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I've decided to end the Rally In A Shed layout at this point in early April 2012.

In reality none of the layouts tried worked for various reasons...

Layout 5 (the best of the 3 to drive) because to much track was hidden from view.
Layout 1 to simple.
Layout 2 going in front of the window I think would have been a problem with heat and the sun.

So instead I'm going to start Rally In A Shed 2.

By mid April I had given up on using Ninco track and started a new layout called Rally In A Shed 2 which was to use Artin track.

Assuming you have read the March track up date above you will know that I'd been trying to design a rally circuit in a small area (5' x 3' base plus raised back and sides). Having tried out about 6 or 7 different layouts it became obvious that trying to use 1/32nd plastic track in this space was not going to work. Also the raised rails of the Ninco track caused problems as some of my cars bottomed out at the top of climbs, my Revell Mk1 Cortina and SCX Mini being the main problem, you can see this in some of the videos. (The SCX mini would not even run on the Ninco track until the magnet was removed as it was so close to the rails).

So I needed to find a solution and a routed track would be the best answer. However having just got back in to slot cars I did not want to go this route yet as I'm sure any track I design will have faults and problems and need changes made to it to make it work and flow.

Then I had a brain wave (this is normally quite dangerous as it involves lots of steam coming from the ears and the very loud sound of well warn cogs grinding) while I was running the SCX Mini on my Carrera Go track. I don't need a full width 1/32 scale track as the full circuit will be run as a single lane, either with a turning loop at each end or a single crossover so I run on both lanes. I will be the only person using the track with a single car in use so in theory the lanes can be close together, I could build the whole circuit out of chicane pieces and it wouldn't effect my use of it.

I tried some of my other cars on the Carrera track and the only "problems" I found were that the straights need to be slightly wider and you need a good size border area on the outside of the corners and a small border on the inside. So I laid out a test track in the shed, the Carrera track I have only has 90 deg bends so the layout was restricted but I got about 7mtrs of track laid on the 5x3 baseboard and was able to try a few things out.

I made a border area on the outside of a 180 bend and tried various barriers on other bends, Ninco, Scalextric and SCX and the Carrera Go things. In all cases the barrier clips caused a problem on the inside of bends and wider cars got court on the inner barriers. On the outside of the bends most of the barriers worked but the SCX was best (the type I have is long and quite rigid). This did prove however that track would need a border of some sort all round. The border area I made worked fine.

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So the idea now is to design a circuit with 1/43 scale track and widen as required via the scenery. I decided that I needed a track with 45 deg bends and probably something cheap that I would also be happy to cut about and glue together (for single lane turning loops filling gaps or making peices meet) so I took a look at Artin track. However there doesn't seem to be a lot of Artin track about in the UK until I realised that Woolworth used to sell it and so do Argos as Chad Valley R-ace and Argo used to call it Mega Slot before they owned Chad Valley. So I've purchased 2 lots of Chad Valley (both with cars) a large set of Mega slot and some Artin. This is all very cheap, postage being more than the track. the large Mega Slot set was 99p. Still waiting for most of it to arrive (good old second class Royal mail parcel post) so I can't start designing yet till I know what track I've got. The Chad Valley is definatly Artin as the instruction leaflet says Chad Valley on the front and Artin inside.

As I said in part 1 I intend to paint the track so the finish of the track is not important and all those yellow markings you see on Artin track will disappear under the paint. I still intend to run on 2 levels and possibly cut some track to have some single lane sections and I should be able to get a fair amount of track in a fun a usable layout.

Had a delivery of track -I thought I was getting one set (Drifting Express) but in fact it appears to be two sets. This is what I received:

11 x straights (1 of which is broken)
1 x half straight
44 x R1 curves (some with yellow bands)
4 x R2 curves
1 x Chicane (3 pieces of track)
2 x power connector straights
1 x lap counter
1 x drift bend set (4 bends which I think are R1 but with an extra unpowered slot)
1 x hump back section (2 short up curves and the hump, which is broken)
2 x power units
4 x controllers
lots of bridge supports


(This little lot cost all of £10.99 inc postage, 99p auction win, and it cost the guy £10.43 to post - now that is ebay madness!!)

I've also got a basic figure of 8 set, 12 x R1 curves and 4 x straights.

Also got the following Artin track coming (by the weekend hopefully):
7 x straights, 1 x lapcounter, 2 x crossover straights, 8 x curves plus power unit and 2 more controllers and other bits.

And if it ever arrives a twister chase set with 2 cars (Mini and Ferrari bodies)- this has been in the post since easter!

Went for the artin set as I wanted the crossover pieces, I will need one if I don't make turning loops for each end and if I do I might try to make a double turning loop at each end.

Received even more track so to the above list I can add

8 x R1 curves
7 x straights
2 x Crossover straights
1 x Power straight
1 x Lap counter
plus power supply and 2 controllers

Those who read part 1 will know that my original Ninco layout was going to be on 2 or 3 levels with a Rally Loop at each end. From the base board the track climbed up on the left then went along the back and around the right hand side. From here the idea was to rise again on the right and travel along the back to the 2nd rally loop. For the moment using the Artin track I am staying on the baseboard with an extension piece on each side. No loops the track is continuous with a single crossover piece so a single lap is twice around just over 19mtrs.

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Going from the power conector straight (middle right) [gravel] and clockwise (down) as you come out the 180 the track will slowly climb, level through 180 and then slow climb, leveling off after short straight [gravel turning to earth/mud]. Staying level the next straight will climb [tarmac], flat 90 and then climb to the chicane which will be level staying level until the top straight which will drop down to the base level [180 earth/mud leading to gravel by crossover]

Track has been laid and tested, all seems to be OK.

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The layout seems to drive quite nice in an anticlockwise direction and hopefully will be ok clockwise. The elevation levels also seem ok. Most of my cars seem to like it although the Artin track has a lot less grip than the Ninco but as it's going to be painted the grip should hopfully improve.

Made a small change to the track layout :-

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I've removed the straight and crossover from the return loop at the top right of the track and 2 curves as it comes back to the front straight. This has made room to insert 4 straights in to the middle loop section. This has removed the overlap at the end of the middle loop and made the track slightly longer at approx 19.5mtrs.

In the above drawing the black is tarmac, grey is gravel and brown is earth/mud, this is how I hope to paint the track. The idea is also to paint scenery roads going on to the right at the top right (track leaves road going on to mud track either field or forest section) and also scenery road going srtaight up at the top of middle loop where mud joins tarmac and going into tunnel or under bridge.

Looks like I'm going to have to solder some of the track joints as this layout does not quite join up and the track is losing contact in places.

Still playing with elevation levels but the lefthand straight is the highest point. The short straight at the bottom my or may not drop down, the track is the more or less level untill the 2 straight in the middle loop which both decend with the rest of the track more or less flat. I am trying to keep all the bends level if I can.

A small video showing a..
Carrera Go Mini Cooper
SCX Mini
Revell Cortina
Pioneer Mustang
SCX Compact McLaren F1
while testing the track with all cars running with an Artin 7.5 volt power pack and the GO and Compact cars still with magnets.

A couple of photos of the changes made to the layout and the layout diagram. This leaves me with one problem, if you look at the diagram the road would appear to continue of the right at top and the same going straight on up and under the top straight from the centre loop. However as show in the first two photos at this point the loop and raising track are almost at the same level. So I have tried a small change to the level of the long straight which will leave me able to have a tunnel or bridge at that point still. This does however give quite a steep climb which on the Artin track is to steep. Question is will the Plasticote paint give enough extra grip?

Next job is to wire up my adjustable power supply which will also let me reverse the power and test the track going the other way.

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Decided to reduce the elevation height again at the back of the track as the climb on the righthand side was way to steep in the end. I had one car, Autoart Evo, sliding back down the slope. Also changed the elevation levels slightly on the left of the track.

Also had to lower the entry to the central loop so I can still have a tunnel or bridge for the false road to run to.

And the Artin Drift curves have got to go (thats the loop on the left with the built in external kerb. This track has 2 extra unpowered slots with the entry controlled by the passing of the car (only works with a pin). As the car passes the entry point the guide pin moves a divider that next time round diverts the car to the unpowered slot and the closes the slot split. So the car alternates between the powered and unpowered slots, which is not what I require. Also you can't reverse track direction as all cars run straight into the unpowered slot. I tried removing the moving wedge and trimming the activating pins off but the is to loose. So it looks like I will keep the 2 middle curves and bin the entry and exit curves.

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