Low Budget Race Team

[dge467]

The old Ford looks great! Nice service station too!

[BRP32]

Ralph,

That Ford came out very nice!!!!

I really like the old gas station!

My uncle had one on his American flyer/lionel train layout when I was about 5-6 years old.

Those old plasticville kits have that way of taking you back in time.

So cool!

Thanks for sharing!

Wayne :D :D :D

[Ralphthe3rd]

Yeah Wayne, those Plasticville buildings were so cool :D And we had alot of them on our Lionel Train layout too, but I never had this service station :(
What was ironic about the larger scale ones like this one, was they labeled them as for both "O" & "S" Gauge Train Layouts, and as we all know, "S" Gauge was 1/64 scale for Trains, and this particular building surely is 1/64 and Not 1/43 Scale ! On the other hand, Plasticville also made them for HO scale too, but maaaan, they sure looked Tiny and surely were 1/87 Scale as True HO TRAINS are, but even a Vibe or T-Jet couldn't fit thru the Garage doors on those !

[BRP32]

Ralph,

Talk about tiny, I have a service station much like the plasticville one you have on my N scale train layout.

It is very tiny!!!! :lol: :lol:

1/144 - 1/160 I do believe?

They say you are suppose to go up in scales bigger as you get older.

To the contrary I am going the other way due to space constraints....

It seems to stress the eyes a bit working on all these small things.

I need one of those lit magnifying lenses.

Maybe Mrs. Santa will bring me one this year!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[dreinecke]

The Plasticville stuff really takes me back. Maybe sad story about the child but at least some one will love the cars again.

[Ralphthe3rd]

I was looking thru completed auctions on eBay for Atlas slot car stuff, and came across this completed listing for an old(Plasticville) HO Service Station. I thought it looked pretty cool, and in ways similar(but different) to my "O/S" Gauge Service Station. But I also noticed how small the Garage Doors were, and noted that probably a 1/64 car or maybe even a T-Jet(1/72) car Wouldn't be able to squeeze thru the bays. Anyway, I just thought I'd share the pix :)
PS- I Do note However, that the People Doors, seem overly tall for HO Scale though ?

[racer6583]

What a story it start out as a happy beginning then the boy that those toys.
brought happiness to then to be stored away at his untimely passing .
To see the light in their engines once more.
Glad to see that they found a person who will cherish. them as much as the boy did.


Thanks for sharing

[Ralphthe3rd]

[Ralphthe3rd]

I'm willing to part with one of the Original Brass Chassis that Chappy-Rob built(Machined from solid Brass) a while back, see pix. The Chassis has very little track time, and runs as smooth as glass, powered by a Tyco Can motor(w/Dif Arm). The Car drifts like 1/24 scale. Comes with Spare Guide pin/plate and extra Braids. Very Rare Chassis , only about 4(?) were made.
I looking to Trade for a Complete Original Aurora '32 Ford Pick-Up/Hot Rod Truck with the Slim-line chassis, OR $70 via PaPal, which includes S&H.
BTW- the Dodge Charger Body is included, and note that the body is now decaled up with numbers and sponsors, as well as having nerf bars bumpers attached to both ends....see posts further below.
Contact me via PM if interested, thanks :handgestures-thumbup:

[Ralphthe3rd]

Here's what I've been up to this week. I received a Project to Convert an Old Aurora Slot-Less XLerators Willys(with the Pancake QuadraLam Chassis) into a Regular Slot Car. A little background first. Some people do the easy-way conversion, and just swap over the Spider Top-Frame onto a regular T-Jet Chassis tub, and it's almost a direct swap, except you need to use a set of AFX Magna-Traction Magnets to make up the Correct Spider-Frame height.
Well, I took the hard approach, and simply(?) modded the original XLerators Chassis. Which entailed snipping off the Diode & soldering a connection in place of, Replacing the XLerator Rear axle (which came with Clutch type Free Wheeling Crown gear) with a standard T-Jet Axle and Crown gear. And finally, modding the Front "Steered to left" split axle setup, which pivots but is pinned in one location, and you also need to cut off the right side stub axle boss, and create your own new one, that's in parallel with the left side axle. And btw- just an FYI, the wheelbase of the chassis(when wheels are correctly aligned) will now reside at the Truck/Buggy/Indy position equivalent, when you do this mod. But, the good news is, the XLerator Willys body has an altered body wheelbase anyway, along with other mold changes, that makes it a bit different than the Standard T-Jet Willys Body(note the rear fenders and the missing push bar etc.). So what did this XL Chassis conversion Gain, over the other type Swap over T-Jet conversion ? Well, you gained a snap in/out rear axle, and you also gained the AFX MT Style Comm Brushes with Coil springs, that can be easily replaced and tuned.
Oh yeah, one last thing I swapped, I changed over to DASH T-Jet Magnets, and MAN does this Quadralam Scream Now !
PS- sorry, no before(or during Conversion) pix, all these pix were taken after the conversion was complete.

[BRP32]

Hi Ralph!

You got some really cool Ho cars my friend!

I love pictures from around your track also!

My littlest daughter and I just came up from the basement after running Ho on my little 4 laner for about 2 1/2 hours.

I thought we were down there about a 1/2 hour to an hour.

She cleaned my clock this evening nerfing me in the last corner for the win.

I have some stiff competition here in my house.

Racing stock t-jets and magnatractions was a blast tonight.

Gotta love it!!!

:D :D :D

[vins123]

Hi Ralph

nice work again, i wish i had your skill
Sylvain

[BRP32]

That little trailer and station wagon the willys coupe is sitting on is cool also!

Very different but yet very cool!

:D :D :D :D

[Ralphthe3rd]

FYI, the Wagon & Trailer are Both 50+ year old Diecast Lesney/Matchbox Pieces. The Wagon is a Studebaker re-paint, and the trailer was a Caravan Camper trailer, with the plastic top half removed, and had the diecast bottom half filed a bit into shape- but not by me, it was done by a slotter about 45 years ago, and came with the First slot car collection I bought about 4 years ago.

[BRP32]

Very Cool!

Thank you for the info on it.

Didn't realize it was a Lesney/Matchbox?

I will have to dig around for some at the next train show/toy show I go to.

With so many people selling on the net it is hard to find this stuff reasonably anymore.

I don't find much at garage sales anymore either.

It use to be fun going to garage sales because you always use to come home with something neat.

Not so much anymore.....

Your stuff is cool to look at and Thanks for sharing!!!!

:D :D :D :D :D