Build Journal: Flintrock Highway
Yep! I've noticed some of the lighter cars will actually overtake on the hill up and then gain enough speed on the last downhill to win. Makes it interesting, although the Old Number 5.5 fire engine (heaviest in my current collection) is the current champion hands down. (My wife is going to be spamming Corvettes, so we'll see how that changes.)
My long-range plan is that I could add to the drop on the hill at the start end, and then insert another 2'-0" module before the finish line with another gentle hill up and make it close to a scale 1/10 mile drag over rolling terrain.
Of course, I am also thinking about zig-zagging down the front of the bookcases, but still thinking through how to do that without compromizing on my setting too much. Perhaps a drop down into a river valley, or a run through a salt mine to a speakeasy, or a Journey to the Center of the Earth...
The other-other thought I had originally when I first started building is that I could treat this like the modular model railroads you see at model train shows, and I and/or others could build modules, and then set it all up on folding tables with a constant gentle drop planned out from start to finish, to get the look of a true cross-country race with multiple towns and other scenes. A standard module could just be the length of a piece of straight track (about 2'-0"). Mod-u-trak? Modular:64? :)
What a difference a bit of sky makes! Temporary backdrop installed, just to start playing around with some video later this week. A $9.99 roll of school bulletin board paper in a sky pattern from Hobby Lobby is more than plenty for this space!
Can't decide if the race videos will be in B&W or Technicolor... (¬_¬)
- Both? Doing it in black and white would be cool, but sometimes people will want to see it in color, too. — SpyDude
- Gotta do a good sepia with extra grain...and that little hair in the corner. And don't forget the old timey silent movie music. — redlinederby
- Oh, I have plenty of ragtime music on deck...been listening to my favorite vinyl album while working on this...the soundtrack to “The Sting.” — Rainsford
- Ha, perfect! Nothing beats The Entertainer when you need that olde timey goodness. — redlinederby
This is an amazing crash course in building support structures for the roadway. I have a six foot table I'm currently struggling to use (I may extend the curves beyond the edges with some sort of tunnel or something) but figuring out how to get the elevations, particularly since I'm going to be doing a gorge spanning bridge has been stumping me. Some of the techniques shown I'm familiar with from doing D&D terrain building such as the wooden fence being faced with printable textures, but I had not considered using the Cricut for fencing, though I will definitely give that a try now. Am I understanding that you will only be racing vintage style open wheel cars? This is definitely a niche focus however I am sure that the uniqueness alone will be interesting. Are you planning on expanding the track? and if you are taking votes, the sepia tone black and white with film grain ala the opening minutes of the wizard of oz would be my choice...
Flintrock Journal-World
July 25
We have received word that the Rainsford Racing crew, after leaving Flintrock and loading up on the tramp steamer S.S. Seagull in Los Angeles earlier this month, have recently arrived in Hawaii and are setting up shop in their new home. They have already made purchases of some Japanese-made racers, and will be testing them out against the rest of the existing stable as additional sailings of the Seagull bring the full complement of the team's equipment.
- Well, there you are! Glad to see you back on the track. We were kinda wondering where you'd gone to. — SpyDude
- Yep! After an unexpected layoff last year, finally landed back on my feet...in Paradise, apparently! — Rainsford
- Well hell, bravo! You know this means we expect some racing on the beach! — redlinederby
- I love your track! — jygro
Beautiful appication of your railroading skills. Nice compact shelf layout with lots of visual interest. Can't wait to see some videos.
I am still in the planning stages of my Hot Wheel layout, but here is my "compact" railroad: dawson-station.blogspot.com/2009/10/welcome-to-dawson-station.html
Flintrock Journal-World
October 19
Lady Rainsford has been spotted at the Rainsford Bros. Garage, handing over the keys to the new owners, while finalizing the final packing and shipment of the team's equipment and materials to Honolulu. The family's prescence in Flintrock will be missed, but they have promised to return for racing when their new international racing schedule permits.
Ollie Ragg, who will be remaining behind to run the garage for the new owners, tells us that in the mad rush to finish shipping the racing family's belongings, there is likely no telling what part of the world they might end up in, or "which island, fer that matter!"
RMS Seagull's arrival in Tidmouth leaves North Western Railway workers scratching their heads over a pile of Hot Wheels, while the SS Seagull's arrival in Honolulu leaves the Rainsford team wondering where their supplies went.
Nice track, hey do you have a building process video on YouTube? Also do you have a channel because I can't find it.
That is looking great. It does have a museum diorama look too it which is unique in the track landscape right now. Very cool feeling. And I just love that this is a short track with minimal drop. I don't know exactly how far you plan to go with racing on this thing but I like the idea of testing a car's ability with such a low drop (and a hill up). It's "easy" to make a car fast when you have a big drop and build up lots of energy, but making a fast car with (much) less of that seems like a great challenge.