slot cars and trains - anyone for animation? (new subscriber)

[GremlinGTs]

Hi, my name is Jerry, and I just subscribed ( 4-2-06 ) after Googling for UA Turbo trains, and finding The Gauge Forum, and also found the slot car/ train thread from 2001. Current personal interests are HO gauge ( modular ), BL-2 EMD engines, AMC Gremlins, HO Blimp / helium industry, and bits and pieces of other interesting things too numerous to mention.
I joined a local ( northern Virginia ) Model Railroad club ( www.pwmrc.org ) 2 years ago, and had raised some eyebrows and hackles with the old-timers about my suggestions and questions regarding Interactive / Animated additions to HO model railroading, like adding slot cars to have additional movement. I provoked quite a fire-storm of controversy over my "innocent" questions! LOL. I'm nothing if not a "free thinker". Anyway, spotted George's posts in the archived area of The Gauge, and see I am not alone in love of cars AND trains. They are NOT mutually exclusive in my mind. Still on board here, George?
Anyway, since it's been 5 years since those posts, just wondered if anyone has had any better ideas for animating a vehicular roadway other than slot car track. My idea was to have a switchback road in a mountain backdrop, so the slots wouldn't be as obvious, and the train would still be in the foreground. with only a 2' setback for HO, though, that is not much, I was planning an "out of standard" module of 3 foot deep to accomplish my goal. Anyway, life's imposition of recent family health emergencies, and losing a job, and trying to clean out the house of my Pack-rat tendencies, has complicated any effort to have room and time for a project of this size. One day, just not anytime soon, probably.
Recent acquisitions have included some more yard sale slot cars, vintage Aurora stuff close to HO gauge. Got my interest in Model Railroading animations rekindled again. So, that's my post, and I'm stickin' to it. Anyone feel free to contact me on Forum or off about anything. Thanks, Jerry in Virginia

 

[jetrock]

There is at least one manufacturer out there who makes a "slow slot car" system that uses a guideway to scoot HO scale cars around, and there were even efforts in the Sixties to integrate the two hobbies, including slot-car track with grade crossings.

 

[shaygetz]

Welcome to The Gauge, Jerry

 

[jim currie]

welcome to the gauge Jerry in the 70.s when kids were home we had a layout with slot cars and trains . needless to say it led to some spectular crashes

 

[Ralph]

There is at least one manufacturer out there who makes a "slow slot car" system that uses a guideway to scoot HO scale cars around, and there were even efforts in the Sixties to integrate the two hobbies, including slot-car track with grade crossings.

I had that as a kid!!!! What fun! I think it might have been Tyco (?)
Ralph

 

[jflessne]

Good old George.

I too came here because of Georges posts in 2001. I do want to animate a few things in my 8 foot club module. I'm suprised to find nothing new out there. I can find nothing on the web at least.

My module is based on old grain operations. It includes a farm etc. A field near by...I had planes to have a old biplane (Crop plane) fly over my corn field. Maybe the farmers truck running down an old dirt road. Nothing short of homemade is made commercially.
I would module people would be very interested in animation since the public generally looks at the modules as well as the trains. Seems like there's money to be made here.

 

[jim currie]

welcome to the gauge jflessen

 

[Badyin Macfadyi]

Check out Faller's system in the Walthers Catalogs. Also an N scale version available. Although it's of European prototypes not too much work involved to convert Herpa/Promotex models.
There are a couple of groups involved in building modules and lots of info on their sites.
Here's one
http://www.f-track.org

 

[eightyeightfan1]

Welcome to the Guage
The HO scale rail/slot car crossing was made by Marx.I think Tyco migt of reproduced it in the '80's.

 

[brakie]

Animation isn't exactly a new thought but,one that conjures up pictures of Lionel animated accessories and thats the fly in the buttermilk..Getting pass the old Lionel mentality of animation which many old timers cling tf course I don't want to overlook another form of animation and that is the old Tyco and Bachmann animation accessories from years past which is consider toys for a kid's train set at best.

Does animation have a part in scale model railroading? Yes and it would be prudent if animation could be worked into our layouts such as moving cars and trucks on our streets and roads,animated industries with sounds and perhaps moving clouds on our backdrops.
IMHO we have the means to control the scale speeds of animated cars and trucks and even animated industry..That means is by computer.
Folks,just think..Our cars and trucks would move at scale speeds(they would be glued to the road way which would act like a slow moving conveyor belt)and would stop at red traffic lights.Industries with moving forklifts etc.
Something to think about.. .

 

[jflessne]

Ahh more researching and nothing.

I checked out the faller system. Are their any US web sites that could maybe talk about it's implementation. I have all kinds of question going thru my head...

- Does the system work on say a simulated dirt road.
- Converting the models to US models.
- Cost.... Any alternative system out there?

Someone mentioned slot cars...Got me thinking maybe I could discuss the track as an old dirt road. Put an old pick up and the local sheriff on it.

I have plans to animate a fish (Shark) jumping out of the water and scaring a fisherman. The fish is on some sort of wheel that rotates every once in a while. At the same time the fisherman will fall backwards from his boat. The fisherman I have a plan the shark. Working it out.

Also working on a crop dusting plane that will fly over a corn field.

 

[Will_annand]

Over on freerail, a fellow went to a Wisconsin train show and there was a modular layout there with a working racetrack...

http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=512&forum_id=3

near the bootom of the first page of the thread...

 

[jflessne]

Interesting.

Over on freerail, a fellow went to a Wisconsin train show and there was a modular layout there with a working racetrack...

http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=512&forum_id=3

near the bootom of the first page of the thread...

So If I read that right they built a N scale layout under the module. Magnets are attached to a diesel....bam the cars go round...say on styrene. Hmmm I didn't catch the name of the module group...Any one else?

 

[lionelfan]

Welcome Jerry!! I am also interested in Cars/Trains. I build model cars and collect 1:18 and 1:24 diecast. Do you have a 1:1 Gremlin? My first car was a 72 Gremlin, the color was Jolly Green, I loved that car but due to the Ohio winters, the body rusted and in 78 I got another car. Wish I could get a Gremlin now....