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Just wondering if anyone out there ever experimented with "REALISTICALLY" incorporating slot cars to their HO scale layout? I like the Faller Car system but can't stomach the costs involved, and I have not been able to come up with any realistically viable alternatives. Obviously the trade off with slot cars is the slot and wires imbedded into the roadway, but I've almost convinced myself that I could deal with that if it meant being able to add some otherwise life-like animation to my roadways. I'm sure I could eventually come up with a way to camouflage the slot & wires to a reasonably acceptable degree using some creative weathering methods, etc.
Specifically I'm wondering if I could use an old DC power pack to power the roadway and be able to dial back the voltage enough to be able to see reasonably scale speeds. Obviously experimentation is key, but I thought I'd ask to see if there's pioneers out there that I could glean some info off of.
Aurora, Atlas, Tyco and others often sold sets that combined HO trains with slot cars. The early Aurora slot cars were about 1/76 scale and were much closer to HO than todays mostly 1/64 scale slot cars.
New 1/76 scale slot cars using the old Aurora style chassis. This one is a 67 Pontiac GTO.
I checked out the Faller System, WOW! Just what we need, something more to spend our money on. MORE planning! MORE electronics! MORE wiring! What about us N scale guys? What about momentum? Or will it be DCC too? Will they be available with sound? Will there be books on realistic highway planning? WHERE DOES IT ALL END????
Take a look at this slot car layout with scenery. You'll see how the 1/76 scale slot cars compare to the HO scale scenery. You definitely wouldn't want to use the 1/64 scale "HO" slot cars.
I should have clarified: I was planning on buying the bare chassis, then using them to power true(er)-to-scale ho vehicles. Specifically large trucks, as it would be somewhat easier to retrofit the slightly oversize chassis components into a model of that size.
Scale fidelity isn't so much of a concern...I can correct that. I'm more concerned with how to get them to operate a scale speeds reliably.
I went to 2 diff. garage sales on the same day about 8 yrs. ago & bought to giant boxes full of HO scale slot car sets. I fill in the slots w/plaster & use the tracks for overpasses. I also use the supports. I still have a large amt. of hills & curves & I didn't get any cars w/any of it. I did get some frames w/motors & I tried to get them running, but never did. I think I paid $5.00 for 1 box & $3.00 for the other one. Both sets were Aurora.
When Aurora first came out w/the combination trains/slotcars they had a crossing track that would work w/both. I always had problems w/those.
The cars would not go slow because of the hand held controller that was very erratic. It never took w/the railroaders because it wasn't to scale.
