[Eno Dog]

Yes - in a brilliant piece of negotiation I'm moving a couple of rooms about. I'm moving Chris into this smaller room (prising an 8yo from his "Master" bedroom?? That's Mr Silvertongue the Wonderdog to you!) and as long as I put some storage cupboards underneath it I'll be allowed to set up a permanent track in the "office".

I've been pouring the midnight oil into these plans. I've spent the best part of three days futzing about on tracker and making excited scribblings trying to get the best possible use out of the space available. I'm a very excited puppy at the moment..

As with anything else I've tried to design you can see my distaste for parallel lines.. I feel this makes a more "realistic" looking circuit.

I've tried to design it to get a balance between simplicity for the kids and something more interesting for the adults. I think I've got that by running the circuit in opposite directions but won't know until I've had a good play.

In the design, the green "table" bits are three foot wide. The room is Twelve foot by Ten in total.

The "arms" where I'll put the cupboards give me three 3 foot cupboards down one side and a four foot cupboard down the other. Have no idea where to get / how to build those yet but I'll figure that out as I go.

The short arm gives me room to put the Computer desk and a filing cabinet down the side of the room.

In the corner, the crossover pieces show where I'm going to put the monitor for the other computer. I'll use this to run the timing software when I get myself better organised. The start finish will be over on the long straight so I'll be able to get a light bridge thing in there. A large window also runs two thirds of the way down the "long arm" wall so I should have fair light.

In the crook of the arms I need to figure out how I can fit a small slide out shelf for the computer Keyboard, and a full width (four foot) fold out surface to use as a workbench. Imagine that - sitting at your workbench with your circuit wrapped around you like a coccoon..

 

[The Stickman]

NICE!!!!

 

[Freddy]

That's a very interesting design. Hope it turns out well.

 

[Slotrace.dk]

Interesting layout - but where do you stand and race without blocking line of sight for each other?

 

[Eno Dog]

I'll usually be racing with the boys & I can see over them!

Actually I think there will be enough room for the times there's anyone over but for now I think it's about the best layout I can fit in the room..

Once I've moved the boy I'm going to set it up on the floor first & give it a test play to check out the sight lines. I'm hoping that I can use this track plan without cutting the top loop short but that's plan B!

Given she that must be obeyed has demanded cupboards as a trade off & it'll be way warmer than the shed in winter I'm pretty confident I like it!

 

[Eno Dog]

Actually Slotrace, after reading your comment on the sightlines I've just had to have another fiddle about at it.

Of course this is why I put the plan up 'cause it gives me the chance of getting more input to "fine tune" the thing before I get it up & built..

but still

that I didn't spot that one straight up!

I'm now tempted to let the straight from the bridge run up to the wall & just use three R2 corners & a straight to run it up to the R3 bends in the top right of the diagram.. I think that'll fix the problem & it actually looks "racier" on paper..

That top section's been a problem I've had multiple bashes at and in this case I rahter think that "less is more" in a strange logic inversion sort of way.

It also means I can put the "fold out" workbench against the wall so I'll be able to get at the track properly while things are drying and it simplifies fitting the in the keyboard shelf dramatically.

Thanks for pointing that out - it's looking much better now!

 

[xelayb]

Hi,

Let me give a suggestion. Try link directly, without bridge. Your circuit will be faster than now.

 

[Eno Dog]

Xelayb - this is your doing!

Sure enough I'm a fickle animal & have abandoned the last idea a shocker after a mere 24 hours of fiddling about. I've given myself 4 foot tables and am much happier with the result.

I'm going to try to avoid the thing looking like a bowl of spaghetti by using some tricksy elevation changes. The paired hairpins will be lead up from the front to it'll look kinda like a cutting. The back straight will be up higher. This time I think I have it. Longer straights and more different types of turn.

Still gotta move the rooms though so there's plenty of time to be fickler & change my mind again.

 

[xelayb]

Hi,

No.... I was thinking it. Cut off the crossing "X". I am searching some image of my old design (with crossing) and the new layout circuit without crossing to show the difference.

 

[xelayb]

Look the difference.

 

[Slot-Dad]

permanent track

you lucky b***%#!
I can see what you mean xelayb it is better without the bridge.
I too use bridges due to the lack of space in my sons room 3.65m x ca2m give or take the odd PC table shelfing system and bed. The idea was/is to get as much track down to race on as possible.

It looks something like this

and it's a nightmare

setting up those bridge/flyover sections any suggestions

 

[xelayb]

QUOTE (Slot-Dad @ 13 Apr 2005, 12:53)The idea was/is to get as much track down to race on as possible.

Hi Slot-Dad,

Let me expose my opinion about permanent circuit.

A long time I thought as like you. After some races, in the club's track, I began to have problems to tune my cars in my old track, 18,32 meters (sorry but, I don't have image to show). I redraw with more technical objective, and the track, must have an enough escape area to race without magnet.

Believe or not, my current (16,86 meters, second image) track, smaller than old, is more technical, faster and I get to tune my cars for the club's track, without magnet of course. My times in my track is similar with my times in club's track, in proportion, of course. I got a good space too for the pit lane and sceneries.

In the future, if I want to put digital system with pit stop programmer, I won't need to redraw the circuit, because today I have enough space.

In permanent circuit, we need think in the future too.

 

[Eno Dog]

I liked where you were going with that Xelayb so I've got stuck back into it to explore possibities again.

The bridge is dumped. They've never been anything but trouble & I'm over them.

I've combined the first track with an idea I had of being able to run an Oval for the kids or perhaps a little Nascar mayhem along with a decent road course for the lemans cars.

This will take some cutting and shunting of track to achieve but it should be possible - I think.

This means I can bring back the R1 switchback hereby known as the "Tilke Turns" in all it's glory as I can send the kids around that (eventally).

Anyway - I think I really like this as it tidies a few things up & brings back some favourite ideas.

What do you guys think?

 

[xelayb]

Try it.

 

[Slot-Dad]

I'd go with xelayb suggestion

before you know it the kids will be beating you anyway trust me I know

 

[Eno Dog]

Slot Dad - last time I had the track out the only way I could beat the 2 & 1/2 year old was to let him lap me and then try to hang on until he forgot which car he was driving & crashed!!

I'll give that idea a test run Xelayb. I think I'll keep the front straight more curved (for aesthetics more than anything - avoiding parrallel lines) & see how it goes.

 

[Eno Dog]

Much as I like having the step-sons - is there anything more depressing that an eight year old can say to you after several days of hard graft than "..it's okay.. but.."

It seems that not having used his long chicane, hump back bridge and "skid" chicane are major flaws in my previous designs. Then there's "..but Dad - where are we going to put the pits??" Not to mention "How am I supposed to reach the cars if I crash?". Picky little blighter is Chris!

Under strict supervision I now have what I hope is the final design for "my" track. The boy's declared himself happy with this so I'm allowed to go ahead now. (Told you he was picky!)

This final version should leave plenty of scope for a bit of landscaping, and some tricksy "out in the country" sort of bits to give it more of a Mille Miglia / Targa Florio type feel on the long side. The diamonds are where the humpback bridge will go, and the one with the triangles are where he wants the skid chicane. I'll leave a hole behind the pits to send small boys into to rescue any crashes in the bottom left corner.

I think this should work out pretty well...

 

[Isetta]

As you don't have design authority, you might like to run this suggestion by the boss: The long chicane in the middle of the staight obstructs one of your good overtaking opportunities. If you move it "left", to just before the next corner, it gives you more room to make your move coming out of the previous corner. better still, remove the squeeze straight from the middle to shorten the chicane (but that might be hard to sell).

Cheers, Tom

 

[Slot-Dad]

QUOTE (Eno Dog @ 14 Apr 2005, 00:38)Slot Dad - last time I had the track out the only way I could beat the 2 & 1/2 year old was to let him lap me and then try to hang on until he forgot which car he was driving & crashed!!

I know the feeling my lad will be 14 in August a few years ago I was giving him cars with hefty magnets so he could keep up now it seems the tables have turned

Before I go just one more thing what program are you using for your track designs?

 

[Eno Dog]

Tom, I've been told that I'm going to modify the bottom of the hump back bridge so it goes over both lanes and that's why it's the best place to put it. Besides - "there's lot's of other places to pass.."

Slot Dad - I use a program called "Tracker 2000". It's dead easy to use and far easier than trying to do the same thing on your knees - particularly figuring out how to match up the ends!