Strange Cox 1/32nd Track

[RichD]

Recently I saw a picture of this rather strange Cox 1/32nd set.



Notice that there is only one crossover, so really the track would only have one lane, it would have to be wired using the AC2Car system for two cars to run at the same time. The cars are shown right on the crossover section, but it is my guess that it would be more a matter of luck as to which lane you would be in after you crossed that section. If anyone out there has ever seen this in action I would like to confirm that.

[Z-carfan]

I bet that is simply a goof in the photo as that would not work with a normal set.
One of those lets do it cause it looks good for the photo things.

[ourwayband]

I believe Cox used the old Eldon track in their sets.Eldon had a lane changing system with the AC2Car system.That may be what we see here.
Rusty

[BARC 1]

This set was developed for Cox by the inventor of the TSRF Chassis. (Philippe de Lespinay) Those 143 scale cars that came with set up were basically TSRF chassis design. It is Eldon 132 scale track using 143 scale cars and it does utilize AC2 control. Each car had a diode in it and two cars could run on the same track. The single crossover was there to allow passing and it is not a goof in the setup picture

[RichD]

I sent an e-mail to Philippe today, so I may get some first hand info. The box does say Supertronic Control and I am familiar with the AC2Car system that has diodes in the cars and controllers. Notice that the controllers are different colors. I was wondering if the cars always switched lanes at that single crossover or if that was a random thing.

[mattb]

I think Eldon actually bought Cox, mostly for the name value. Phillipe was on board in this period. He did the cars, but I think he always said the company overrode him on a few things and it didn't turn out the way he wanted. It was all Eldon products with new designed cars. They were light years ahead of the regular Eldon cars from the 60's.

My memory may be wrong, but I think Cox was owned by a parent company called Leisure Time either when they were sold to Eldon or else that was the company that bought them from Roy Cox.

[RichD]

The original owner of L.M. Cox Manufacturing Company sold at least the slot part of the business to Leisure Dynamics Incorporated in 1969. I do not know if the model airplane part of the business was included in the sale. I have been researching the Cox HO cars because they eventually became Lifelike. In the middle '60s Cox was famous for its 1/32nd and 1/24th cars, possibly the Cox branded HO cars were actually sold by Leisure Dynamics. I believe that the set in question was also by Leisure Dynamics.

[RichD]

The answer turned up on another BB: The Cox lane changers had a springy flap in the slot. If you hit the flap at speed, you pushed it aside and stayed straight; at slow speed, the flap pushed the car into the crossover.
Yes, the power was a diode system, like Eldon Selectronic and AC2Car.

[Modlerbob]

So, digital before digital existed.

[K9Havok]

RichD,

Do you know if DocP ever published a new slotcar book he was working on several years ago?

I thought it would be out by now but can't find anything.

thx

[bill from nh]

Doc's second book has not been published yet. It seems as if he's been working on it for 10-12 years & it's been "almost ready" for publishing for the last 3 or 4. I don't know if there is any end-date for its publishing at this point.

[RichD]

I got an e-mail from Philippe today, he says that Leisure Concepts owned Eldon and that Cox sets were only sold in Canada and that was after the end of 1977.