My Track
I finally finished my track in June 2006. This section of the website shows some of the methods I used in the construction and some photo's of the completed circuit.
Base Structure
The support framework is in place. 50mm x 50mm timber has been used for the main and cross beams. The design is called "open frame" and is a style of construction used frequently in model train layouts.
The maximum size available for the layout is 12 feet by 8 feet and will be "L" shaped. The layout will be fairly narrow to allow for easy car recovery and addition of scenic details. The layout was designed for me by Jim Butt from the States, but I have modified the design from the original three lanes to two and also the bends will not be fixed radii.
A photo showing the construction method for the large "sweeper" bend at one end of the circuit.
A view of the other end of the layout, showing the return leg of the base structore. You can also see the two vertical legs which are fixed to both the floor and the main support rail for added strength. I do like these structures to be solid!...
My carpentry skills are very limited, so all joints are of the "butt" variety. I found these brackets at my local Homebase store which are great for getting things nice and square and adding strength to the finished joint.
This is the layout plan I'm working with. I hope it turns out to be an interesting drive. The original plan was for a three lane circuit and was kindly designed for me by Jim Butt in the States. (Jim can sometimes be found on the SCI Forum under the name "Subdude"). I decided to build a two lane track in the end to allow more runoff area and more room for scenic work.
The MDF baseboards have now been cut to shape. The track was marked out using a flexible strip, (part of the Archer Raceways routing kit). The straight sections were marked out with a straight section of timber.
This photo shows the lexan routing strip which is also part of the kit.
Routing completed. The router slipped slightly on the inside lane. I repaired it with two part Polyfilla wood repair kit.
Power for the track is provided by two standard Scalextric power packs feeding two Powerbase units. This allows the use of my Professor Motor controllers. It is my intention to upgrade the power supply in the future to allow variable voltage to be used and to have more amps available.
The copper tape has now been laid. The track surface was painted with a matt grey emulsion paint followed by two coats of exterior woodpaint primer, which dries to a semi-gloss finish. It gives very good grip for Ortman tyres. Fly Classic tyres, Mrrc tyres also have fair grip, but the latest Fly tyres and Scalextric/Ninco tyres have poor grip.
Lap Timing is taken care of by a DS200 unit, wired to the track via a "dead strip". Power for the lap counter is provided by a standard Scalextric power supply.
This is a sketch wiring diagram I made and helped a lot in to get the lap counter up and running.
The first scenery under way; the first layer is formed from rolled up newspaper, tightly packed between track levels. A few layers of masking tape are then added to form the cliff profiles. I then used ready mixed filler to form the final contours. This is followed by painting a base coat of light grey and light highlight runs of black/green paint. Finally a little Woodland Scenics scatter material was added to highlight knooks and crannies.
The backscene has been added using Peco Railway Sheets. A little detail added in front the back scene to give a 3D effect. The walls and gate are from the excellent Brittains 1/32nd scale Farmyard series. The walls are painted base grey and then a thin mix of white paint allowed to run between the joints. Highlighting of some individual bricks is then carried out with poster paint. Woodland Scenics gravel and grass scatter are then added for effect.
Marker posts are made from Plasticard section fitted to the track with brass rod. Lichen is from various model railway accessory suppliers ranges. Trees from Ebay, Woodland Scenics and some of my own.
A view of one end of the layout where the track sweeps down from the elevated section into an adverse camber bend which tightens up before entering a reverse sweep section. Very tricky and you need a car with good grip to maintain any sort of speed here. Lots of "hop" from Ninco cars unless you brace the motor/rear axle!.
The white track edge marker lines are very thin Plasticard cut to the profile of the track and secured with Impact Glue.
General Pit Scene. The pit buildings are MRRC ones first brought out in the 60's and are ideal for the period of my layout. I bought some of these kits from Slotbug when they were re-released a few years ago and the rest from E-Bay.
The Control Centre is the top part of an old Scalextric Control Tower. I added a new Plasticard roof and fitted clear glazing. White lining defining the pit area is painted.
The hairpin bend on the "return" section of the track. The tree I made from several small branchs I picked up in my garden and bound them together with thin gauge wire. I then formed the "trunk" with modelling paste and painted. The foliage is from the Woodland Scenics range. It is mounted to the baseboard with a metal rod and secured with two part epoxy. The planter around the tree was made from Plasticard sections and filled with garden moss. There are some real alpine plants growing in it.
The track markers are Brittains hay bales painted green and white to simulate the real thing as found at Oulton Park Circuit.
The "esses" section. The tea hut is made from the base of the Scalextric Control tower. I made the pitched roof from Plasticard. The tiles are laid in strips just as you would lay a real roof. The top crown tiles were made from a strip of brass rod cut in half.
Base Structure
The support framework is in place. 50mm x 50mm timber has been used for the main and cross beams. The design is called "open frame" and is a style of construction used frequently in model train layouts.
The maximum size available for the layout is 12 feet by 8 feet and will be "L" shaped. The layout will be fairly narrow to allow for easy car recovery and addition of scenic details. The layout was designed for me by Jim Butt from the States, but I have modified the design from the original three lanes to two and also the bends will not be fixed radii.
A photo showing the construction method for the large "sweeper" bend at one end of the circuit.
A view of the other end of the layout, showing the return leg of the base structore. You can also see the two vertical legs which are fixed to both the floor and the main support rail for added strength. I do like these structures to be solid!...
My carpentry skills are very limited, so all joints are of the "butt" variety. I found these brackets at my local Homebase store which are great for getting things nice and square and adding strength to the finished joint.
This is the layout plan I'm working with. I hope it turns out to be an interesting drive. The original plan was for a three lane circuit and was kindly designed for me by Jim Butt in the States. (Jim can sometimes be found on the SCI Forum under the name "Subdude"). I decided to build a two lane track in the end to allow more runoff area and more room for scenic work.
The MDF baseboards have now been cut to shape. The track was marked out using a flexible strip, (part of the Archer Raceways routing kit). The straight sections were marked out with a straight section of timber.
This photo shows the lexan routing strip which is also part of the kit.
Routing completed. The router slipped slightly on the inside lane. I repaired it with two part Polyfilla wood repair kit.
Power for the track is provided by two standard Scalextric power packs feeding two Powerbase units. This allows the use of my Professor Motor controllers. It is my intention to upgrade the power supply in the future to allow variable voltage to be used and to have more amps available.
The copper tape has now been laid. The track surface was painted with a matt grey emulsion paint followed by two coats of exterior woodpaint primer, which dries to a semi-gloss finish. It gives very good grip for Ortman tyres. Fly Classic tyres, Mrrc tyres also have fair grip, but the latest Fly tyres and Scalextric/Ninco tyres have poor grip.
Lap Timing is taken care of by a DS200 unit, wired to the track via a "dead strip". Power for the lap counter is provided by a standard Scalextric power supply.
This is a sketch wiring diagram I made and helped a lot in to get the lap counter up and running.
The first scenery under way; the first layer is formed from rolled up newspaper, tightly packed between track levels. A few layers of masking tape are then added to form the cliff profiles. I then used ready mixed filler to form the final contours. This is followed by painting a base coat of light grey and light highlight runs of black/green paint. Finally a little Woodland Scenics scatter material was added to highlight knooks and crannies.
The backscene has been added using Peco Railway Sheets. A little detail added in front the back scene to give a 3D effect. The walls and gate are from the excellent Brittains 1/32nd scale Farmyard series. The walls are painted base grey and then a thin mix of white paint allowed to run between the joints. Highlighting of some individual bricks is then carried out with poster paint. Woodland Scenics gravel and grass scatter are then added for effect.
Marker posts are made from Plasticard section fitted to the track with brass rod. Lichen is from various model railway accessory suppliers ranges. Trees from Ebay, Woodland Scenics and some of my own.
A view of one end of the layout where the track sweeps down from the elevated section into an adverse camber bend which tightens up before entering a reverse sweep section. Very tricky and you need a car with good grip to maintain any sort of speed here. Lots of "hop" from Ninco cars unless you brace the motor/rear axle!.
The white track edge marker lines are very thin Plasticard cut to the profile of the track and secured with Impact Glue.
General Pit Scene. The pit buildings are MRRC ones first brought out in the 60's and are ideal for the period of my layout. I bought some of these kits from Slotbug when they were re-released a few years ago and the rest from E-Bay.
The Control Centre is the top part of an old Scalextric Control Tower. I added a new Plasticard roof and fitted clear glazing. White lining defining the pit area is painted.
The hairpin bend on the "return" section of the track. The tree I made from several small branchs I picked up in my garden and bound them together with thin gauge wire. I then formed the "trunk" with modelling paste and painted. The foliage is from the Woodland Scenics range. It is mounted to the baseboard with a metal rod and secured with two part epoxy. The planter around the tree was made from Plasticard sections and filled with garden moss. There are some real alpine plants growing in it.
The track markers are Brittains hay bales painted green and white to simulate the real thing as found at Oulton Park Circuit.
The "esses" section. The tea hut is made from the base of the Scalextric Control tower. I made the pitched roof from Plasticard. The tiles are laid in strips just as you would lay a real roof. The top crown tiles were made from a strip of brass rod cut in half.
The camera tower is located on the outside of the bottom hairpin. As the genuine Scalextric 60's towers are going for such high prices these days I bought a modern reproduction and detailed it. The camera is made from a Brittains haybale and a golf tee!....
The marshalls post on the outside of the hairpin. Barrier is completely functional being made from old tyres.
The start of the downhill sweeper bend at the end of the main straight. Trees are from a variety of sources, Ebay, local Model shop etc and some of my own. Foliage from Woodland Scenics or other model railway based manufacturers. Guard rail is a section of curtain rail!. with home made advertising boards.
A Team Slot Lancia Stratos tackles the downhill exit from the main straight. Brittain's die cast Series1 Landrover is under repair at the marshall's post.
The exit of the sweeper bend with even more trees and hedges!. The figure is a converted military figure I found in an old spares box. I'm not sure if he is a "peeping tom" or a race fan........
A Matchbox Aston Ulster heads a Morgan 4 Plus 4 into the finishing straight.
Slot.it Porsche leads a March through the "esses".
Well That's just about all.......Hope you enjoyed sharing the construction of Midford Combe Circuit....
Post Completionns
The layout has been finished in September 2006 now and is running very well. The track is "rubbering up" with use and grip has improved considerably.
The best tyres by far to use on the track are Ortmans, other tyres that work fairly well are MRRC, Slotter, Racer and Le Mans Minatures.
A few electrical problems have cropped up over time but these were restricted to joints in the copper tape, a quick swipe with a soldering iron sorted out the problems.
The main problem was with the board joint on the back straight, it was never as smooth as I would have liked, causing several cars to de-slot, so I thought I would put this problem right once and for all.
I used my trusty old plane to remove the high spots between the board joints, refilled the joint and retaped and painted.
It works fine now and I'm pleased I actually completed the work.
The best tyres by far to use on the track are Ortmans, other tyres that work fairly well are MRRC, Slotter, Racer and Le Mans Minatures.
A few electrical problems have cropped up over time but these were restricted to joints in the copper tape, a quick swipe with a soldering iron sorted out the problems.
The main problem was with the board joint on the back straight, it was never as smooth as I would have liked, causing several cars to de-slot, so I thought I would put this problem right once and for all.
I used my trusty old plane to remove the high spots between the board joints, refilled the joint and retaped and painted.
It works fine now and I'm pleased I actually completed the work.
