Build Journal: Bennett Crossing

Even though the whole job market is not the greatest, I gambled and picked up the train - a Lionel produced S-gauge American Flyer. It was the lowest-priced set, they had. I unboxed it and gave it a run. I felt like a kid again.

I have a bit more track coming - can go 40" on the straights - but I thought I would also take some photos with my son's old Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars for some comparison.

I'm really looking forward to getting the table up and the track built.

I've built 2 tracks before in a 8'x4' space - our hillclimb rally track and our stadium rally cross track. We used boosters and some gravity to try and make it fun. If you checkout my behind the scenes video, it shows you a bit more about them if you're interested. Even the orginal canyon track was only about 9-10' long but only 2ft wide.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttwSZVD-O5c

Put legs on the table with casters on the bottom so I can rotate it/make sure I can gain access to my furnace if I need to.

I promptly got to work on the race track. Final downslope is in place. I put a piece of plywood down so the track should be level with the railroad or pretty close at the crossing. I thought about having cars jump the crossing, but I decided against it.

I plan to get the race track down first then add in the railroad.

Track is complete. I tested two different colored, but same, Hot Wheels cars. Action seems to be pretty decent. In my second turn, if there is still some side by side racing, one car seems to fly off the track below.

I think with that section of the track, I put in some catch netting to try to prevent the cars from falling to the floor.

In the front, between curves 2 and 3, my brother laser-cut and built a bridge. It can be seen in this image.

The diorama will be bit more enclosed on the right with as much open air as I can at literal train crossing and the finish line.

The finish line is at the edge of the table. I plan to run track down to the actual floor after the finish line so it isn't so abrupt.

I ordered a timing/start system from Slanman. Once that is here, I plan to start racing as I start to piece together the diorama.

I'm adding a few more images to give a few more angles on what's built.

The timing system is here, and I really need to commend Slanman on the customer service and troubleshooting on the timer. I've been running time trials for our cars we've had for a long time, mostly my grown kids, some from when my brother and I were kids (some 30-plus years old).

I decided to start the diorama from the bottom up, except for perhaps the train crossing itself. That means constructing the town, farms and train tunnel.

I am thinking of tightening down turns and straights in a more permanent way. Recommendations on how to fasten down CR turns?

One thing I did near the top of the track was to add a very thin piece of basswood under the sidewall lip of the crash racer track between the places where it attaches to curves (between turns 1 and 2). Doing this is preventing some cars from dropping off the track, and it is also stopping the crash racer track from having its side walls from dropping down.

I began to start the work on the railroad crossing. I had plywood down atop the board and leading to the railroad. I took it out, and put in a thinner board so the race track will be on the level with the rails.

I also cut the fast track to ensure the train can pass unobstructed. It is simply the approach.

I bought several Crash Racer track connectors from Spoolhead, and I put down extra ones where the railroad crossing is to go. I am hoping with the extra connectors screwed into place, it will kee everything stable.

While I am working on the crossing itself, I can still run races and timing runs.

I have an problem, and I need some advice. After the initial downslope, the cars take a 90 degree turn, have a short straight (one Crash Racer length), hit another 90 degree turn (both are rights), then it is supposed to cross the bridge.

We ran some test races and the cars seemed OK coming out of the first turn. But, when the cars get into the second turn, two or three cars would crash and fall coming out of the turn.

The turns aren't screwed in yet, and I see Spoolheads has open track turns. I am concerned about the depth of the turns being too much for my 4x8 space. I don't think it will work.

What are some recommendations?

I also just thought that my main issue could be using open track, and I may need to consider changing the track from the start through the second turn into laned track. Again, what your thoughts?

Lots of progress at Bennett Crossing.

I cut the board supporting turns 3 and 4, and I screwed them into place. They will be atop some escarpments and hills. Between the two is a bridge that was laser cut by my brother (he did the large bridge). 

I then began to work on the grass for the town of Bennett Crossing. We had some old matting from a few years ago. I tried to get some roads going, but the foam board I bought wound up too thick for my liking. So the town will be restored once I get that.

The best part is the next one.

That isn't quite all. I recorded some video as time went on, especially the tests. Those are on a playlist.

Here is the link: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6MLOh1PX4ObzDaY9msvAwK8LdIiLuLO6&si=eAfceixhy-UJ4yIM

I laid out the town along with the road. The road I picked up from Innovative Hobby Supply. I still have some cleaning up to do, including getting some gravel. I may have room to add a gas station. I also need to build a second train crossing just to make the diorama sound.

I have also been having some issues with cars falling off the track. I'm thinking of buying up some flexible slot car guard railing and painting it silver to give it a realistic look. I think this might add in creating the diorama and keeping the cars on the track.

We have our first casualty.

It dropped off turn two and hit the board just right and shattered. I have been doing time trials with my son's, my and my brother's cars (so some dating into the 1970s and '80s) from the buckets they're in. This was a "Cars" race car.

I am still seeing a lot of the cars, testing or in pairs, slide up the turns in one and two, creating the potential for cars flying off. I am leaning more into having lanes through the first two turns so we can have actual racing. I may also just have lanes through the first turn, and that might resolve things.

It appears most of the builders out there have lanes for a length before going to open track. The question is, how much is just right, too little or too much?