221 replies to this topic

[GTR XU-1]

Howdy all,

Not that I am a brain surgeon or anything, but I successfully uploaded some photos in one of Aposs's topics about a track lifting system. I am not that far into my new track construction but thought I would share a few pics and keep you up to date with progress.

The track will be a 4 lane ninco digital system run by a d3800 PSU. I have been keeping an eye on some of the mods on the ninco unit that has very recently been undertaken by a fellow aussie and will hopefully be able to do some simiar mods.

The track is permanent and sits on a 4.8 x 2.4m table. The track hoists up into the shed roof using steel wire, some pullies and two boat winches.

Thats about it for now I guess. I am in Perth (WA) just in case anyone is wanting to have a look if setting up something similar. I am still waiting for a few items to arrive (Ordered from Armchair Racer and recommend buying through them)... Two double lane changes and a multi-lane sensor are in the post and should arrive soon). The double lane changers will be positioned side by side just before the end of the main straight to allow cars to mix it up a bit off the start line (hopefully not too much carnage!!!)

Anyhow, hope you enjoy the photos (below).

Dave

[SlotsNZ]

Hey that's looking great.

Keep it coming.



I see you have a Capri addiction though . . I can cure that. Send those ones over and in return I'll tell you the cure . . .

[GTR XU-1]

SlotsNZ, on Jan 9 2008, 04:08 PM, said:

Hey that's looking great.

Keep it coming.



I see you have a Capri addiction though . . I can cure that. Send those ones over and in return I'll tell you the cure . . .

SlotsNZ,

Haahaha...what a cure...but it wouldnt help your addiction so I will just hold onto them instead.

I love the capris!!! The capris arent the best handling cars but they are presented really well. Love the rims and tyres!! It doesnt really matter if they dont handle very well though...I figure everyone in the capri race is racing a capri so its all even.

I am going to go with a 1970's theme for the layout. So all the cars I get are going to be from that era. (the capris did touch into the 80's I know). The v8 supercars are from a previous set and are ther to fill up a corner for the pics!!.

Cheers

Dave

[knoath]

That looks great!
I'll watch your progress, GTR XU1!

[Gonz75]

excellent idea running the boat winches and tucking it up into the roof of ya shed, my track will be heading into the shed once its built as the wife will want the spare room back...great track too by the way

Gonz.

[knoath]

Any news GTR? What's been happening....?

[Ontheflipside]

knoath, on Mar 12 2008, 07:12 AM, said:

Any news GTR? What's been happening....?

Maybe the cables did a "Sax"

[Billy_Cart]

GTR XU-1,

Great looking track and the table set up is sensational, I wished I could do something like that but after seeing the sax photo's and my inability as a tradesman I'm keeping it on the ground until told otherwise.

4 lane digital racing, that has got to be a blast !

Phil

[GTR XU-1]

Sorry to dig this post up from the grave and so havent given any updates.

The track table hasnt done a sax, I have my GTR XU-1 under it and would cry immensely if it did. I have a secondary suspending system to keep the table from falling that is rated to take nearly two tonne. i can stand on the table no worries and it stays up....(touch wood). I had a carpenter help me put the table together and havent spared any expense so it should be alright (just to put your worries to bed...hehehe!)

Anyway, progress has been slow...very slow and unfortunately havent touched it for about four months now. but before that I did get the track to run with four cars on it and have done a fair amount of work on the scenery. I have quite a few buildings, signs grandstands and windmills plus about 200 odd model trees. My twin brother is quite 'arty' and is helping with the scenery.

the track did run well with the four cars but could tell slight power drop. The new H-mod looks easy enough to do and if it is half as good as what phil says it is, it will make it bloody good.

Reason for the lack of work is the arrival of my wife and my first baby a couple of months ago and just got married a little while ago so free time has been pretty limitted. My brother who is helping me and his wife just had their first child to a couple of weeks before us so havent had any assistance from him either.

I was speaking to my brother the other day about it and said we need to get back into it - so will post some progress pics then. It is looking good if i do say so myself.

Cheers guys

[X1/9]

Personally, I am glad you've dug this one up from the past GTR XU-1. I am only fairly new to the forum and at the moment I'm still building my table - one to be hoisted up to the ceiling of course.
I'm using a 12V 4x4 type of winch with eight different lift points on the table. My ceiling is timber and I'm trying to be careful but not "over-engineer" the whole deal. Anyway the next few days should tell if I've got it right. If I have got it right, I'll be able to start putting together my 4 lane Carrera track. For the time being it will be analogue, but I'm keeping a close eye on Scorpious.
Hope you and your bro can get back into it. Babies keep you busy - but a man's got a have a hobby!

[GTR XU-1]

X1/9, on Nov 13 2008, 08:06 PM, said:

Personally, I am glad you've dug this one up from the past GTR XU-1. I am only fairly new to the forum and at the moment I'm still building my table - one to be hoisted up to the ceiling of course.
I'm using a 12V 4x4 type of winch with eight different lift points on the table. My ceiling is timber and I'm trying to be careful but not "over-engineer" the whole deal. Anyway the next few days should tell if I've got it right. If I have got it right, I'll be able to start putting together my 4 lane Carrera track. For the time being it will be analogue, but I'm keeping a close eye on Scorpious.
Hope you and your bro can get back into it. Babies keep you busy - but a man's got a have a hobby!

X1/9,

'Not to over engineer' - I am a Civil/Structural Engineer. I used wire rope with a breaking strain of over 2 tonne from 4 lifting points. The weakest part would be the timber table in the midspan for bending but it hardly budges. As a fail safe sytem, I use just your typical snatch strap or truckies straps - they are good for about 500kgs each just in case something decides to let go.

All the best with your track - sounds mint!

Dave

[rspec]

Some more info on what you actually did with the boat winches and cable, etc would be great to know as I would love to do this in my shed as well, I wasn't sure if the roof in my shed is built to hold the loads though looks pretty flimsy with the 65mm top hat running across the top

[GTR XU-1]

Rspec,

The link to a post below on page 2 has some more photos of the lifting system (down the bottom of the page).

Hope it helps.

As a recommendation, get your pulleys, wire rope, clamps etc from a rigging company. The pulleys will work better and be safer / stronger than say Bunnings forged steel pulleys. Also pulleys with dual runners work well to.


http://www.auslot.com/forums/index.php?sho...=6229&st=20


Cheers

Dave

[Captain]

G'day,

I'm GTR-XU1 (Dave's) twin brother which he mentioned in an earlier post. His track is coming along slowly but it will look mint when he is finished. As Dave mentioned the pair of us went and got our wives pregnant and are fathers of roughly 6 months. It wasn't planned to simultaneously becomes dads... but that's twins for ya.

Anyway, David... Hurry up and get some pics up!!! We haven't worked on the track for a while but about mid year, I knocked out a few buildings and bill boards for the track... This includes a brick toilet block.

The landscaping isn't flat and has about a 5-6cm rise and fall across the circuit (Correct me if I'm wrong Dave)... Much of the ground work has been done (including plaster)... but it is all still fairly raw and unfinished. We wanted to try to keep it realistic as many tracks are quite flat. David has bought just about every model tree off ebay and has quite the forrest. My wife would slit my throat if I had ideas of spending what David has spent on a slot car track. It's all still in an early stage, but hopefully we can get some progress over the xmas break.

I'll dig up some pics of the scenery models whicj I knocked together for him and post (hopefully tonight).

Kirk

[GTR XU-1]

I found some photos on my work computer but they are pretty old and not up to date.


Above is picture of flaggies stand Captain built



Captain again with the toilet block and signs (obviously going with a 70s theme for the track with the signs (and race cars later)


I never have liked the red and black of ninco. It looks really plastic. So I painted up the display tower to look old ish. I still need to take to it with something to make it look old.



Just some general track shots. Have got quite a lot of tire barriers from slot scenics in the UK (this is just one lot of them) I wanted the tire barrier to be acting as a retaining wall. Looks pretty good now (not so much in the above pic) with the scenery in and around the area.

The last shot just shows the use of expandafoam as a filler. VERY MESSY but works well. I have put plaster strips over it (now not in above shot) and it looks pretty descent.

Will dig more shots out later. Captain (Kirk) is not too shabby at building model structures and there are a quite a few more signs and painted up and remodelled scalextrics buildings.

By the way...I hope I remembered how to attach photos correctly.

Dave

[bathurstbones]

"I love the capris".....My head just exploded...Here we have a ford fan who

owns and is called GTR XU-1!.....?

Ps, pretty sure I had a leak in that dunny once!...

[Captain]

Alrighty Lads,

Here is what I have found (I'll have a go at uploading pics). These pics were taken at my place so aren't at David's track... but you get the idea.



My timber billboard... It could really do with a coat of something to make it look older... I'm no expert... but what about spraying it with cold tea??? I just picked pics of signs and billboards off the net then modified them in a basic photo edit program to give them a brown tinge as opposed to pure white. David has repainted all his plastic grandstands in a cream / brown vibe... so I decided to keep with his theme.



This is just some other random signage



Smaller bill boards





Control Tower...





Toilet Block...








Bathurstbones.... I (like my brother) have an appreciation for ALL muscle cars (mainly of the 70's). Dave owns a yellow GTR XU1. I guess you would say we are more Holden / GM boys... (Actually Torana mad). But having said that... Mustangs, Monaros, Camaros, Toranas, GT Falcons, Chargers... they are all good and many cars of that era look ballsy. Personally I think Capris that you see on the road look like they are lacking something, but those Capri Slot cars with their flares and wide tyres look wild.

Here is a link to another forum showing some pics of David's car taken at his wedding with our old man's car... Yes it runs in the family.

http://www.gmh-torana.com.au/forums/index....showtopic=31879

Edited by Captain, 01 December 2008 - 10:50 PM.

[bathurstbones]

Beam me up Scottie,...err.....Captain..

Top scenery there.....well done !

[GTR XU-1]

My brother and I had a crack at some scenery for the track last night. Just posting some pics to keep you all updated. We still need to add all of the under growth etc to the bush areas under the trees that we have put in place already. We are pretty happy with how the gravel trap has turned out though - still need to apply some for laquer to the trap to keep a few loose rocks in place. (By the way a lot of the PVA glue under the trees hadnt dried at time of photos). I still have about 200 trees to place as well so should all come together soon









The pit lane garage (not completed but just for demonstration



Some of the items to be added to the track below ( The black bears are only there because my wife put them there)


More pics to follow with more progress

Dave

[Billy_Cart]

SWEEEEEET,

Love your progress to date & the photo's of the torana's.

Can't wait to see some video of you guys racing in anger on this track when your finished.

Cheers,

Phil