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Howdy HRW folks! This is my first post here after being recommended by good friend 2FER_SLOTS. I was formerly into Carrera D132 pretty heavily, with an 8x15-foot layout, about 70 feet of track. In 2013 I sold it all off and got out of slots for several reasons. But I never stopped enjoying racing, mostly sportscars and vintage F1. After watching the Bathurst 12 hour race this spring I couldn't stop thinking about getting back into slots. To make a long story short, I've pretty much decided to route an analog track and stick my toes back in the water.

I'm going analog for several reasons. I want to run vintage cars (old F1s and such) without the work and cost of chipping them for digital. I want to keep costs down, and plastic digital tracks just keep begging for more expensive parts and features. Finally, it was extremely rare that I had a group of racers visit, so a basic 2-lane track will be plenty to get started again.

So, here is the simple 4x8 layout I'm working on for my first attempt at routing. Per advice I've read here and elsewhere, I'm only adding one squeeze, at the lower right hairpin. In the turn complex in the middle of the track, I'm trying to do a little bit with spacing to even up the lane lengths. They won't be even, but trying to avoid a significant difference. I call the track Forbiatehurst. ;)

What thoughts or advice come to mind with this layout? Thanks.

Phil

Nice to see a post from Drumphil ! :music-rockout:
Boys around on this forum knows their routed tracks.
When you get final approval let me know, anything I've got is yours to use....plunge router,flexible guide,pin guide,tape layer,jigsaw,1992 Chevy pickup and maybe even some help drinking a MDF dust clearing beer. :lol:

Are you thinking about cutting the track out and putting some elevations in ?

Thanks, D! I'll take you up on your offer when the day arrives. :text-thankyouyellow:
I could definitely see adding some rolling elevations to the layout. I already have experience adding plaster scenery around the edges, as you know. :)

I also like Waytoomuch's suggestion on sweepers. That's really the flow I am hoping to achieve.

Can't start cutting wood just yet, but I might buy a car or two to get the juices flowing.

A diorama or two to showcase your cars might get the scenery juices going as well.
Let me know if you need to break-in a car.

Next question: I see some contollers are POSITIVE polarity and some are NEGATIVE. Why? And which polarity would/should I plan to use for my wood track?

I'm thinking of building a 4'x8' track too - an oval to use out on the deck when I don't want to spend summertime inside the barn using one of my larger tracks. Because it will be tight putting a track on a single sheet of MDF, and I'm pretty much of a lone wolf racer these days, I'm thinking of routing a single lane where the racing groove would be on a full sized speedway. The fun will come from setting up cars using offsets, weight, staggered rear tires, etc. to be fast and smooth on a track where they'll enter corners high, dip low on exit, then drift out to the outer wall on both short straights. I'll record lap times to simulate multi-car races on the computer.

Regarding the track plan in the image on this post, I'm wondering if the inside lade of the hairpin will be too tight. On my first track build I had a corner that was undrivable and had to be redesigned.

Slothead

So really, we just pick a polarity and make sure the track wiring and the contollers match it. Okay, thanks.