Slot car

As a car racing track, also slot car track slot or train ( from English- slot " slot " ) is a technical device designated with the electrically powered model car track out be traveled.

The toy industry provides joinable parts roadway with two lanes, each of which has a slot for guiding and two conductors for power supply of the model vehicles. The drivers each have a hand controller and allows you to control speed and braking behavior of the model cars. The aim of the game is to drive as fast as possible rounds, without compromising the vehicles deviate from the track, and of course unsubscribe race (Slot Racing). Carrera race track is often used as a synonym for slot racing.

History

Precursor

Forerunner of today's slot- car racing sets were conducted in the first half of the 20th century, driven by clockwork car models that were held by a marginal increase in the track.

The beginning in the 1950s

In the early 1950s came in the betting joyful UK, preferably in the back rooms of restaurants, the "Rail Racing " in fashion. The mostly self-built from balsa wood and brass sheet vehicle was performed using metal strips, similar to the shape of curtain rails, which were mounted on the driving surface above out. The drive was initially supposed to with miniature diesel engines (model aircraft engines ), later with souped-up electric motors, which came mostly from the assortment of already booming model railroad industry. By means of the guide rail and a further flat contact strip the model cars were powered via sliding contacts with electricity. Since no manual control were still available in today's sense, steering wheel similar knobs and / or morse keys like push buttons, etc. were used for speed control.

The vehicles were indeed modeled on the then stock race car, but there was no binding defined scale. The railway facilities were designed by the landscape is not complete, as in model railroad clubs is common, for example. So it was a priority to the discharge of competitions.

The boom in the 1960s

In the 1960s, the boom slot racing championships and with attractive prize money initially developed in the U.S. on Mietbahnen, the " Modelcar - Raceways " the whole country. Hazards was as stabilized power supplies were not available or extremely expensive vehicles in 1:24 scale and a web tension of 12 V, which was delivered via a car battery at that time. The tracks were rented separately, and accessories sales boomed. Racing center with plenty of room offered several, mostly 8 -lane tracks with steep turns and distances between 20 and 80 meters per round. Tuning Accessories, Kit and Ready-to- Race Slot Cars were offered by many companies. The first car race track packs came from the mid- 1950s by British companies in the toy trade. Were victorious manufacturer who also had model train accessories on offer, such as Strombecker and Tri - Ang Scalextric.

In Germany in the early 1960s brought the first Scalextric basic packages with the " Plexi - track system " (identical with Scalextric Classic) 1:32 in the trade. The model largely true, but delicate Scalextric cars, partly equipped with steering, have become popular collector's items. Almost simultaneously brought Stabo, known as a manufacturer of radio equipment, the railway system " Stabo Car" with a little rounded, designed for children's hands slot cars on the market. A similar concept pursued the company Carrera with the system Universal, which also had great success and today is one of the most well-known systems. Other Model Railway Manufacturers joined the trend to: Marklin " Märklin Sprint " or Fleischmann with " car rally". Stabo, Fleischmann and Carrera tried in addition to kit vehicles in 1:24 scale and Ready-to- Race Slot Cars ( RtR ) mitzumischen in the Mietbahnszene. The success, however, remained modest.

From the mid- 1960s the Cologne wooden train manufacturer Minerva tried to prevail against the U.S. import cars in Germany. Airfix ( MRRC ) and Revell - mainly known by plastic model kits company ( Revell slot car motto: "Build - Race - Win " ) - also brought out own home track systems. The Revellbahn was slightly wider and more compatible with the Mietbahnen than the usual 1:32 products and thus also suitable for 1:24 slot cars. Stabo and Carrera now also expanded their offering. Carreras 8 -lane conversionable 1:24 rail system " Carrera 124 " - now reissued as " Carrera Exclusiv" - and " Carrera Evolution" in 1:32 were and still are successful. Stabo did not sit by with his 1:24 system.

Faller came first in the smaller image scale H0 (approx. 1:64 ) with Faller AMS, which was actually intended as car game to complement H0 Railways, on the market. In addition to " Faller AMS " and "Model Motoring Thunderjet 500 " manufactured by U.S. company Aurora, with its extensive range of 1:64 slot cars that were equipped with the popular, later copied by various manufacturers " T-Jet " flat armature motor, trying to also the company Reinhard & Co. with the " RASANT " model car road ( 1964-1968 ) at the small scale. The company Tyco let it revive size later.

Later, there was a little confused by Faller designed, consisting of two-lane, gray plastic track parts 1:24 rail system with glued conductors copper braid called " Faller Club Racing". Faller equipped the vehicles associated with the then popular Mabuchi 18D motors from Mietbahnbereich. They were available in scales of 1:32 and 1:24 as a kit and " RtR " ( Ready to Race ) for a short time only in the toy trade. Today they are sought-after rarities. Also in the GDR produced car racing sets were sold under the name Prefo there.

End of the boom in the 1970s

In the early 1970s ended the first slot car boom. The commercial racing center with their huge commercial space had after vain attempts to revive the business through reduction of rail services and ersatzweisem putting up pinball machines, pool tables and table tennis tables, close. Many accessories manufacturer presented a complete production. While trying both Stabo and Carrera with them on the basis of the home's rail systems introduce a model and play areas with construction vehicles and transport tasks, however, this was not crowned with lasting success.

The new boom since the 1990s

A revival of the market was not until in the 1990s by manufacturer highly detailed vehicles have brought similar model trains on the market, which were intended both for the showcase, as well as for driving. In particular, the Spanish company Fly / GB Track had triggered a Detaillierungsschub. For revival of the race track has certainly helped that the model cars now run on any competing rail systems, ie with each other are largely compatible.

Systems

Currently, there are car racing tracks in the scales 1:24, 1:32, 1:43 and 1:64 The most widespread standard for toys for adults is nowadays the 1:32 scale. The " Carrera Go! " 1:43 trains are intended as an introduction for children 8 years. The Carrera professional produced at the same scale has been set. The systems " Carrera Universal" ( three conductors ) at the two cars are not produced more behind each other, but could travel independently on a track and " Carrera Servo" ( four conductor ) at the lane change was possible.

Plastic car racing in 1:32 scale manufactured by the companies Carrera, AutoArt, Scalextric, Ninco and SCX. Racetracks in 1:24 scale currently offers only Carrera. Wooden racetracks for end users is for example the company Slotfire forth in scales 1:24 and 1:32. The most used rail system in the Clubsport is Plazidus which wood lanes in modular construction, as a kit or finished items are manufactured.

Target group for the 1:32 and 1:24 in particular webs of plastic or wood are today - as in the detailed model trains - primarily adults. As children toy simpler, mostly smaller the scale here, racetracks such as the above-mentioned Carrera GO! or webs, for example, offered by Artin and Racy. Meanwhile, systems are offered by most manufacturers "Digital". Make driving several vehicles in a track and ( via switches ) lane changes are possible.

An alternative to the plastic slot car racing set wood racetracks dar. Were these paths until recently, professional racing centers reserved for comparable grades with digital race control and features such as automatic overtaking collision protection is provided by the manufacturer of fixed club - racing tracks now also for the hobby / private area. Due to the usually limited space in the consumer segment, there are here with rail systems module systems in which the circuit is integrated into freely combinable MDF. The most important advantages over plastic racetracks manufacturers mentioned here including a faster assembly and disassembly as well as the high torsional stiffness of the systems. Also, the coatings of the routes would offer better grip.

Rolling stock

Ready - car models are currently available from a variety of manufacturers ( 1:32 scale Carrera, Fly, Revell, Scalextric, Ninco, etc. / 1:24 scale Carrera ). These models are usually very detailed and true to the original and some are equipped with magnets to improve the handling characteristics.

In addition to the faithful finished models there are a number of manufacturers, the chassis (eg, Scholer, Plafit, Modern engine [ Momo ], etc. ) offer, bodies, engines, tires and other accessories for the construction of individual models.

For these models, there are motors in the designs 13D, 16D and 18D (the number describes the anchor diameter). The available engines differ with respect to dimensions, power consumption, torque and speed. While the 13D motors are used in 1:24 and 1:32 vehicles, 16D engines run mostly in the so-called flexi- cars and dragsters. The big 18D motors are installed almost exclusively in 1:24 vehicles.

Tires for slot cars are available in four basic materials: silicone, rubber, polyurethane (PU) and foam rubber. The tire is very strong with respect to adhesion, wear and care differ. For example. must be ground before using PU and sponge rubber tires, while solid rubber and silicone tires are immediately usable.

There are a number of bodies of the individual models. They come from deep-drawn film, Lexan, Delrin, as complete models or in the form of kits of various model manufacturers.

For these Individual models there are a number of race series (eg DSC Cup, Parma International, Nascar 124, ...), which accurately describe in elaborate regulations for vehicles registered.

Vehicle control

Were controlled vehicles with mechanically and electrically stable versions of the familiar thumb - controller ( plunger -type controller). First choice were high -performance ceramic resistors with values ​​of 5, 8, 15, 25 and 35 ohms, and a brake contact. The brake contact makes it possible to use the generator efficiency of the motors in the rolling of the vehicles by short circuit for braking and thus to reduce lap times. The brake is only active when the controller is in zero position. On Home webs of the toy trade regulators were initially unknown with short brake. In the Club Championships at the railway sector and electronic controllers are used to come offer a variety of settings. Thus, the responsiveness of the engine and the braking characteristics of the vehicle are individually adapted to the driver and the car. Some controllers also have a choke, which thus limit the maximum voltage and the terminal velocity of the vehicle.

There are different connection schemes for club tracks. In Germany, the German system is the most werwendet, which is characterized by red-black - yellow. Red = power source (transformer ), yellow = drive current (gas), Black = brake. In the International systems, the system Parma is used which is characterized with White-Black - Red. White = power source, Black = traction power (gas ), red = brake. Furthermore, a distinction is made between positive and negative path control path control. The difference is that electric pole which is controlled by the controller. In the positive control, the positive pole is first performed on the track control ( regulator ) and regulated. For a negative control, the positive pole is first applied to the web and the negative pole then to the track control ( regulator ) and is regulated.

Timekeeping

In the 60s, the railway facilities were equipped with impressive complex control panels. There, built-in mechanical timers (similar to a kitchen timer ) switched by relay, according to the advance to be paid for travel time, the respective railway track on and off. By means of electro- mechanical counters and "Dead Trips" (separate from railway power drain wires for each track - length 25 cm ), the number of rounds has been detected. Even in microphone and speaker for announcements of " stewards " were integrated into consoles.

Low-cost PC technology enables today by light barrier 1/1000 sec. accurate time measurement, coupled with POS systems automated rental of railway tracks, as well as programmable in several variants racing sequences.

Permanently installed club facilities

Club facilities for "Slot Racing" or " Scale Racing " are frequently made ​​of MDF. The disturbing " Eisenbahngeratter ", due to the impacts of the individual plastic web parts does not occur in railway facilities from MDF.

The club tracks for scale racing are usually equipped with Bahnlitze of electrically conductive steel braid slightly worse. Just as the standard magnetic " traction aid " of the toy industry now mass produced in the Far East magnet cars on a club track is active.

In addition, the unpopular, sticky dirt is avoided by the application of tire adhesives ( glue ) to rail and rear wheels. Also standard magnetic vehicles on discontinuation of the traction aid because of weak engines and manufacturing tolerances in the chassis and the wheels would stand out by unspectacular ride.

For the visually demanding, mostly self-made by the teams competing vehicles of the higher scale racing chassis structures ( eg Plafit, Scholer or motor - Modern) are available without traction magnets. A realistic appearance of the models is mandatory, since in addition points will be awarded in competitions for it.

Even with the competition tracks for the "Flexi " - " WingCar " - and "vintage" classes to constructions have prevailed from MDF. Since the regulations to allow ground clearance down to 0.5 mm, the fiber plates are usually stabilized by Sperrholzunterbauten against default. Thus the smoothest possible running surfaces for the extremely high speeds of these slot cars are ( " Group7 ", " INT15 ", " Euro Sport 12/24 ", etc. ) guaranteed.

Because of the high starting currents of motors are required for 12 volts at short notice up to 30 amps per vehicle / roadway. Hence, car batteries or 13.8 V fixed voltage power supplies and thick copper braid for the current conductors are the usual first choice. Since here the influence of the strong magnet of the souped up engines is undesirable on the road holding, non-magnetic copper also ensure a neutral driving behavior.