cars its hard to nd something
missing on the smaller versions. One area
that does benet is the cockpit and driver:
as it is so much easier to use a sidewinder
layout in 1:24 cars this leaves a lot more
room for a full interior if required. Other
detail items such as wipers and lights also
look more realistic as the ner mouldings
are much nearer to scale.
Looking underneath, you would expect
many of the parts to be the same but

bigger. This is certainly the case with
Carrera as they have a larger motor, but
it does t in easily. The size of the spur
gear is startling at rst if you are used to
1:32 sizes, but with much bigger wheels
a much lower gear ratio is needed, hence
the gear which is almost as big as the
tyres. Carrera t a droparm for the guide
to their 1:24 chassis, but the rest of it looks
quite normal with traction magnets and the
LED emitter for the digital functions. There
is a small switch to change from digital to
analogue modes, similar to the polarity
change switch on the 1:32 scale cars.
WHATS INSIDE?
Taking the bodyshell off is when you

notice a huge difference. The rst words
that come to mind are massively overengineered and you could save a LOT of
weight here but then you remember you
are looking at a Carrera car. Not designed
for outright speed, and are strong enough
to withstand a nuclear attack, and it begins
to make sense for the cars to handle all
the abuse that could be thrown at them
for a very long time. There is a lot of stuff
on the chassis : the digital circuit board,
working lights, and on some cars a sprung
front axle and metal plate for proper bolts
to screw into. Lets start at the front and
have a closer look.
For comparison, we have a Porsche
917 and a Ferrari 575 GTC to check any
differences, and there are quite a few.
Starting with the guide and its twin-pickup
braids, they are both self-centring with
a hairpin spring. The droparm on the
Porsche is sprung but not on the Ferrari,
but to compensate the Ferrari has a
sprung front axle with about 3mm of
movement, while the Porsche axle runs
in brass bearings clipped into the chassis.
In the centre of the chassis is the digital
board, quite big at 40mm square, and with
connections to the guide, motor, emitter,
>
CARRERA 124.indd 39
26/09/2016 14:54
SCALE FEATURE
LOOKING AT THE COMMON SLOT RACING SCALES
Porsche 917 chassis has everything neatly concealed
and lights at front and rear (the Porsche only

has front lights tted). The motor and back
axle assembly are held in a single unit which is
held to the chassis with four bolts. The forward
bolts go into a metal block which also has a
large threaded hole in the centre for the bolt
which holds the car to its display plinth. A wide
traction magnet is tted at the front of the metal
block, between it and the circuit board. On the
Porsche this is a single magnet 40mm wide, on
the Ferrari it is 3 magnets totalling 36mm wide.
Under the rear axle, and held in place by the
motor assembly, are more traction magnets,
accessible from below on the Ferrari but
clamped in from inside on the Porsche.
All the wheels are single-piece plastic
mouldings that are pressed onto the axles.
The Porsche has tyres with a tread pattern
moulded in, the Ferrari has slick tyres, and
they all have printed sidewalls.
IS THE PERFORMANCE BIGGER AS WELL?

1:24 scale cars have always been easier to
drive. Even if they are totally to scale (which
many arent, being attened and widened
slightly), the extra width and better weight
distribution makes them handle quite nicely.
On the same track, you can turn laps quicker
with a 1:24 Carrera car than you can with their
1:32 version because the cars ow around the

bends a lot better.
The two things you immediately notice
about a Carrera 1:24 car on track is that the
tyres are more suited to a plastic kit but the
massive amount of magnetic adhesion largely
overcomes this drawback. To say the tyres are
hard is not stating the case clearly enough,
they do benet from a bit of sanding to remove
the shiny surface, but these tyres are made to
last and the theory of hard = no wear is very
evident. The lack of grip and traction is sorted
out by the huge amount of magnetism built into
these cars. Putting the car onto the track, it is
almost snatched from your hand for the nal
centimetres as the magnets nd some metal to
clamp to. The ones in the centre of the car are
so strong they make the ones under the back
axle superuous. It is a wonder these car ever
leave the track at all, you need to forcefully pull
them off it even when hanging upside down.
So what about speed, is the motor strong
enough to pull past all this magnetism?
Regular racers will know that downforce
increases drag, the motor has to overcome
a lot of articial magnetic weight as well as
the actual car, and a light car is much more
lively to drive. Carrera cars are already very
heavy with all the parts and engineering that
You could save a lot of weight here, but then it may not survive
a nuclear blast.
CARRERA 124.indd 40
Ferrari chassis has longer droparm and obvious magnets
goes into them, so it needs a strong motor,

right ? The chunky motor used exclusively in
the Carrera 1:24 scale cars does have a lot of
torque, which surprised us a bit as the motor
magnets dont feel very clunky when you turn
it over. Torque is a better attribute than revs in
this case, and the Carrera cars have enough
to propel the car along. Not too fast though,
this is the sort of drive where you can enjoy
watching the detailed cars in action, they are
not going to strain your neck muscles trying to
watch them speed past.
THE SLOT MAGAZINE VERDICT
What is nice about driving the 1:24 scale cars

is the sound there is hardly any as the gears
mesh smoothly and motor noise is all absorbed
inside the bodyshell and the fact you have
to push them to the absolute limit to get them
to deslot. Is this fun for the racer inside you
? Probably not, but it is ideal for the target
market and Carrera are very aware that their
sets will be bought by people who want some
easy enjoyment or something a whole family
can use together. The size of these cars makes
them very attractive, more spectacular than
the smaller 1:32 scale cars, and as they are
all digital they can take advantage of the play
features available with the Carrera system.
Porsche front end, the big digital board behind the non-moveable axle.
Sprung front axle on the Ferrari uses up a

lot of material and space.
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:54
We arent kidding, the magnets in these 1:24 cars

defy gravity. They never come off the track!
Nice tread on the Porsche tyres. The plastic part with the number on is clamping
the magnet in place. Note central metal block with hole for the display case bolt.
Big lump of metal on the Ferrari chassis locates all the assembly bolts. Note the
hard shiny tyres.
CARRERA 124.indd 41
26/09/2016 14:54
WORKSHOP
FITTING SUSPENSION KITS
FIT SUSPENSION
TO YOUR
PERFORMANCE
CAR
SMOOTHING OUT THE BUMPS AT HIGH SPEED
1
1: Standard screw removed and bolt inserted from below. 2: Spring dropped over the screw ready for the turret to be fitted. 3: Other side of the car, turret fitted over the spring and secured
with the long bolt. The gap between the motor pod and the turret is adjustable, this is the amount of suspension movement you will have. 4: Front motor pod fixing with suspension in place
SUSPENSION.indd 56
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:54
NSR suspension kit has 3 sets of turrets, springs,

and bolts
ou wouldnt think that something

as small as a slot car would benet
from suspension, but at the high
speeds that performance cars race
at, a normal track can become like a
rough rally special stage. Just like the real thing,
by tting suspension you can get a smoother
drive and keep the power on the track where it
belongs.
CARS WITH SUSPENSION FOR RALLYING
You can buy a slot car with suspension Ninco

have made many cars with spring uprights at
each corner, mostly off-road cars such as the
Hummer and Mitsubishi Pajero, but it also found
its way onto the Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
(reviewed in SLOT # 20). The Ninco suspension
is designed for competing in Slot Rally where
rough surfaces are normal, and their suspension
certainly helps traction and riding the bumps.
So why do manufacturers of high performance
racing cars have suspension kits you can add to
the chassis?
SUSPENSION FOR HIGH SPEED
Italian brands Slot.it and NSR are well known

for making cars beloved by racers for their
performance. High speeds and predictable good
handling have made them club favourites for
many years now. They are low, have adjustable
chassis and you can t a variety of motors, so
if they arent chugging around in synthetic mud
or snow, or grappling with steep gradients and
hairpin bends, why do they need suspension?
Driving on a short track with a longest straight
The Slot.it CH49A suspension kit
of maybe 6ft 10ft (2m 3m long) isnt going

to get you up to the top speed of these cars,
but once you get to a club track with straights
up to 30ft (10m long) or more the cars behave
differently. On a wooden club track you will
enjoy the smoothness you will never have on
plastic sectional track of any make, but many
clubs do use track by Scalextric or Carrera or
Ninco and this makes a difference. For a start,
no matter how carefully you build the track and
x it in place, plastic track will deform slightly
due to temperature changes, humidity, or simply
old age. Because they are constructed of track
sections no longer than 40cm at most, the
number of joints in a long straight equates to the
number of potential bumps the car has to pass
over, and this makes the car more unstable
the faster you go. The answer is suspension to
soak up the deformities and bumps, keeping the
car in contact with the track all the time which
is important for picking up the electrical power
and letting the tyres drive the car forward. Just
like the real thing really, except for the electrical
power bit of course
The suspension kits from Slot.it and NSR
and Thunderslot all work the same way they
provide a working damper between the motor
pod and the chassis at the back of the car.
There isnt a need for suspension at the front
of the car, you can set your ground clearance
and ride height by adjusting the front axle so
that the guide is rmly in the slot and the front
wheels can do their job of supporting the car
and keeping it stable. It is a different story at the
back when a car hits a bump at high speed
it lifts the back into the air which can have a
number of results; if the car isnt travelling in
a straight line at the time it will immediately
leave the slot when the back wheels land back
on the track, catapulted out at an angle. Or
the elasticity in the tyres will cause the car to
bounce, lifting the front out as well. If the track
you are racing on is the slightest bit rough on
the straights you should consider what tting a
suspension kit could do for your car.
screw is at the front in the centre of the car, and

there is one each side of the motor pod rear
xings. Fitting the suspension parts is a ve
minute job; just remove the screws holding the
motor pod to the chassis (one at a time to keep
things easy), push one of the new brass bolts
through the hole from underneath, drop a spring
over the bolt, then drop the red plastic cap over
the spring and screw the new bolt into it.
Now time for some adjustment. NSR
suspension kits come with a choice of soft,
medium, or hard springs, so you will have
already chosen the ones to try. The medium
springs are the most popular as they will cope
with just about every need. Deciding how far to
screw the bolts into the red caps will determine
how much suspension travel you will have,
tightening them right down equals no travel at
all, and the maximum you will get is around
3mm which is plenty for most cars. Dont forget
that the more upward movement the motor
pod will have, the more likely the rear tyres are
to come into contact with the bodyshell, so it
is worth testing this with the chassis back in
the car. You can then adjust the screws from
underneath until you get as much movement as
possible without causing any interference with
the bodyshell.
FITTING THE SLOT.IT ANGLEWINDER &

SIDEWINDER SUSPENSION KIT
Open the little packet and what do you get?

There are three each of springs, long bolts, and
little red xings. The NSR motor pod is held
in place by three screws so it is pretty easy to
work out where the suspension bits will go. One
The basic principal is the same, but on newer

Slot.it cars there are extra side xings on the
motor pod. There are two screws at the front
which will not have suspension springs installed,
two side xing screws which must be removed,
and the normal two screws at the back of the
pod. The Slot.it kit comes with two springs, four
bolts, and some plastic and metal attachments
which form the upper xings and also provide
adjustable limit stops. There are also some 2mm
grub screws for adjusting the suspension travel,
and a choice of plastic and etched metal parts to
suit either inline or anglewinder/sidewinder cars.
For a sidewinder or anglewinder motor pod,
rst remove the two screws alongside the motor
near the sides of the chassis. Now slightly
slacken the front two screws holding the motor
pod to the chassis, and then remove the rear
two screws. To use the suspension limit stops
you t a small plastic cap over the hole end of
the grub screws and the screw them into the
The limit stop grub screws go into the inner holes in the top
suspension bar
Fitting the plastic caps to the limit stops, still adjustable

with a 2mm allen key
FITTING THE NSR SUSPENSION KIT
>
November/December
SUSPENSION.indd 57
26/09/2016 14:54
WORKSHOP
FITTING SUSPENSION KITS
plastic bar from below, which is the side

with the little chimneys on. Now hold the
metal plate in place on top of the chassis,
push the long bolts through the chassis and
screw them right through the metal plate.
Drop the springs over the bolts, place the
bar on top with the adjusting screws facing
downwards, and screw the bolts into it.
>
FITTING THE SLOT.IT INLINE

SUSPENSION KIT
The 4 fixing screws are removed from the white motor pod.
This is an anglewinder 4WD chassis but no different to
other sidewinder or anglewinder pods for fixing
Push the long bolts through the rear fixing holes and drop
the metal plate over them with the raised bits uppermost
With the springs dropped onto the bolts you can now attach
the upper suspension bar
From below you can see the adjustment holes and also the
body float adjustment holes at the chassis outer corners
For Slot.it inline motor cars the principal is

the same but the parts used are different.
Slot.it supply two different metal plates and
upper xing bars where the moulding is
designed to clear inline crownwheel gears.
You will see that one of the limit stops is
between the suspension springs, the other
is offset one side so there is no interference
with the crownwheel gear.
You can adjust the suspension travel
from under the chassis in exactly the same
way you can for the NSR car, making sure
the rear wheels will not touch the bodyshell.
The chassis and metal plate have holes
which line up with the limit stop screws,
which you can adjust from outside the car
with a small allen key. Leaving the front
motor pod screws very slightly loose will
allow the motor pod to move enough for the
suspension to work.
FITTING THE THUNDERSLOT

SUSPENSION KIT
The new Thunderslot Lola T70GT

(reviewed in SLOT # 18) also has a
suspension kit approximately the same
as the Slot.it one. Our prototype car had
the suspension plastic parts but we had
to borrow some bolts and springs from
the other kits to install it. A complete
suspension kit will be available from
Thunderslot. Using it is the same: the two
screws holding the motor pod at the sides
must be slackened off or removed and
the front screw must be slackened off just
enough to allow the pod to move. A rear
bar holds the top of the springs in place
although it doesnt have the adjustable limit
stops found on the Slot.it version.
The inline crownwheel gear means you have to use

alternative parts to fit suspension
The suspension bar and metal plate used on inline motor

pods
The bolts show the correct positioning of the suspension

fittings
Push the bolts through the chassis from below and use the
metal plate that clears the crownwheel
Suspension top bar installed and springs adjusted for tension
SUSPENSION.indd 58
BODYSHELL ADJUSTMENT
One feature found on the Thunderslot

chassis that isnt on the NSR cars and only
on some Slot.it chassis is the facility to
adjust the bodyshell ride height. We have
mentioned how important it is that the back
wheels do not touch the bodyshell when the
suspension is working, and on some cars
this will prove almost impossible when the
bodyshell is very low on the chassis. Some
adjustment is needed, so how is it done?
Thunderslot have four holes for grub
screws in the chassis, two at each side
which line up with tabs inside the bodyshell.
@SlotMagazineUK
26/09/2016 14:55
By adjusting these screws the height of the

bodyshell can be raised or lowered on the
chassis, giving enough clearance for the
suspension to work properly. Slot.it use the
same principal with 2mm grub screws at the
extremities of some chassis, mostly on later
cars or those with revised chassis. If you have
a chassis with this adjustment you can set the
bodyshell height to give the clearance you need.
WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?
If you arent getting your cars up to top speed

on long straights the only difference you will
see is they will be a bit smoother on older or
rougher track. Get the car onto long straights
and big fast bends and you will visibly see how
it doesnt bounce around. On the cars we tested
with suspension tted, we drove them on a big
Ninco club track with a main straight of 9.2m
long (31ft) and some large radius bends. It is
considered quite smooth for a plastic sectional
track (we have driven on a lot worse) but you
could see that cars are driving fast down the
slot equivalent of a country lane. With the
suspension kits tted the difference was quite
amazing, suddenly they were on the Hanger
Straight at Silverstone (or any other long straight
such as at Malaysia or Monza) and you can
see how smooth they had become. This made
a difference in fast corners as well, keeping the
tyres in contact with the track which lets you
power through smoothly instead of becoming
unstable over a bump.
Is suspension worth tting? Not if you are
using the car on small tracks or smooth wooden
tracks, but if you race on big sectional tracks you
should give it a try. On the four cars we tested,
the average gain was around 5% in lap times
but the cars seemed easier and smoother to
drive. Now that is worth having
The small holes to the left of the brass bolts are where you
can adjust the limit stops on an inline car
Thunderslot plastic suspension kit parts with a selection of

bolts and springs from other kits
The outer motor pod fixings on the Thunderslot chassis
The outer pod fixings must be removed when you fit

suspension
Use bolts and springs in the rear attachments exactly as

you did for the other suspension kits
From above you can see how the suspension turenst

are joined together and designed to fit around the body
mounting post
The Thunderslot suspension turrets are a single moulding
SUSPENSION.indd 59
26/09/2016 14:55
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Events and meetings not to be missed
Are you organising a race meeting, swapmeet or special event, or holding a round of any slot car championship?
If you would like your event on the SLOT Magazine Calendar please email the details to editor@slotmagazine.
co.uk Make sure you include a date and contact name with telephone number, plus as much information about
location and racing championships as possible please.
Slot.it Challenge
The Slot.it Challenge is a
race series for Slot.it Group
C cars and has rounds
spread across the country.
Events, rules, and news can
be found at
www.slotitchallenge.co.uk
15 & 16 October
UKRRA 2016 Final Round

Rockingham SCC, Northants.
Mick Kerr 07717 124000
15 & 16 October
Wolves DTM Open (Carrera & SCX)

Wolves SCC, W. Midlands
Malcolm Scotto 07740 717140
16 October
29 & 30 October
13 November
10 & 11 December
30 October
19 and 20 November
10 & 11 December
Slot.it oXigen Group C Double 6

GT Raceway, Beneet, Essex
Graeme Thoburn 07789 764950
British Wing Car
Championship Round
Ringwood SCC at
Millstream, Hants.
Dave Wright 01425 489939
5 & 6 November
Derby HORC 24H Le Mans

Rolls Royce Leisure Assoc.
Nick Sismey 07968 906491
6 November
BSCRA BSL
Fylde MRCC
Steve Sargent 01253 345515
BSCRA Southern 32
Coulsdon MCRC,
Bletchingley, Surrey
Nick Lake 07801 930909
6 November
22 & 23 October
6 November
23 October
6 November
BSCRA BOC 1:32

Rockingham SCC, Northants
Mick Kerr 07717 124000
Havant Scalextric Swapmeet
Havant Leisure Centre, Hants.
Robert Learmouth 01793 230328
BSCRA Southern 32
Dowty SCC, Staverton, Glos.
Dave Coward 01452 421311
Wye Valley Winter Rally
Wye Valley SCC, Abergavenny
Phil Field 01432 269301
CSCRA Classic Trans-Am Round 5
Pendle SRC, Nelson, Lancs.
Sean Fothersgill 01282 612418
23 October
Wales & West GT Championship

Round 6
Wye Valley SCC, Abergavenny
Phil Field 01432 269301
BSCRA BOC 1:24

Ringwood SCC at
Millstream, Hants.
The Slot Rally UK

Championship
The Slot Rally UK
Championship takes place
in clubs around the country.
Anyone can enter and drive
on special stages at every
event. You can nd more
information on
www.slotforum.com and on
Facebook.
20 November
BOC
The BOC British Open
Championship and the BSL
Southern 32 Championship
race cars built to the BSCRA
British Slot Racing Racing
Association rules. Find out
more at www.bscra.co.uk
BSCRA BSL Finals

Hambleton, Lancs.
Steve Sargent 01253 345515
Molesey GT3 Christmas Open
West Molesey, Surrey
Neil 07767 850488
17 December
WHO Digital Scalextric Sport

Goring by Sea, Worthing
whoracing@hotmail.co.uk
18 December
British Wing Car

Championship Round
Ringwood SCC at
Millstream, Hants.
8 January 2017
Swindon Scalextric Swapmeet

Oasis Leisure Centre, SN2 1EP
Robert Learmouth 0845 634 3196
Wolves B-Star Intano Open GT3

Wolves SCC, W. Midlands
15 January
27 November
15 January
Pro-Am Cup Round 6

Pinewood Raceway,
Wokingham, Berks.
Nigel Barrow 0118 973 3271
27 November
23 October
THORL (HO Racing League)

Larkeld SC, Maidstone, Kent
Ken Palmer, 01732 846857
Rockingham Slot.it Open

Mick Kerr 07717 124000
CSCRA Classic Trans-Am

Final Round
Hawthorne Park SCC, Bootle,
Merseyside
Phil Hayes 07968 524576
3 & 4 December
BSCRA BOC 1:32

Teesside SCC
Richy Kettleson, 07951 446 535
BSCRA Southern 32
T.B.A.
CSCRA Rockingham
Winter Classic
Mick Kerr 07717 124000
22 January
Pro-Am Cup Round 1

T.B.A.
22 January
Wolves NSR GT3 6hr.

Charity Enduro
Wolverhampton SCC
HO in the UK
There are eight clubs running
1:64 scale slot cars in the
UK six dedicated HO clubs
and two clubs running larger
scale cars that include HO
racing on their calendars.
Chestereld HO Racing Club
CHORC
www.chorc.co.uk
Derby HO Racing Club
DHORC
www.dhorc.co.uk
Four Lane Black Top
(Marlborough, Wilts.) FLBT
www.bt.co.uk
HO North Kent (Orpington)
HONK
www.hokent.webs.com
Malmesbury & Crudwell HO
Racing Club (Wilts.)
cajsr2000@hotmail.com
North East Restoration Club
Slots (Washington) NERCS
www.northeastrestorationclub
slots.freeforums.org
South Cambridgeshire
HO Racing Club (Yelling)
SCHORC
www.schorc.com
Worthing HO Racing
WHO
www.whoracing.org.uk
29 January
BSCRA BOC 1:32 Round 1

T.B.A.
29 January
DiSCA W.E.C. & GT Euroseries

SRC Eindhoven, Netherlands
ofcialdisca@gmail.com
Find us online
www.slotmagazine.co.uk
DATES 21.indd 60
26/09/2016 14:55
p 65 Havant 021.indd 1
26/09/2016 12:01
Fini h line
MORE TRUCKIN
MADNESS
RICHARD RESURRECTS SOME 1980S WEIRDNESS FROM HIS ECLECTIC COLLECTION
ete Simpsons Mad Max II tanker build reminded me that lurking in my needs work
pile are two more than unusual lorries from, I suspect, around thirty years ago.
These trucks probably came from the Slot Stox fraternity. Those better versed in
Stox history like Keith Packer who took the 1985 monochrome pic of 199 Shaun
Drakefords lorry could tell the tale better than I but I believe there was a class of
racing for trucks with the Slot Stox car carried on the back.
Unlike for Petes chassis there are no complaints of lack of power here; these things run B
can Mura Group 20 power. Outmoded by the mid-80s these were the motor of choice in ECRA
Formula 32 and, frequently, inline Formula 1 chassis in the 1970s. As you can see the Mura is
vertically mounted, presumably to make room for the car, converting its too much power through
what look to be Taylormade gears. Construction is of brass sheet and piano wire, with a drop
arm but the pans arent hinged nor is there any plumber action. One body is of plasticky sheet,
the other carved from a Pepsi can!
How do they go? Ah. Run at a club Christmas fun event Id made the mistake of removing all
the lead from the chassis. As a result the thing bunny hopped down the main straight if anything
more than minimal, smoothly-applied power was dialled in. More work is thus needed. And
those Muras are too precious to waste on the back of a lorry!
Richard Hills
Contributing editor.
Editor: Gary Cannell

Contributing Editor: Richard Hills
Publisher: Alan Harman
Design: Peter Hutchinson, Alex Hall
Advertising Manager: Colin Spinner
Slot is published by Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle
Lane, Totternhoe, Beds, LU6 1QX. Reproduction in part or
whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written
permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due
care is taken to ensure the contents of Slot is accurate, the
publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors and
omissions. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Slot
p66 Finish Line 021.indd 66
only upon Doolittle Medias standard terms of acceptance of

advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising
sales department.
Editorial, advertisement and circulation: Doolittle Mill,
Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Beds, LU6 1QX.
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Tel. 01525 222573
Fax. 01525 222574
Print by: Henry Stone Ltd, Oxfordshire
Copyright Slot 2016
Doolittle Media.
28/09/2016 13:58
SLOT DIRECTORY
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p 67 Slot Directory 019.indd 1
24/05/2016 11:48
BMW MINI
COOPER
C3742
BMW MINI Cooper F56

Race: MINI Challenge 2015 Silverstone
Driver: Harry Vaulkhard
Coming from the World Touring Car Championship, Harry Vaulkhard joined the MINI Challenge in the
F56 class; the pinnacle of MINI racing. Harry was very successful at Silverstone, finishing 6th, 4th
and 9th respectively in the three races. Overall, Harry claimed 9th in the 2015 standings.
The BMW logo and the BMW wordmark are trademarks of BMW AG and are used under license. The MINI logo and the MINI wordmark are trademarks of BMW AG and are used under license.
Keep up to date with the latest news and offers from Scalextric!
Go to www.scalextric.com/slotmagazine for details.
scalextric.com
/scalextric
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MODULAR TRACK

100 CONFIGURATIONS FOR WOODEN ROUTED CIRCUIT

November/December. No. 021. 4.99 www.slotmagazine.co.uk

MAD MAX TRUCK

TECHNIQUE NEW PRODUCTS CLUB REPORTS LATEST NEWS

Carrera is distributed in the UK by;

Founded in 1963, Carrera has built a

Issue No. 21 November/December 2016

NEWS & NEW PRODUCTS

What is happening in the

We used to learn about slot car

If you want to race or have a look

When model railways were the biggest

46 LIFE (AND SLOT CARS) IS FULL OF

30 LONG BONNETS AND

The end of competitive front-engined

All sorts of complicated things have

12 BUILDING A MODULAR WOODEN

The FLBT (Four Lane Black Top) club

38 DUCK DOWN UNDER MAD MAX IS

Just as Scalextric release the Ford Falcon

56 SCALING IT UP 1:24 SCALE

Is big really better? Carrera is one

Suspension is essential on real cars, but

Richard goes truckin and nds out that

Find the retailers and specialist

November/December 2016 - SLOT MAG 3

p03 Contents 021.indd 3

SLOT CAR LIGHT CONTROLLER

4 SLOT MAG - November/December 2016

NEWS SLOT 021.indd 4

ummer is traditionally a quiet time

Gary Cannell, Editor.

November/December 2016 - SLOT MAG 5

NEWS SLOT 021.indd 5

NEW SLOT CLUB

which will be known as

The latest products and innovations

Avant Slot Peugeout 207 WRC 4WD

Carrera Audi R5 DTM Teufel

Carrera Audi R8 LMS

Carrera Chevy Bel-Air

Carrera Corvette C7R

Carrera Corvette Stingray

Carrera Ferrari F1 Vettel

Carrera Ford Mustang # 16

Carrera Mercedes SLS Martini

Carrera Porsche 917 Gulf

Carrera Porsche RSR GT3

Fly Buggyra MK08 Racing

6 SLOT MAG - November/December 2016

NEWS SLOT 021.indd 6

3 magazines and a winter special edition

Junior section with competitions

Consists of all member offers on this page except the

Consists of all member offers on this page plus you

GREENHILLS GARAGES REIMS

Greenhills range of circuit buildings which also

NEW AIRBRUSH COMPRESSOR

with built-in bleed valve. With air ltering at just 5 microns it

The latest products and innovations

Fly MAN TR1400 Gulf

Fly MAN TR1400 Looney Tunes

LMM Ferrari TR61 # 17