My semi-permanent layout in my cellar is set-up as one of 3 layout types depending on how may slot friends I can find at a time: single lane rallying, 2 lane road course or 4 lane FI circuit. As I usually race by myself I have spent most time establishing the appropriate scenery for the rally layout. It is meant to represent rallying through the Yorkshire Dales, with dry stone walls, lots of sheep, cattle, and a working farm getting on with every day life. At this current time I don’t have the buildings, people, etc. required to make a decent looking FI circuit (I’m hoping this competition could change that!!).
Anyway, the circuit is set up on 6 1mx1m 9mm MDF boards that sit over a snooker table and are screwed together to form a solid baseboard. This makes a 2mx3m surface. Painting the MDF green, sprinkling sawdust over it and adding another coat of green paint created a textured grass look. As the layout is dismantled regularly I made landscape items as individual pieces from chicken wire, paper mache and the green paint and saw dust effect for grass. They can thus be added in any configuration wanted and are stored easily. Currently I’ve made a hill/tunnel 3-piece combination and a section for one of the rally loops (the white bull is looking out from the mound in the middle of that piece). These add a touch of variety and natural looking banks to stop the slot car flying off. The farm accessories are from Britains and add a fun element: hay bales on the track simulate a rallying environment and with some stuck down with a bit a blue tack make an extra challenge in getting round the circuit in one piece let alone quickly. The hill track sections are varnished to simulate black ice – if you don’t carry enough momentum through the tight corner entering the hill section getting up the hill is somewhat tricky!
Timing is via Scalextric RMS and there a couple of power booster cables added round the track to ensure power continuity over the nearly 40m length. Track record is currently 27.22 seconds.
A fun and very challenging circuit where unlike real rallying, you can (and regularly do) hit sheep without causing damage to sheep or car!
