[Fergy]

As I doodle away with ideas for my next track, one aspect that I keep visiting is the issue of lane spacing. I'm currently planning a 3-lane routed track, with full scenery - done, of course, in 1/32. I also plan to occasionally run 1/24 cars as a change of pace. Now, I know that I can just use 4" (10cm) for lane spacing to accomodate everything, but I wonder if the 1/32 racing will suffer on the wider spacing with much easier passing in the corners.

I think I know what I want to do, but since there's so much opportunity here to get "second opinions"

I'll ask:

Should I use the wider lane spacing, or go with narrower spacing and restrict my 1/24 activity (which is secondary) to lanes 1 and 3?

Any comments much appreciated!

 

[jonny s]

GO wide young man , go wide

 

[The Muffin Man]

What about varying the lane spacing so that it's wide enough for both 1/24 & 1/32 at some points (straights etc) but narrow in other places (corners, chicanes) to prevent easy overtaking? This should allow you to run both scales and make for some tactical close racing/overtaking

 

[Tropi]

For a routed track, that seems like an elegant compromise and can be something of a space saver too. I guess it all depends on one's attitude towards limited overtaking opportunities and that is a very individual thing.

 

[Fergy]

QUOTE young man

Good lord, Jonny, how old are YOU?

I haven't been called that in decades!

Muffin Man, good point, and yes, I plan to do that already to a certain degree. Not to excess though. But the maximum spacing will still be prevalent over most of the circuit, so I feel it is still important to have a "typical" spacing in mind to start with.

 

[The Muffin Man]

QUOTE (Tropi @ 6 Feb 2004, 07:03 PM)For a routed track, that seems like an elegant compromise and can be something of a space saver too. I guess it all depends on one's attitude towards limited overtaking opportunities and that is a very individual thing.
Absolutely.....a case of horses for courses!

 

[jonny s]

41 years young mate but we are all young at heart! You may be interested in my mate Yves (tadman on SF) latest project. I`m sure he will send you the pics I recently received. He`as working on a routed project right now with `racing line curves`and he did mention a working pit lane. He`s a Belgian genius and a very neat model maker who , like me believes in going for the full monty with all scenics, lights,pit building and crash scenes modelled as part of the set up. Drop him a line fergy he`s a really good bloke

 

[Fergy]

Tropi, the space issue won't be a major concern, but it's the difference in overtaking that concerns me most. Should overtaking in 1/32 be difficult (as on most 1/32 tracks) or easier (as on 1/24 tracks)? Yes, I know this is largely a personal preference issue, but I wanted to see the range of opinions I knew I could get here.

Jonny, thanks for the contact! A working pit lane is already in the cards for my track - even have the switching mechanism figured out and the solenoids on hand.

 

[jonny s]

I`m in awe of that. I hope both you and Yves will do us a write up on that one please,please,please

 

[Fergy]

Well, I've been making notes as I go. Some of these notes are actually quite old!

I should be starting the track before the end of the year, as we are getting closer and closer to finding a new house and we've given ourselves mid-summer as a latest target. I'm making web pages as notes, so those, along with actual construction documentation, can become a sort of chronicle later. The pit lane notes are:

Here

A lot of it is rambling, which I'm good at

but I'd rather jot down every idea rather than miss something that might be of value later.

 

[Tropi]

Fergy
As a racer, I much prefer the facility to overtake on curves = lane separation enough to do that. My feelings are that there are already more than enough ways to deslot without adding any more that aren't strictly necessary!

But as an onlooker and admirer of scenery etc, a circuit generally looks much better with narrowed, racing lines. The circuits at Archer Raceway, Vancouver immediately spring to mind as superb examples of this. I fell sure you will know know of them. For this to work well, I think it is necesary to have a large enough circuit to offer a reasonable number and length of clean overtaking opportunities, if crashes and bad-tempered frustration are to be avoided. From what you say and have said in the past, it would appear that you intend to make sure that you will have the space to facilitate this.

However, on balance, I think I would prefer the ability overtake on curves. There is a clear cut reason for this later thought. It is that I can remember in my early days of routed track racing, when I discovered that it was possible to win races with smooth running, easy to drive cars against considerably faster and more powerful opposition because of the abilty to make ground on curves. It was one of the most satisfying slot experiences I have ever had - a little bit David and Goliath! I think that narrowed lanes would eliminate this possibility and it would be a shame to kill the possibility of the good little 'un beating the big 'un! My sentimental side is always attracted to the underdog especially if the underdog is me!

 

[Fergy]

Tropi,

I already had a viewpoint on this and you just pretty much echoed it!

I agree that having numerous passing areas is paramount - just look at F1 to see what happens when there isn't...

Yes, I've studied the Archer tracks in some detail, and though very interesting, I think they have taken a good idea to extreme proportions. I plan to use varied lane spacing in a few areas of the track, places where it will be fairly intuitive and natural to anticipate tighter quarters for racing (tight esses, a sharp hairpin, that sort of thing), but most of the track will maintain a relatively uniform lane spacing so drivers can race each other rather than the track. I would also keep any tight areas fairly close together so that there is a natural sense of a single "tight section" being a small part of the track, rather than narrow bits scattered over the whole circuit which, like some of the Archer designs, would eliminate any chance of extended side-by-side racing.

My own thought already was to go with 4" (10 cm) as the most prevalent spacing, enabling the type of racing you mention, and also allowing for occasional 1/24 action on all 3 lanes.

I'm still curious as to whether anyone has an opinion to the contrary though, and would favour standard 1/32 spacing in general.

 

[Fergy]

Jonny, 41?

Puppy!

 

[JohnP]

When I built my attic track, hmm... must have been in the mid 70's, I used 3½" lane spacing - a decision I never regretted (although I did regret not taking it with me when we moved house

).

However, as you will have the space Fergy I would definitely be tempted to go w-i-d-e.

Just think. Those sweet handling 1/24 (I say) sha-seez. Mmmmm!

This project looks like a big undertaking

and you just can't always tell how your interests may evolve. So, I say build for all options and build for the future!

BTW, I think the multiple course layout is a logical development and a brilliant idea

 

[Fergy]

Oh sure, I admit I'm old, and the next thing I know, you mention "undertaking"!

Yeah, I love playing around with 1/24 "chee-ya-seez" under hardbody models - no end to the offerings there!

Still, 1/32 will be the scale for the scenery elements and the prime focus for racing.

Currently looking at a minimum of 600 sq.ft. for the track room. 4" spacing shouldn't cause too much grief.

 

[JohnP]

QUOTE Oh sure, I admit I'm old, and the next thing I know, you mention "undertaking"!

Sorry about that! Anyway, I've a sneaking suspicion that a few of us are starting to get on a bit around here - young jonny excepted

So, don't get maudlin get build(l)in' - and FAST

600sq ft

I'm jealous already! I wonder how that pans out length:width.

 

[Fergy]

QUOTE I wonder how that pans out length:width

I'm hoping for a room about 30 x 20 or thereabouts. Just for the track. Shop facilities, etc. in a separate, but attached, room. Should be able to steal...uh, commandeer...uh, annex about 1/2 the basement in total.

 

[Tropi]

That is about the size of an average complete UK hovel!

 

[Fergy]

Yeah, I know the typical house sizes are very different around the world. I watched a show on TV the other night, and I believe they were just outside of London, and houses a bit smaller than my present one (1750 sq.ft. 2-storey) were selling for something like 300,000 pounds or more! That's like 2 1/2 to 3 times what my house is worth!

Here, we're looking for a bungalow about 1700 square feet, so the basement will be that same size... and thus slot car heaven - my current basement is just too small to do anything serious with it. Believe me, we're not wealthy, just lucky to get more space for the money here! In fact, we're going to move a bit further away from the "big city" to get more house for less money. Hmmm.... money left over for more cars...

 

[jonny s]

Many thanks Fergy. I`ll get stuck into that on Sunday

thanks John...Young ..me? Thank you kindly Sir. I will feel a lot older by the end of tomorrows club meeting.