[jmswms]

I love Italy (even more than I love slot cars) so I was pretty excited to see glimpses of Italian landscape in the previews to the new "Cars 2" movie. And, while the movie is just okay, the fictional Italian town of "Porto Corsa" that Disney created for the movie is pretty cool. And, it seems like a good place to start in dreaming of a new slot car track. Apparently, the fictional town is based on a combination of Portafino and Monte Carlo. It's easy to see the influences. I'd love to build something themed on this. So, I got to tinkering with a preliminary design....

Some of the artwork of Disney/Pixar's Cars 2 "Porto Corsa"...

 

[Scootcar50]

Well Bill

Have you at least made a start on the new project yet?

Waiting.

Cheers

 

[jmswms]

QUOTE (Scootcar50 @ 8 Jul 2011, 20:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Have you at least made a start on the new project yet?I'm not actually done with the Suzuka track... In any case, I like to mull the design for a while before starting the routing. It's always good to fish for ideas on Slot Forum! There's a lot of houses in this design, and I'm thinking that I might try making them using the templates from "Scale Scenes", in particular, the "Low Relief High Street."

 

[Scootcar50]

Hope you understand I was just joking - all your projects seem to go so fast that if I don't log in for one or two days then I come in at the end of the project.

Can't go past Graham Lane's buildings.

Cheers

 

[jmswms]

QUOTE (Scootcar50 @ 8 Jul 2011, 21:26) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hope you understand I was just joking - all your projects seem to go so fast that if I don't log in for one or two days then I come in at the end of the project.

Can't go past Graham Lane's buildings.Sure. No worries. I just wish I could steal some of Graham's buildings for this layout. But Graham does certainly provide some inspiration for the idea!

 

[jmswms]

Looks like I may start this project in the next month or so. One decision to make ... Digital or analog? Probably would do it on a large scale-- maybe 16'x5 (5m x 1.5m) in 1/32.

 

[Kellerkind]

Aaaaah!... Something new out of Bills slottrackmanufacture! Looking fwd to the new project. Regards Jens

 

[Mark0]

Ah, Bill glad to hear from you again. You've been in my thoughts as it's PWD time in Cub Scouts again. My car (for the father son race) is a wedge of swiss cheese with a bunch of Forstner holes in the middle (since I had to redistribute the weight anyway). I'll post a pic when it's all done. Anyway not to venture too far from Italy...

I too am looking forward to your vision and workmanship again. As some say on this side of the pond... "BRING it!!"

 

[bensonsnuts]

Not seen the film and I missed this first time round , but that's going to make a seriously cool circuit . I'm looking forward to seeing this progress

 

[Kellerkind]

Hi all, wondering about the size "00" the buildings of scale-scenery will be -what scale is that? Bill, are you scaling them down before printing? Any help welcome. Thanks Jens

 

[L.Cerante]

Hi Bill, it's always good to see you have new projects to come! This one looks absolutely fantastic and I'm sure it will make our jaws drop once it's finished.
I'll be watching your progress like a student following his master!

cheers and good luck!

Leo

 

[jmswms]

I'm wondering about having a track routed by CNC. How easy is it to get the CAD drawing? Does anyone on the board have experience with CNC routed tracks?

I'm still tinkering with the layout. I like this one quite a bit more. First, it enlarges the island, which is critical to the design. And, the left side is now much more interesting--not merely a mirror of the right side... still tinkering...

 

[bensonsnuts]

Personally I liked the original layout better . You've squashed a lot more road into the new circuit but it's kinda lost some "feel" I also miss that loop on the island ..

 

[Ember]

I like the hill climb at the left on the new one.

 

[Mr Modifier]

Left half of new design and right half of old design. The old design is way more interesting but I agree with the mirror comment. I prefer the old design over the new but making the composite design could keep everybody happy.

Mind you - it's your circuit so you are the only one who needs to be happy!!!

 

[jmswms]

QUOTE (bensonsnuts @ 6 Jan 2012, 02:13) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>You've squashed a lot more road into the new circuit but it's kinda lost some "feel" I also miss that loop on the island.There will still be a "ring road around the island, but I'm thinking that it 1/2 of it would just be one lane and scenery, i.e., not a digital road as I first had imagined.

QUOTE (Ember @ 6 Jan 2012, 02:29) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I like the hill climb at the left on the new one.I "like" it, but I'm going to drop it as it would make the track much harder to drive and I want a more flowing design...

QUOTE (Mr Modifier @ 6 Jan 2012, 03:10) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Left half of new design and right half of old design. The old design is way more interesting but I agree with the mirror comment. I prefer the old design over the new but making the composite design could keep everybody happy.Well ... I'm actually probably going to do the opposite, namely, keep the "old" left and use the "new" right side. The "new" right side will be pretty cool from a scenic perspective with the bridge ending into a tunnel and then a road going along the cliffside on the top.

 

[jmswms]

Well, I think I've settled on the general design. Of course, it remains to be seen how this will work in actual MDF and space. I'm not sure about the placement of the houses, which will have a Mediterranean feel to them. I'm seriously interested in doing CNC routing for the track, if only for the precision. I'd have to find a reasonable CNC router in Los Angeles to do that (which I haven't found yet).

 

[perthor]

Looks great Bill, maybe I get to see it live in July or will it be finished and gone? Looking forward to follow this one, bring it on! Per

 

[Graham Lane]

I missed this one until now! Wow, always good to see the Rock-it Scientist in action!

 

[jmswms]

QUOTE (perthor @ 17 Jan 2012, 08:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Looks great Bill, maybe I get to see it live in July or will it be finished and gone? Looking forward to follow this one, bring it on! PerI'm no longer building tracks unless they have a "home". In this case, there is eventually a home for the completed build, but I'm projecting that it will take at least until August. The track will be built in three pieces, but I'll won't have more than two pieces in my garage at any one time. So, I'll never actually get to race this at my own place...

I will be able to hook up some power and test how the pieces work together, and eventually I'll finish it, put it all together, and race it. For me, most of the fun is in the building!