[GastheerG]

I had the plan to start building a new track in the winter 2009/2010.
Other hobby's, work and problems with my health did fade away those ambitions.

Another job and improvement in my health pushed up the volume (time and energie) and e few weeks ago I started to building a new track.

My last track was Col Du Darc and for sentimental reasons a few pics:

Photo album of Col Du Darc you can find at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/gastheerg/ColDuDarc#

A few movies from Col du Dar com Youtube.
Spring on Col Du Darc:

Basje (my cat) IN Col du Darc:

Col du Darc on board:

Pro truck on Col du Darc:

Ok enough sentiment and starting collect some idea's for a new project.

Col du Darc was a very hard track to race and you have to maintain your driver skills but others issues can be improved for the new situation.

I made Ten Commandments for my new slottrack project:

The way I fill in my life these days it's not obvious that I lurk the throttle every day.
Also not all friends have many experience in slot racing.
Commandment #1: easy to drive track

For many, many years I love to make scenery. Some of you maybe remember my FOUR Parkzoom tracks.
Commandment #2: opportunities for nice scenery

While other hobby's (photography, cycling, cooking, whisky) also need a part of the budget a small budget is available.
Commandment #3: no new track system and reuse of Scalectrix Sport track, DS Slot power supply ,race timer, stop and go box and reuse of wood if possible.

My loft is still my loft but a new position of the track give a new creative inspiration.
Commandment #4: track on new loft position

I love to connect hobby's together. One example is photography and slotracing but more will be lovely.
Commandment #5: scenery theme of the track has to contain several winks to my other hobby's.

I always love it to share hobby project with others. I enjoy inspiration I become from others and I love it to bring inspiration as well
Commandment #6: this new project must be nice for others as well. Add new idea's, nice photo's and regular updates.

This project can take time as long as it need it. No race club is waiting for delivery. I can put the door behind me and no others are involved.
Commandment #7: time is not an issue. If a great peace of scenery takes more time I will take that time to improve the final result.

I use my loft for a lot of projects like building classic bicycle's and photography but also for storage.
Commandment #8: space under the track must be available for storage

I'm a social guy and I love it to spend time with my friends around the track.
Commandment #9: don't use all the space for a big track but use space for big moments. There must be space for friends as well.

Slotracing is just like all other things in life. It's the most important but also the less important thing you can imagine. Don't let it control your World. You must be the one that use the controller.
Commandment #10: if any of above commandments is an obstacle just be flexible

Next time: the new plan

 

[GastheerG]

Slot Montalcino

Here the idea for my new track. Requirements (see on top) like a connection to my other hobby's (like cycling, cooking and Italia) and scenery opportunities are filled in.
Also a layout that's easy to race and not use all space.

Slot Montalcino is the name for my new track project.
Montalcino is a town in Tuscany on a beautiful mountain with lots of lush vineyards and olive groves. The city has an ancient castle and remains of city walls.

Montalcino is for me the symbol of persevering. When I participate L'Eroica (205km hard historical ride for cyclists) arrived in Montalcino in 2008, I was completely to smithereens. Tutto! And I was just half way but I go on......
The climb to Montalcino was also the starting point of a warm friendship with my Italian friend Luigi and his motley group of friends.
Montalcino is also a culinary gain. Introducing the Brunello di Montalcino has me almost decide to swap the whisky hobby for Tuscan wine.

Other Tuscan specialties you can enjoy are grappa (especially those of Montalcino itself) Pici (which is always freshly made pasta), Tuscan olive oil and smoked bacon and the famous bisteca Fiorentina.
Montalcino has an important role in the political development of Italy. Italy is a relatively young country and an aggregation of many small states.
Montalcino in the 16th century played an important role in the conflict between republicans of Siena and the Medici.
Montalcino is especially great symbolic value when it comes to the feeling of freedom and independence.
This symbolism is annual honoured when flag bearers from Montalcino lead the procession to the Palio (famous horse race) in Siena.
In the city of Montalcino there are remains of the fortifications that remembers that the 15th and 16th centuries could be very noisy.
Another word for castle or fortress in Dutch is slot.
So the name of my new project is a wink:

Slot Montalcino

The track will be an L-shape as the last Parkzoom track. At the tip of the L, the riders both stand for a good overview. Two marshals on the corners
The short section of the L will contain a castle and old city wall.
The long narrow part will contain a vineyard.

Here is the first track design:

a practical translation from the design to real track parts:

Ok..................it is nice put a table under it:

At the moment (and this weeks job) I'm working on smooth ramps and climbs. Testing. Adjustments. Testing etc.

When the track is ok in a race point of view I add track borders on the most risky places. Testing again.
If ok then I add track borders on the finish line.
Finish line will be IN the tunnel and also the infrared light bridge will be there.
At that point I will do all the wiring and ad a safety border on the outside of the track.

To be continued......

 

[GastheerG]

QUOTE (4.3 ZOOK @ 17 Jan 2011, 20:09) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>What did you use for snow on the sign post?

Just flour

 

[GastheerG]

@all: thnx for your comments

@justdave: did already 3 times the 205 L'Eroica. See Picasa:
http://picasaweb.google.com/gastheerg/LEroica2010#
http://picasaweb.google.com/gastheerg/LEroicaTrip2009#
http://picasaweb.google.com/gastheerg/LEroica2008#
And believe me this is one of the biggest challenge for hobby cyclist. But it's also a very inspiring environment.

@ Merc_A: there is space for a marshal. And I have 25 kinds of whisky in house so being a marschal is not a big punish.

Ok that was the small talk let's go to the project.

The hill where the vineyard is ready. Check tomorrow whether he is sturdy enough and then there will be planted vines.

In the middle of the U turn i will make an old city wall. The tunnel portal and the city walls will be made of real stones for a realistic effect.

The track is now "hot" and it can be raced. For optimal racing here and there a track border has to be add. And a border along the outside of the table.
I'm going out to dinner this week and once I have a whisky night............. but this weekend the track is called "race ready"

The Healey Pass under the old citadel. This is also the place where I've made the light trap for the timing system.

Work hard and taking good pics is a very hard. While the scenery is not ready yet I choose for snapshots.
Speed up the work

 

[GastheerG]

Movie: first laps:

 

[GastheerG]

QUOTE (justDave @ 19 Jan 2011, 00:13) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I know it's off-topic,

Why not this new track project is completely inspired bij L'Eroica. Even the real small bricks for the tunnel en buildings are from Tuscany

QUOTE (justDave @ 19 Jan 2011, 00:13) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Wasn't the 2010 Giro stage on the strade bianche fantastic?

Yes......in the rain.

QUOTE (justDave @ 19 Jan 2011, 00:13) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>But back to the slot racing...

Ok and here is some scenery i've planned. Some with a wink to other hobby's
Old city wall
Vineyard
Chapel
L'Eroica signs
Montalcino signs
Trafic signs
Billboards
Square with Cyclists at checkpoint
fountain
Trees - nice Tuscana cypress
Photographers scene
Rear Facades - bikeshop, trattoria and casa vino
Streetlights
Diorama vintners
Diorama rally accident Ballerini
Diorama espresso car (3 wheels)
Diorama horses

But first I make the track safe so we can race. Track borders and table borders will be add this weekend. Safety first

 

[GastheerG]

Last week the whole week a running nose, coughing, sneezing.
Sweating, thick throat but keep on working. Thursday evening having dinner with a former colleague.
Yesterday evening a whiskymeeting

This morning I feel like a pair of braids after 24 hours of slotracing.

So today not much is done to the new racetrack.

The hill where the vineyard is planned is dry and looks very fine.

Imagine a vineyard behind the car

Or here...

Today I made borders around the right part of the track. Just scraps of MDF.
When I'm done with the sawing i go paint the track and borders and let it naturally overlap.

For today I'm ready

To be continued .......

 

[GastheerG]

@Graham: when the track is ready it's only open for nice classics

On my new permanent race track, I planned a vineyard. A big wink to the vineyards of Tuscany.
For the poles between which the vines hang I use skewers:

I've cut them in half and then stained dark. Not a bad start I would say.

You see here the Brunello grapes coming?

So in the future I make my own Brunello di Montalcino. One of the best wines available. Great with red meat or a pasta with ragù.

The skewers will come in neat rows on the hill. I will put lines between them and the lines at the end I will end in the ground with e small pin.
Then I finish the bottom with "land".

That was a small scenery break.

Now just go on with the rough work.

To be continued......

 

[GastheerG]

Small update:

 

[GastheerG]

This afternoon a visit to a colleague on the schedule. A train boyfriend.
I myself have no trains for many years but occasionally like to go somewhere to look.
In my cough last week ignited the colleague who was lying in his bed today and not along the track.
Suddenly a whole afternoon for my new track.

So kick some vineyard......

Wires in the vineyard.
Large part of track borders in the western part of the track.
And I am very happy about the start of my brick work.
The bricks are just gluded.
Finishing as remove glue and fill with small stones has yet to happen.
However wonderful backdrop for photos.
Well enough chatter time for some pictures:

 

[GastheerG]

Small update:

I've made some more old city walls. Real small stones and it;s a lot of work.
But the westside entry of the tunnel in the citadel is now ready.
Also put some "ground"in the vineyard.
I paint half the track but I'm not happy with the result because it's still shinny.

Ok some pics:

 

[GastheerG]

@Ember: looks great but need some rain to grow

A artist impression of next step for the citadel:

 

[GastheerG]

QUOTE (Graham Lane @ 1 Feb 2011, 06:23) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I have an idea. What about spreading a single layer of gravel on a sheet of glass in a wooden frame and then pouring liquid plaster mixed with a little colouring over it? The gravel would have mostly flat sides outwards and should look really realistic. I might give that a whirl.

Great idea. I will try that.

Ember: about the rain? It was just a joke and not to harm someone

I live in a country that fight for many years against the water so I can have a lot of sympathy for people in areas with water disasters.

About the vineyard.

I made 150 stems from metal wire. I paint them brown but I'm not realy happy.
And if there is doubt? Wait and invent a new idea.

After 4 real racetracks and 3 rally tracks building this country track give a lot of pleasure!
A CD with old blues a dram of whisky and putting bricks in the wall. What more do you need?

@Graham: keep up for your brother!

 

[GastheerG]

A weekend snowboarding (indoor) and a weekend skiing (Winterberg) did use a lot of time.
This weekend my daughter and wifes birthday. So my new track project is almost killed.

But don't worry it's not dead. In the next weeks I will make some more scenery and photo's.

The only update this week was in my whisky cabinet

But tips for scale vineyards are still welcome

 

[GastheerG]

Today I add tabel borders on the east side off the track and around the U-turn.
I also made a start to the old city wall.

 

[GastheerG]

Put some bricks on the wall:

Tomorrow the back side

 

[GastheerG]

Added some more bricks

 

[GastheerG]

I use tile adhesive for the stones. The same you can use for tiles in the kitchen/bathroom

 

[GastheerG]

First onboard footage

Still a lot off work but we can race

 

[GastheerG]

A quick update:
Finishing track borders.
Paint road surface in primer grey (in a later stadium I made the surface dirty
Testing wiring (power and timer)
Test drive
Fixing the old city wall
Left wall in the tunnel
Do some grass (for me it's TO green )
Drink a nice whisky around the track and did some test shooting:

to be continued........