SJ EP 13 - Track Build Guide #7 - Stone Walls and Bridges

In the case of The Schweizering, part of the slot car track runs up into an old city enclosed by a medieval-era stone wall. In this video, I'll show you how I did this, and how you can create garden walls, retaining walls, a bridge or even a building on your own track. As you'll see, I had a little bit of fun in the opening scene...

As far as materials, this can be done using rigid insulation foam, a few simple tools and some basic paint effects, like dark washed and dry-brush highlighting. After the demo, I'll show you a few new additions to the racing garage and also highlight some awesome upcoming slot car events - one in the USA and one in Brussels. Check out the video HERE.

 

 

 

SJ EPISODE 12: Track Build Guide #6 - Terrain and Land Forms

Does your track skittle through a desert, roll through the hills or climb a mountain? If so, how do you create that environment? In this episode, I'll talk about the various methods that can be used and show you how I go about creating and shaping the land forms used on my track. There's a lot to cover here, as it's kind of an old-school method, but one of the benefits is the low cost, as old newspaper and plaster cloth won't do much damage to your wallet.

After the demo, I'll talk about the possible pitfalls of getting hobby advice and also ask for your thoughts on slot car content you enjoy and how you might use Facebook groups.Check out the episode HERE.

 

 

SJ EPISODE 11: Track Build Guide #5 - Curbs & Cobblestones

Since part of our track runs through an old medieval city, much of it features cobblestone surfaces. While there are some labor-intensive methods of achieving this look on the track itself (primarily etching a pattern into the plastic track with a soldering iron)  I'm using something simpler for the street curbing and walkways. In this video, I'll show you how I do this with some Google image searches for a cobblestone pattern and some basic computer graphics. Add a little weatherstripping and you've got some nice curbs.

After the demo, we'll also take a look at a new addition to the garage, highlight some European YouTubers and see how you can enjoy worldwide content using YouTube's Auto-Translate feature. There's so much good slot car content out there, and language doesn't have to be a barrier to enjoying it! Check out the episode HERE.

Car Tunes with Pete and Joe

If you don't sleep in on Saturday mornings, I suggest you grab a cup of coffee and have a listen to Joe and Pete's semi-weekly chat stream CAR TUNES.  If you don't know, Joe created the Irreras Carrera channel on YouTube while Pete is the creator behind the Show-Me Slot Cars channel which hosts the chat. Both run Carrera digital, and they provide some entertaining banter as well as some helpful info on running digital setups.

In addition, they have also set up a Discord site that will allow the Slot Car community to host discussions ans "rooms" on a number of topics. It's a great way to gather and disseminate info as well as carry on conversations after your favorite live stream is over. Check it out HERE.

A Milestone for Slot Journal

Just wanted to take a minute and thank the slot car community and other hobbyists that have supported the YouTube Channel over the past year. It was only 20 days ago that we hit 400 subscribers, and over the weekend we went over 500. Considering that since May of last year (10 months) we've posted 9 videos and 2 shorts, I'm pretty happy with the results so far.

What's great is that over the fast several weeks I've been able to get lots of footage and photos in the can, so now it's a matter of organizing and editing all of that into some more episodes. I'm also coming up wiht some ideas for new segments, including a fun AI-assisted bit that I think will be fun and entertaining. Stay tuned!

SJ EPISODE 9: Track Build Guide #3 - Making Borders

You don't want your slot cars rubbing on a guardrail if they drift around a curve. You need some space - and that's what track borders are for. My problem was that I didn't have enough of the stock Artin borders...so I had to figure out a way to make my own. That's the basic point of this episode.

The solution I offer here is pretty application-specific; all the joints in my track are getting filled and painted, so the fit between track and border just has to be "good" not "perfect." If you're keeping your track's stock apperance, you'll want to be extra careful with trimming and fit to ensure it looks neat. After that, I share a vintage car that's new to me, as well as some thoughts on "Datsun Mania." It's all in fun.  :-)
You can watch it HERE.

SJ EPISODE 7: Building a New Track Part 1 - Planning

The new track build series kicks off with what I hope will be a fun and interesting group of videos that will help take viewers on my personal track-building journey. As mentioned previously, I want to start at Ground Zero and proceed through the entire process, and in this first installment, I review some of the most essential considerations that slot track builders will want to think about before they start laying parts and pieces out on the table.

In the video, I cover issues like what kind or racing that will take place, the space available, building a table for the track, power and control, and basic approaches to scenery.  I also note some other topics that might be considered do's-and-dont's, but really are items that you should think about before going to far. Everyone's tastes and preferences are different, so feel free to make your own rules as you go! The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH5Owd2g7pFJ1USpI_ntriw?sub_confirmation=1

Twitter to get "X"d out - Moving to Instagram

Even from the beginning, Twitter (now "X") has not been the best place to post content - at least not for slot car enthusiasts. There were enough accounts to make it worthwhile, but as time has gone on, fewer and fewer of them have bothered to post content there. The most prolific posters seemed to be several Japanese commercial tracks and stores, which always offered the challenge of translating whatever text content accompanied their (often beautiful) photography.

As a result, I've finally decided to post whatever additional content I have over on Instagram. I had opened an account not too long ago, but had only posted a handful of photos - as much a placeholder as anything else. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a number of folks in the slot car community are already on there - so I'm thinking this will be worth the effort.

Another factor in this decision was the fact that the owner of so-called "X" has generally ruined what was once a fun and engaging platform. I had accounts for several of my areas of interest in addition to slot cars. But the final nail in the coffin was when they removed the ability to post "latest tweets" onto your web page, which was an important component of my site's home page. In any case, while I am not deleting the "X" account, I will no longer post anything new there...I haven't been doing that for a while, anyway.  My next task is to delete references to Twitter on my web page and YouTube videos, and replace them with links to Instagram. The instagram page is at: https://www.instagram.com/slotjournal/

Welcome Back...with The New Track

 Yes, it's been way too long since I posted here or put out a video...but a lot has happened over the intervening months.I spend much of the Summer vacationing and traveling, then received a nice retirement offer from my employer that was simply too good to turn down. Of course, a lot of planning and paperwork goes along with the territory, and that took a lot of time and effort as well.

Add to that the fact that I became a first-time grandpa in late September and you can understand that I've been a little busy. That has been a lot of fun for me, but now that the holidays have come and gone, I'm ready to devote some serious time to the hobby.

Over the last month or so, I've started on construction for the new track - it's very similar to the last one I had. The New Schweizering features more R3 and R4 turns, has a better flow and some additional adjustments to not only improve flow but also to provide better support, electrical systems for lights and wiring, and scenery improvements. I'm re-using some components from the old track (like the castle) and rebuilding most everything else from scratch.

I've got  a few pics here, but since construction has begun, I've been documenting most of it through some videos and photos, so you'll be seeing some of that here and on my Facebook site. YouTube videos are coming as well, so be on the lookout!

Shooting How-To Videos: Short or Long?

One of the questions I am trying to work out while putting the Control Tower Project together is how to best present the construction process.  At the outset, I thought the best way to do this was to break the work up into smaller, bite-size bits, sorting the process out into logical parts and then sharing it over a 10-15 minute video (plus the other segments I normally include, like Autorama and commentary.)

 

So far this has worked fairly well - I think - and the comments section on each of the videos seems to indicate that this approach is pretty helpful. As I approach my next video, however, the process takes a little twist as I start doing screen captures while I am using my graphics software to demonstrate some of those techniques for creating interior details. This will take a little more time.

As a result, I will be asking for more viewer input and comments in an effort to further refine the video presentations going forward. There are many ways to do this; Dave at SLOTR often uses some higher-speed video to make the construction bits a little briefer. At the other end of the spectrum, Boone often takes an hour or more to detail his scenic construction techniques. Both ways work and as a result, both of these guys are deservedly popular. I'm interested to see what viewers think.

 

SJ EPISODE 4: Tower Times Part 3 and the Bare Truth...

In Episode #4, we continue with our Tower Project by cutting windows, adding some paint, adding some trim and planning for the interior details. Then we look at a couple of Group 5 Cars that joined the Garage. As I mentioned before, they are not my favorites in terms of beauty, but as a group they do have their charms. I suspect they will be good performers, too.

    Finally, we'll finish by highlighting a YouTuber who's clearly won the [brass] pole position by shooting his videos in a strip club! Not really...but the concept of using a fun viortual background shows some real creativity. Best of all, the slot car content is really useful. Be sure to check it out!  The Video is HERE:

G&S Tire Grinder Provides a Cost-Effective Answer for Basic Truing Needs

In addition to creating and hosting the weekly Worldwide Slot Car Chat, Greg Gaub continues to benefit our hobby community by developing a number of useful 3D printed tools and accessories - most all of which he provides as free .STL files on Printables.com for users to print for themselves. In addition to helpful tools, Greg has created a unit that can convert almost any light scale into a magnet marshal, a multi-use setup block, and lots of other cool stuff. Greg's latest creation--which he developed withthe help of Dennis Samson and Giacomo Verlini--is a cost-effective tire-truer that will meet the basic needs of many slot car hobbyists.

Available as a complete, ready-to-use unit, a DIY kit with all parts included, a 3D-parts only, or as a hardware-only combination - the machine is intended to be a "good enough" machine to get casual racers started with their tire truing needs.The basic features include:

- One motor turns all axles

- Only two screws to remove/replace the entire grinding assembly for different grits

- Screws beneath the ball bearings to adjust parallel

- Spring loaded axle carrier to allow "grind and release" truing methods with ease

- Indicator knob for precise repetition of tire diameters as needed

- Consistent tension of o-rings due to double-pulley design

- O-rings can easily be moved side to side to accommodate various axle configurations

- standard 1/32 bushings snap into axle carrier, but V-shape still allows smaller or larger bushings or bearings to stay in place

- Distance between sanding drums accommodates most 1/24 and 1/32 wheels/axles

- sanding surface cannot contact axle pulley/o-ring
 

More information about the Grinder can be found HERE.

G&S Tire Grinder Pricing (not including shipping)
$150 - Fully assembled and tested machine, ready to get to work.
$100 - Complete kit of parts including all printed parts and hardware.
$50 - Printed parts only.
$50 - Hardware only.
PSU not included. Shipping extra. International orders welcome.
To place an order,  email Greg at ggaub@ggaub.com

EPISODE 3: Tower Trimming, New Cars and What I've Seen & Heard

After some delay - due to moving my video location to my workshop and also because of chores associated with the Memorial Day holiday - I was able to get Episode 3 posted on YouTube. I had a chance to start working on the Control Tower rebuild, show off a few recently-acquired cars, and talk about some great hobby content I've come across lately. I think it's important for our hobby content creators to support each other - the Seen and Heard segment is my way of doing that.

As I was editing this episode, I began to consider more fully how I would demonstrate the various steps in the reconstruction of the tower. While I don't want to turn it into a long Gone With The Wind project, I need to balance clarity of process with some level of concise presentation. For parts of the project that are repetitive or tedious, I can speed up the footage and use creative editing to help. On the other hand, that calls for a separate voice-over track vs. simply talking through a segment in real time while you're doing it. I'll get it figured out...  Check out the episode HERE.

To Vid or Not to Vid? That is The Question.

I’ve talked before about the explosion of slot car video content on YouTube recently, and I suppose it’s only natural to consider jumping into the pool myself to test the waters. Just last week, Rahul and his cohorts on the weekly ConquestRacing Club live stream took an episode to consider why more people should start broadcasting videos and discuss how to get started.

I've had fun participating in live streams and online chats like the Worldwide Slot Car Chat.

First, let me say that I think it’s great that there’s so much content available out there. If someone is new to the hobby, they will find a lot of helpful information, and overall, a very positive attitude about the various ways people can enjoy slot cars. “Find your own way” seems to be the prevailing attitude today, and that’s a healthy thing – because it is sometimes possible to get bad advice, or advice based on someone else’s ideas of how one should pursue the hobby. Being open to learning or hearing different viewpoints is something to be encouraged, yet we don’t want to be lemmings, either – jumping headfirst into every trend or product that‘s the “flavor of the week.”

So, sure – I’ve considered adding original videos to my YouTube Channel. I probably would not do too many live streams, as I like to post videos that people can watch on their schedule, not mine. Besides, there are already so many live streams each week to help build community. Even posting every week is probably not something I can commit to -- lots of other slot car YouTubers post once or twice a month, and that seems reasonable. After 20+ years in the hobby, I know firsthand it’s easy to get burnt out after periods of intense activity, and I’d like to avoid that.

Like Dirty Harry said: “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

So it seems the first thing is to find a niche – and I think I can sort that out. Definitely don’t want to cover the same ground everybody else is staking out, so there won’t be a lot of unboxings (at least not of the same car that everybody else is showing) or news (I let people like Dave Kennedy handle that) or in-depth technical stuff. I’m not a hardcore racer, but I do like to tune cars and have a few build projects on the shelf. Scenery is also big for me – and I think I can offer some interesting content there. By nature, I can be a contrarian, so don’t expect me to follow every trend or tired old saw that people insist you MUST comply with. I'm also a cheapskate, and I like to show you ways to save some money.

Of course, a big chunk of content will include a step-by-step the rebuilding of my next slot car track, The Schweizering, which I hope to get started on - as soon as I can get the hibiscus plants out of my allotted basement space and into the garden. I also need to move some other items to the garage.

For now, I’m working out my video space and getting the technical aspects together. I think I have some decent cameras and mics to make it work. Lighting is also a consideration. Just figuring out how to get it all together is the big job. But it will happen.

"Figuring" it out - Making Your Slot Car Track Come Alive

If you’re creating a scenic slot car track, there’s one thing you can add that will really bring your layout to life—and that’s adding some people. Whether it’s dozens of figures to populate a grandstand, a busy pit crew, some vigilant track marshals or just spectators wandering around, adding figures to your track really adds a lot of fun detail that can can look good and even tell a story.

Expert modeler and figure caster John Kit shows off some famous race car drivers.

For many years, the selection of figures that would be applicable to a slot car track was pretty sparse. Scalextric, Monogram, MRRC, Strombecker and Carrera provides very familiar (and limted) poses that could be placed around a track. While there were a few other options available, like a few metal cast figures and the inevitable Airfix/army man conversions, the available choices were mostly of vintage types—with 1960’s era Racing helmets and bareheaded pit crews, watched by spectators in old-fashioned clothing. Even the TV camera crews looked like something out of a 1950’s television studio. If you were modeling a modern track, it was a little anachronistic.

In the 2000s, things got better, as Carrera, Scalextric and a few other manufacturers updated their figures to more modern-looking examples—with helmeted pit crews and fewer spectators wearing mid-century era suits and ties or dresses. While it was an improvement, the prices could be pretty steep. Some advanced modelers employed old school resin casting and conversion methods to great effect, providing some extra variety and unique poses they could use on their own track.

You'd have to admit these Carrera figures are an improvement over the old stuff :-)

In recent years, however, the advent of 3D printing has caused an explosion in the number and variety of poses available to the modern track builder. Today one can find literally thousands of varied spectator poses as well as a wide variety of pit crews, drivers, track staff and many other useful types. These figures can be purchased painted and finished or unpainted, depending upon your preference and skill level. For those who own s 3D printer, there are a wide range of choices available in ready-to-print .STL files that you can output in any quantity you like. Many of these files are freely available on websites like Thingiverse, and others can be purchased on popular sites like Cults3D. Try searching for things like "figures", "people", "crowd", “man", "woman" – but be prepared to wade through lots of fantasy figures, etc. to find what you like.

Some examples of figure files available from Dolphin Studios on Cults3D.com

The results you get will vary, depending on the type of printer you have and your level of experience. FDM, or filament printers, use large spools of plastic (usually PLA or polyactic acid) and are capable of printing pretty good figures if you learn how to dial in the settings (temperature, layer thickness, support structure) just right. It took me a while to fine-tune my own settings, but once I figured it out, the output was quite good.

Resin, or DLP printers, use a different process that exposes a UV light-sensitive resin layer-by-layer to create a figure on a build plate. Like the various types of plastic available for filament printers, there is a wide range of resins to choose from, depending on your needs. Also, working with resin can be a little tricky, since it requires careful handling and disposal. That said, resin printers can provide a higher level of quality than filament printers—and this is one reason why it is the most popular printer for those who print very complex and detailed fantasy and gaming figures. As always, getting the print settings just right and learning by trial-and-error will lead to good results.

Some of the track spectators I have printed on my filament printer. Time to paint!

My own experience has led me to use both free and purchased print files for most of my figures, which will supplement the dozens and dozens of vintage and more recent figures I had collected over the years. I have both FDM and DLP printers, though I have mostly used the filament printer up to this point, since I have been able to get its figure output to be very consistent in a short period of time.

To see some really excellent track figures, creative ideas and discover some good resources, there are a few Facebook groups you may want to check out:

Scenic Slotcar Figures

Scenics & Slot Tracks

Boone’s Slot Car Garage

STNE Scalextric Trackside NE

Over the coming months, I’ll highlight some of my own figure projects and provide some pointers on getting the most out of your printer, as well as some examples of conversions and repairs I’ve made when the printer’s output was a little less than perfect.

Scenery in A Limited Space: The Streets of New York

Where space is plentiful, talented builders can use it to create some truly impressive structures to enhance the look of their racing layout. But where space is at a premium, and the table or room dimensions create challenges, it's possible to find some really great solutions that help deliver the three-dimensional illusion we are all looking for.

YouTuber Lees Slot Cars (Slot Cars on Facebook) has managed to do exactly this with his New York Street Race backdrop. With only a few inches to spare, he has created a pretty convincing street scene, with excellent building facades of hotels, commercial buildings, shops, apartments and more. The fact that he uses actual photographs is the key to the sense of realism here, and gives a sense of depth to what is essentially a flat surface. Lee does a nice job of explaining his process, which is easy enough for just about anyone to follow.  Be sure to check out his process here: How I made my 1:32 scale Scalextric slot car New York scene back drop

 

Translation: Making This Website Accessible...

You don't have to be around slot cars for very long to know that the hobby is bigger in the rest of the world than it is in the USA. Most of the cars are designed and produced in Europe, manufactured in the far east, and there are enthusiasts on every continent. Having enjoyed the hobby for about 22 years, I enjoy looking at content and seeing publications from across the world--even though I may be able to understand only a little bit of what is being discussed. In most cases, I get the gist - and a picture is a picture in any language.

It really, really works!

Google translate helps me a lot, and that's why I felt it was important to include a TRANSLATE link on the site so our visitors outside the USA can enjoy the content to at least some extent. While there is so much great video content out on the web now covering our hobby, translation is not a feature commonly available on YouTube. But it can be used on websites like this--so I hope folks will make use of it. You can find it on the right-hand column of the website, under the WELCOME message. Just use the pull-down box to select your language and you'll see the page translated via Google's bet effort. Not perfect, but not bad either. So you just don't have to look at the pictures!

Less $ Spent on Tools Could Mean More $ for Slot Cars

Let me be the first to say the hobby manufacturers do a great job when it comes to bringing us the products we need, as well as some helpful innovations in terms of tools and supplies. That said, many of the "specialized" products sold for slot car repair and maintenance, as well for general hobbyists, aren't as special as they seem, and low-cost replacements or temporary substitutes can often get the job done--at least as a start.  For example, here are a few items I've picked up at the local $1 store that have already proven to be helpful:

All purchased for $1 USD each. Pretty handy.

First--slot cars are small--and they are filled with an assortment of "bits 'n pieces" that will inevitably get lost if you don't have a place to secure them. Leave a small screw, washer or bracket laying on the workbench and you can be sure your cat will swipe it onto the floor and under some furniture. The blue plastic snack tray is less than full size and has handy compartments to hold stuff during car assembly or disassembly. Likewise, the clear plastic storage box has lots of small compartments to hold extra screws, magnets, wheels and inserts--and even some small bits like car mirrors and other spare parts.

Maybe they don't qualify as "precision" screwdrivers. But how much precision do you need?

My favorite find so far was the small set of "precision" screwdrivers that came in its own plastic case. The set of six includes four Philips-head and two flat head tools in commonly-used sizes. Are there better tools out there? Certainly. But for a single US dollar, these are damn handy and make a great backup set, in any case. Buy a few, and if you lose a set, you won't care.  The last item is just a set of three snap-blade knives; common as dirt, but 3 for a dollar ensures that you'll have one around when you want one. They are a must for crafting and building scenery when an Xacto knife isn't really required.

Here in the USA, these were all found for $1 each at the local Dollar Tree chain, where just about everything is a dollar. Similar items can be found at stores like Family Dollar or Dollar General--I would imagine that there are these kind of discount chains elsewhere across the globe. This isn't to dissuade you from shopping your local hobby supply, but with the money you save, you might be able to pick up that slot car you want a little sooner...

What To Do With Those Extra Car Display Boxes...

While many hobbyists insist on keeping their cars in their clear plastic display boxes, it's inevitable that you'll eventually purchase a used car that doesn't come with one, or just display your cars in such a way that they're not really needed. Sometimes one will get damaged or cracked. Rather than tossing them out or just stashing them away in a closet, you can make good use of them on your layout, with a little work and ingenuity.

Some of these beer brands might be outdated, as this is almost 20 years old.

This beer stand (Bier Haus) was made with an extra display case. Made up to fit into my track's Swiss/German theme, I used some black foam board to cover part of the sides and the top, painted the roof and part of the case's lower half, and then used thin auto pin striping (available at most any auto parts store) to delineate the sections of window glass.

On top of the little building there is a seating area behind the BIER HAUS sign; a small bench has been built into the back wall and a cardboard ladder was added to the back for access.  On the inside, I didn't add a lot of detail other than creating a counter at the inside rear and some graphics for the back wall that simulated some beer taps, a microwave and some coffee urns. While I kept this one fairly simple overall, it would be easy enough to create an actual floor, add a counter at the front and drop in some 3D accessories--including some service staff.

The printed graphics above the back counter include beer taps, coffee urns, etc.

 The other building in the image below could also be created with a display case, though in this example I used an empty candy box (Ferraro-Roche) to top of this modestly-sized track control tower. The process of construction was similar; masked off and painted portions of the clear acrylic box, then marked the windows off with pin striping. That section was made to fit into a 2-story bottom section made from foam core and covered with self-adhesive paper that the windows/door had been printed upon. Some black foam core was used for the sign on the front as well as the observation deck on the top.

Both items in place on my first track. They were not installed on my last one.

While there are some incredible laser cut and plastic kits on the market, I always enjoyed the challenge of creating my own buildings. Also, many of the buildings sold today are based on 1950s or 1960s models, and seem somewhat dated for the modern era--so if you want something contemporary, you just might have to make it yourself.

Yes, I am Currently Track-less. But We're Going to Fix That.

Ever since I had to remove my last track a couple of years ago, my remaining scenery bits, track sections and, of course--cars--have been sleeping silently in the basement. As I have recently gotten back into the hobby, going through what I have on hand and buying new cars, I've considered what my options are in terms of a new track.

My original slot car track. Had a lot of fun - would be happy with this, now.

 

 

A view of my 2nd track. The Schweizering. It will live again in a more compact form.

To review, the space where I had my permanent track was "commandeered" by my wife as I continued work on our basement remodel. She wanted the 12' x 10' space in question for entertaining, with a round dining/poker table at the center and maybe a set of base cabinets on a back wall. Looking back, perhaps I was too quick to accommodate her - but there is a reason they say "Happy Wife - Happy Life." In any case, over the last few months, I considered the following:

I did not want a track in the garage. A small, portable one that I could move outside might be fun, but that wouldn't be optimal for the kind of scenery I like. Also, an unheated garage up north is a terrible place to have a track, with moisture and inevitable freeze/thaw cycles. Too much dirt, bugs, dust, etc.

It had to stow away out of sight when not in use, and be easy to set up. I don't have room for large sectional tracks, or to having something dropping out of the ceiling. I wanted it to be ready to race on in 15-20 minutes at the most.

The right size. It had to be compact enough to hide, but big enough to offer a good driving challenge and some space for scenery. And scenery complicates things, of course.

Had to be permanent or semi-permanent. While I start out with sectional track, I don't redesign layouts weekly or just set up on a tabletop. I build the track into the landscape, paint it, and copper tape the rails. 

Having sorted through these must-haves and must-nots, I settled on the following concepts:

The best place for the track was where I originally had it, in the 12' x 10' basement space. The only difference is it would have to fold up against a back wall above the base cabinets, and could not be as large as the old track.

There would be a height limit on any "permanent" scenery. Anything in the landscape can't exceed about 7" in height, or it would be crushed against the back wall. The track surface would fold into a box about 7.5" deep, located above the base cabinets. Anything above that height--like buildings, street lights, big trees, etc.--would have to be removable and dropped into place during setup.

 Lights, power, electrical connections, PC hookups, etc. would all have to be "modular." That means they could be easily plugged in-and-out, moved out of the way and generally "disappear" when not in use. My inclination here is to build a moveable cart that would accommodate all these items, with accommodating connecting jacks built into the track structure.

The last track I had was about 50' in length. The extensions along each side ran the full length of the 10' side walls. I can only use about half of that space with the new track, which will be about 35' in length overall. Still, I think it will be enough space to provide sufficient challenge and interest over the long term. I'm sure I could get more track into the space, but I resist the temptation to do that, as I think the resulting overpasses and side-by side straightaways look unnatural.

So the new track will look something like this.

At some point I will get into a more detailed discussion of my own track design philosophy. You need balance; as much as I like scenery-making, I don't think it's necessary to cram spectators, structures and other gimcracks into every square inch of the track space. Too much incoherent clutter only detracts from your race track's best features. Having some open space enhances them. Nuff said for now.