Play room time at Dave's house

After much discussion about what we wanted, we're building a "play room" in the basement for all of us! It's going to include a 1/24 scale 4 lane slot car track, and the girls now have decided they want a set of train tracks with it too! (Think they're interest was peaked by "Thomas the Train" and now they want to upgrade!!!)

Anyway, question is with a 1/24 scale slot car track what would be the best gauge model railroad to build in with it? When I was a kid we had Lionel stuff, don't know if that would be the way to go or something else????

Working on putting a room together for it all in the basement now, when things get further along I'll put some pics up.

Sounds kool,Dave..Trains?? gotta be Charlie's domain..

Wow! 1/24th scale? Can you even GET 1/24 scale slot cars any more? A 4 lane would have to be what, about 18" to 20" wide, and more on the corners? I had a 1/32nd scale once, and we had a ball with them after we re-wound the transformers for more secondary turns with one dedicated to each lane.... ;) That ended the strategy of letting off of your controller just as the other guy got into a hard turn, giving him all the power :LOL::LOL:

The old Lionel's are 027 and O gauge track, which works out to 1:48 scale. That means your slot cars will be twice the size, in proportion, of the train. About the closest you'll come to matching them up is with HO gauge train and the matchbox size 1:64 slot cars, from my memory. Charlie's a big train guy, maybe he can help with up to date info.

Thanks Rog! There's a number of companies making 1/24 scale slot cars now. Carrera seems to be about the best and is the one the lady at the Hobby Shop recommends as being the best quality....BTW, same family owned Hobby Store I bought stuff from when I was a kid, just the next generation running it now!!! As to the size, yeah, they're big! On a four lane track, the outside radius (depending on which set of curves you buy) is between 800 and 1,000 mm, someplace between about 32" and 40"!!! Got the room, might as well go big and get the good stuff!

In one way it's just like Hot Rodding, you can sure wrap up a bunch of money!!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

So this is a track built from component parts as opposed to plywood & copper tape?:confused:;):LOL::LOL: After I posted I Googled 1:24 slot cars and was amazed at what popped up. Should be fun!! Like the old speed shop sign, "Speed is Money, How Fast Do Ya' Wanna' Go??", or the 4x4 shop, "GO BIG OR GO HOME!!":LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:

Built many a 1/24 scale tracks in my day, commercial and home. At one of my homes years ago, I built a track in my back yard, then built a room around it! Lots of fun! Use batteries to power it and a charger on the batteries, use 6 - 8 ga wire (depending on the length of the track) underneath and jump into the braid (or tape) every 6 feet and you'll never have a current problem.

We used to build the tracks and use rings on our routers to slot them, 6" ring for the first lane, 12" for the second and so on. Use the guard rails as guides for the router rings, works great. I used to rewind the armatures and advance the commutators, reset the magnet and haul a$$. Been years but it was a load of fun. Darn you! Now I see there a track in my neck of the woods, DARN YOU!!!!

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Originally Posted by rspears

So this is a track built from component parts as opposed to plywood & copper tape?:confused:;):LOL::LOL: After I posted I Googled 1:24 slot cars and was amazed at what popped up. Should be fun!! Like the old speed shop sign, "Speed is Money, How Fast Do Ya' Wanna' Go??", or the 4x4 shop, "GO BIG OR GO HOME!!":LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:

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Nope, too lengthy a process for me, I'm going to use the "store bought" Carrera track. Just putting up the wood for a separate room for it in the basement is "woodworking challenged" for me!!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

Great sounding project Dave.

Dave there is an "S" scale American Flyer. its 1/64 scale. They are now reproducing it and all the goodies that go with it. You can go "O" or 027. There are MANY radius curves so you can mix and match "OR" use what I used its called Gargraves. You but it in 3' lengths and bend it anyway you choose. You just have to cut the ends to match. Dremel and cut off wheel. Also on the engines you can spend a ton on the fancy stuff or a lot less with Williams and others that are just as nice looking but don't "Talk to you or start and stop by themselves". If you need any help I would be more than happy to advise or help. Let me warn you TRAINS ARE CONTAGIOUS almost as bad as hot rodding and about as expensive.

I keep looking at the 0 and 027, mainly cuz it's the same as what we had as kids! Nothing is a good match for scale (maybe G) but I think I can go with the mis-match on scale for the nostalgic value! Probably still have some Lionel stuff around someplace out at Grandpa's house. Heck, it's going to be to have fun with so I doubt if I'll be getting a lot of the hi-dollar goodies unless the girls still have an interest in it when they get a bit older. Gotta do something, still a few years till the girls are old enough for Jr. Dragsters!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

So,,you are putting bit n pieces away for the junior dragsters,I hope,Dave..:):)Lookin forward to you turning up at the drags with ''th girls'' and their cars.. ;);)..

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Originally Posted by lamin8r

So,,you are putting bit n pieces away for the junior dragsters,I hope,Dave..:):)Lookin forward to you turning up at the drags with ''th girls'' and their cars.. ;);)..

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If the interest is there when they're old enough, there will definitely be a car or two in the garage!!!

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

I keep looking at the 0 and 027, mainly cuz it's the same as what we had as kids! Nothing is a good match for scale (maybe G) but I think I can go with the mis-match on scale for the nostalgic value! Probably still have some Lionel stuff around someplace out at Grandpa's house. Heck, it's going to be to have fun with so I doubt if I'll be getting a lot of the hi-dollar goodies unless the girls still have an interest in it when they get a bit older. Gotta do something, still a few years till the girls are old enough for Jr. Dragsters!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

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I'd keep them separate if I were doing it, a nice race track layout with at least one high banked turn and a nice long straight, maybe with a chicane for some excitement; and then a train layout with a few switches, a tunnel, and if you get into it some buildings and model cars to add to the imagination. Do you really want high speed car/train crashes?:eek::eek::LOL::LOL::LOL:

Gotta say I've been out of touch!! I looked at the Carrera sets, and that Digital 124 is super cool! Two lane track, but up to four (six with options) cars racing independently with driver controlled lane changes? Add a digital control unit to program in braking, power/speed, tank capacity, pit stop & pace car functions..... Darn you, Dave!! Darn you, Double Darn you!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

I'm going with the "Evolution" series to get started with. Reason being (from the lady who runs the hobby store) is that the digital might over-complicate the racing for the girls, and probably me, too!!!!:LOL::LOL: It is easy to upgrade to digital later, track is the same so it's a few more electronic pieces and controllers. The slot car track and train tracks will not intersect, I think we all know how that would turn out!!!! Yeah, I'd probably be the one to play "chicken" with the train first!!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

I'll be putting together a 4 lane track, so with an upgrade to digital at sometime in the future there's the opportunity to race 8 cars simultaneously!

You'd better quit looking at the stuff now Roger, I'm afraid it's yet another of those very addictive hobbies once you get started with it!!! Sure does look like a lot of fun though, doesn't it?

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

I'll be putting together a 4 lane track, so with an upgrade to digital at sometime in the future there's the opportunity to race 8 cars simultaneously!
You'd better quit looking at the stuff now Roger, I'm afraid it's yet another of those very addictive hobbies once you get started with it!!! Sure does look like a lot of fun though, doesn't it?

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So how do you do a 4 lane track using their stock pieces? All I see is two lane, and with the optional parts including digital control & cars you can run up to six at a time on the two lanes.

Yeah, I've gotta say it looks like a whole lot of fun! Back when I was in the Navy I had a good buddy from MN, and his wife worked at JC Penney's. She bought him a little 1:32 scale set for Christmas one year, and it didn't take long for me to get a second one to make a longer track, run dedicated transformers on each lane, etc, etc. We wore the tires slick on those little cars, and had a lot of good times!! Just thinking, grandsons don't have a clue about cars and racing......

Ok, here is the secret (well actually it's an old secret) to hauling a$$ through the turns, STP. Yep, that stuff for the motor. Smear a little on the track just before the turns the width of the rear tires, it helps you slow down fast and (heres the secret part) it adds traction to the tires through the remainder of the turn (works best with foam tires). Cleans off the tires and track with naphtha and if the STP is a little too sticky, thin it with a little naphtha first.

Through the different radius of turns, they have radius' 1-4 that will work together to make a 4 lane. Then, they have a connector for adding multi-lanes..... The lady at the hobby store showed me the stuff I would need. Oh yeah, she also suggested an aftermarket transformer to keep the power equal on all the lanes. Take a look at Carrera North America's web site, they've got the goodies and links to lots more trick stuff you can do!!!! Afraid this stuff might be as addictive as crack cocaine!!~!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

I warned you. Its as bad if not worse than hot rodding.

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Originally Posted by cffisher

I warned you. Its as bad if not worse than hot rodding.

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Oh well, always room for one more addiction!!!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

Dare I mention G gauge? Isn't G gauge 1/22.5 so that's pretty close to the 1/24th slot cars. Plus they are large and cool.


When my boys were 6 & 7 years old I got a small G gauge set for Christmas and I end up playing with it every year..nice and big!

I considered G gauge, just too big for the area I have I think....

Sounds awesome, Dave! I can't wait to see pictures of this project coming together!

After many delays and some planning, I have the new walls framed up for our "playroom". Room ended up about 20' long, 14' wide at the widest point. Some funny angles because of the way the basement is built. The adjoining room is 15' X 15'. It will be for some model railroad stuff, and have storage and a workbench.

The basement has always been nice and dry, but I painted the cement walls with a waterproof paint made for basement walls anyway, and am now wondering what I should use for insulation on the new walls. Because of how uneven the basement walls are (originally a rock and stone basement re-done in concrete I ended up using 2 X 4's to fir out the original walls. Walls will sheetrocked when I figure out the best product to use for insulation. Some say just use styrofoam, others say the hi-dollar stuff that Home Depot and the like sell is worth the extra money???? Wondering what some of you thought what I should use--if anything????

I used a foam board, foil faced.. and then before adding the sheet rock, I used a small mill plastic sheet as an additional vapor barrier, "just because".. and since we were doing a damp basement, we used cement board. HTH.

Our house was done with blown in cellulose, which goes on like wet paper and dries pretty dense. Our basement is walkout, and the utility area is on the "deep" side of the house, so the insulated concrete walls are minimal. My son did his entire basement, poured concrete walls, and he did 2x4 stud walls and 3.5" rolled fiberglass with barrier, stapled to the studs. Blue board is another approach, but it's not cheap.

NOT CHEAP but very good (after studed) the spray foam. If your fighting room you could used the studs flat instead of 1.5 out use them 3.5 out. I would used the vinyl sheet over the studs as vapor barrier with fiber glass insulation. The more insulation the easier to heat.

Thanks for the input, think I'll just go with 'glass insulation and vapor barrier. Seems to work for everyone else. The basement is warm in the winter now, but insulation certainly won't hurt anything!!!!

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Thanks for the input, think I'll just go with 'glass insulation and vapor barrier. Seems to work for everyone else. The basement is warm in the winter now, but insulation certainly won't hurt anything!!!!

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Dave, since you basically built stud walls and stood them up I think you're decision is the right way to go. Fairly easy to get the rolls downstairs where you need them and you may even have a bit of air space behind the glass in those "uneven" spots. I've seen guys try to glue their 2x4's (or even 2x2's) to the concrete with construction adhesive, and then wonder why their walls "look crooked". Rolls w/vapor barrier is the best DIY choice, IMO.

Careful with using standard plastic sheeting as a vapor barrier, plastic sheeting can create a moisture barrier and cause condensation to form inside the walls, which can lead to dry rot.

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Originally Posted by 36 sedan

Careful with using standard plastic sheeting as a vapor barrier, plastic sheeting can create a moisture barrier and cause condensation to form inside the walls, which can lead to dry rot.

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And mold which is no fun.........

So what's the status on the slot car track, Dave? Did you make a final decision on the scale and layout yet?

Still too busy to get down there to work on it, hopefully I can get back to it soon!!! Probably going to be HO, makes for a lot more track length in the room I have!

What a cool project sorry I missed this thread at it's start. And how kool are those 1:24 slot cars! My wife thinks I'm a kid, because I still love this stuff!

I started back into slot cars, then got out of it. Ya really need the dedicated room, like a basement. The WHOLE basement. I scored a 4X lane setup, but never had three other people. I also had a cliffhanger, it takes special cars. I ended up giving the cliffhanger to my nephew, the 4X setup I resold on eBay. Still have a good assortment of transams though.

I hate to even post this, but my new distraction is legos. The mindstorm kits actually have functional PLCs (programmable logic controllers) with motor and switches. Way cool.

I use to teach science, architecture, robotics and engineering to kids using a lego lab back in the mid 90's. Our lab had over $40,000.00 worth of lego consisting of gears, sensors, motors computer interfaces, axles, pulleys, blocks, beams, etc... It was pretty fun then, better than any erectorset at the time!

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Originally Posted by stovens

I use to teach science, architecture, robotics and engineering to kids using a lego lab back in the mid 90's. Our lab had over $40,000.00 worth of lego consisting of gears, sensors, motors computer interfaces, axles, pulleys, blocks, beams, etc... It was pretty fun then, better than any erectorset at the time!

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And you got paid real money to play with lego?

What a cool job!
I'm envious!