PLEASE NOTE: Yves Lambert has sent in details of how he built his winning track. Please note that you need Acrobat Reader to view this document. The latest version of Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from Adobe.
This project started in August 2001, realising an old childhood dream of recreating a true to life miniature racetrack with all the details that come with it : widened track, gravel traps, billboards, realistic trees, metal catch fence (really works !), background picture, buildings, pitlane, figures, lights, etc …
Many hundreds of hours have gone into catching the atmosphere of a real racetrack, (not too overcrowded !) whilst still offering a real drivers’ challenge.
The lighting system works on a controllable power amp that allows you to turn the power down to increase the drivers' difficulty to drive in the dark with lighted cars. Only three cars are now lighted but more are to follow when time (and funding) permit.
I hope you enjoy it.
Yves Lambert, Petegem - BELGIUM
Technical info :
Track : Ninco with painted (black) MDF sides to optically widen the track
Length : exactly 21,5m for both lanes
Table-size : 5,4 m x 2,6 m (hidden access hatch in the middle)
Buildings, pitlane & figures : SRA buildings + handpainted SRA- and MRRC-figures. Pitlane itself made with black abrasive paper and a painted MDF panel imitating the concrete slab of the real Le Mans pitlane. The white markings were made using a corrector roller (!).
Construction : multiplex panels with a thin layer of sound-insulating foam (DIY) on top for noise reduction
Grass : sheet grass (model railroad shop) on PS foam panels (DIY) cut to size and placed in between the tracks to level the track with the surrounding scenery.
Gravel traps : brown abrasive paper (DIY store) glued to the PS foam panels
Guard rails : Ninco rails were sunk level with the track
Billboards : flexible white PVC poster-profile 30mm high (DIY store), with company logo’s (from internet) printed on self-adhesive clear film + stickers from a local tyre-centre, cut to size and fitted to the PVC-profile
Catch Fence : Stainless steel insect mesh cut to size with glued-on metal rods
Forest : 130 pine tree-trunks were handcarved from wooden furniture pegs (DIY) and finished using branch & limb material from Canyon Creek Scenics (USA).
The 40 deciduous trees were self-built using Petite Pine Trees materials (USA).
Background : a blown-up mirrored photograph printed on self-adhesive paper
Lighting :
Track : 3 Brawa "Floodlights" + 20 Life-like "Street lights"
scale HO that were lengthened to 1/32, using fine aluminium tubing
Pitlane & Control Tower : 7 Brawa Railwaystation "Platformlights"
