HO Scale

Race Control 5 years ago

Hi, I am a 55yr old HO slot car hobbyist and I have lived in Spring Branch for around 4 years now. I grew up (well, not quite) in San Antonio and many years ago, I used to race 1/24 scale cars on Jim Hunnicut's tracks (Magnatech Raceway, now located in Wonderland mall). I sort of followed Jim's tracks around town as he moved from location to location. As life took me elsewhere, I got out of the hobby because tracks were few and far between and eventually switched to HO scale racing as it was a readily available track size.

I occasionally watch your live streams and I would like to ask you guys how you feel about HO scale racing. I realize that your club is currently all about 1/32 and 1/24 scale racing but I'd like to find out if anyone has ever considered broadening the clubs horizons and expanding in to HO racing. Some people in the hobby look down on HO slot cars and consider them to be only kids toys and I suppose that that's true but then, really, aren't they all?

1/32 scale is the scale I'm least familiar with. They always struck me as a mostly European thing what with Scalextric and Carrera being European companies. Lately, their popularity seems to be growing in the states.

If a decent routed HO track, say a 80' 4 lane steel rail layout, were available at your club, would anyone there be interested in racing HO cars? Do you think it might attract new members? I haven't visited your facility so I don't even know if you'd have room for another track which is part of the reason for my post.

I'd like to get some opinions on the idea and see if anyone thinks it could go anywhere.

TIA for your time and any feedback!

Replies 9

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chapracer65 5 years ago

Hello Frank,

I started with a Model Motoring vibrator set in 1961 and followed with AFX. There are several of us in the club that are still fond of HO and have a number of cars; I have AFX's through Mega G cars. we would set up an HO track on top of the cover for our rally track when we were located at King's Hobby. I made plug-in adapters for Tyco/Aurora track that allow fitment of power supplies and modern controllers. I have enough lock-and-joiner track for a 4-lane track on top of our 4' X 14' rally track, but we are using the rally track frequently and setting up such a track takes a while. There is a possibility that I could make a table-top surface that would fit inside the rally track so that we would have quicker setup for both the rally track and HO. We do not have enough room in our clubhouse for a third stand-alone setup. We could possibly hang one from the ceiling as another alternative.

Is the 80' track you mention, your track? I have never driven on a routed HO track; that would be cool. I wish we had room for one. Thanks so much for checking in with us. If you are ever in Austin on a Saturday, you should come by. We are normally there on Saturday afternoons, although sometimes we may not be.

Russell

BarkingSpyder 5 years ago

Welcome Frank! First - I would like to suggest that visit the Houston Scale Auto Racing Club (HSARC) in Cypress on Jones Rd. They are a 1/32 club very much like us - I think you would really enjoy the camaraderie and it's a great sport/hobby. You can visit them for free; and they have a retail shop out front.

HO-wise - as Russ mentioned we have a few constraints on space. If the 80-footer is something you are offering we may be interested ... but space may be an issue. Please reply with details.

NOTE We occasionally have some fun HO races on a temporary plastic AFX track on the cover of our existing Rally track. Lane length is appx 30-feet but good enough for fun.

As Russ said, many of us have AFX Mega-G+ cars, along with our stashes of legacy T-Jets and the various Autoworld cars (repos of various Aurora product families), and we have DS Racing controllers as well as the OEM 'trollers.

OFFER/REQUEST: If you ever visit Austin, please come by some Saturday (check our calendar) and bench-race with us and check us out :) [personally I am usually at the track from 1p-7p even on Non-race days; 5124681376].

It is totally free to hang out with us or run several sample laps on our road course; we are very mellow and not a commercial business.

Our sport is not as hard-core as the metal 1-24s such as raced at Jim's track(s); (or at PA Watsons or Pflugerville) but we are competitive and the action is fast. There is also more modifications you can make to a 1/32 car as compared to a HO.

Spyder Out!

chapracer65 5 years ago

Frank and everyone

As you can see in the photos, I have enough track to make this 4-lane layout that would fit on the rally track top (blue tape). It would be too much trouble to set it up temporarily, but I am working on a possible track mounting platform. I will keep you posted.

Russell

porsche917 Mod 5 years ago

I like the layout. Would the track sit in some other material so the edge of the track would have a border with a smooth transition? I think your current HO track is like that.

chapracer65 5 years ago

The Tyco track I built for our son has 1/4" masonite between all the track sections, but it would add weight to the track. I don't think the track edge/border would be too much of a problem unless you were running magnetless cars.

BarkingSpyder 5 years ago

Russ - YUM - looks great!

porsche917 Mod 5 years ago

Russell - Thanks for the additional information. The track looks nice.

Time to look for some AFX G-Plus cars. I wish I had my old collection.

BarkingSpyder 5 years ago

I have two new-in-box "bicycle lifts" originally planned to hang sections of the drag-strip from kings rafters. These use a pully system and are rated at about 50-pounds each.

Just an idea on a way to store the HO track if we proceed with it.

Bicycle Lifts for HO Track

BarkingSpyder 5 years ago

AFX G-Plus - HobbyTown has a small stock; usually have some good cars.

Not as pretty but supposedly higher performance cars: Vipers; Wizards.

The chassis can actually be used under Mega-G bodies.

IMHO - the AFX G-Plus are already pretty hi-performance - esp. for a relatively short track - but Do handle better with the O-ring Front wheel-and-tire sets (to prevent braid lifts and hence dead spots).

They both also sell AFX G series compatible parts and tools.