Jamestown gets a beltway bypass

dr_dodge Sunday, 3/26/2023

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Jamestown it the name of the town on my HO layout upstairs in my house.

I have been trying to get work done on the future city build, but because the upstairs is also the guest room, it's been more of put it up, then take it down/put away.

So I switched gears because I wanted to run cars.

I built a flat road coarse on the facia.   It's 15 feet of orange 2 lane, and 15' (so far) of crash track.

about an 8 second run with stock cars

This build was a bit difficult because of the house itself,  because it's a styrofoam geodome.

   

as you can see, it's a curved wall (red is about where the track is)

I built an aluminum square beam as bridge support, 1"washers on perforated stock countersink the screw heads, and some additional small pieces.  Drilled and tapped most of it.

I want to get a better corner, this one is a chopped up ct intersection, but they do run thru it pretty well.

So I present the Jamestown Beltway Street Raceway


currently eyeballing installing the spiral, and sending the cars back across the floor, but, not today

we did have a minor hazmat situation with the propane tanker

You can see the constant curve I have to work around

my adjustable lift door launcher, and car basket




under the bridge



one day I will be hosting races, but for now I'm happy I can run cars

(I have a short vid, but don't know what to do to upload it)

dr

(by the way, thats a real airplane as yard art, time warp spitfire)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Warp_Spitfire_Mk_V

http://rodneybrothers.com/home/time-warp-spitfire/


Discussion

Page 1 of 2

Very cool! I always wanted a geodome home. As you said, though, you have to work to make things fit.


  • that, my friend is an understatement for sure — dr_dodge
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dr_dodge 6/28/23

a final video for now

it explains my main road surface,  used flooring.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWXbCRSs3Z0

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dr_dodge 7/1/23

A new installment
I explain counter sink on the washers
use carpet hold down strips,
taped for 10 - 32 countersunk head stainless screws, no drilling
some #8 self tappers attach the track holders
A Nice finish out to phase one the launch area.
the tracks were just draped over the legs of the fan before,
now all solidly mounted

enjoy the video, ask anything

dr

www.youtube.com/watch?v=C41Om1E3150


p.s.
FYI, the hump sorts slow cars
a slow crappy car should not get to the corner
fast one smokes along


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dr_dodge 9/2/23

I had found that my videos were not clear, and I remembered 3d saying,more light

so today I went to northern tool, and bought 2 sets of tractor lights (12VDC)

1200 RAW is what is said. (x 4)

wow, he wasn't lyin'  huge difference in the look

$80 total for 2 sets

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYkBFJIzn8w

dr


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dr_dodge 9/10/23

Old Jamestown Road
A new perm launch into crash track

dr

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyzVE6kOIk4

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dr_dodge 10/15/23

working on figuring out a mt track layout.  The track on the launch is prem installed, and the rest will be removable.
waitin' on 2 more boxes of crash track and I'll be happy

dr






  • Dang thats looking Great! Must be a mother Bear working with those angles, I appopiated the Back of the Shop, Even to the piont of moving wood stove. — Bent_Rod_Racing
  • I could get 20+ more feet with a 15° 2 track and an angle between 35-50° to stick it to the facia wall — dr_dodge
  • And I thought I had it tough! — Bent_Rod_Racing
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dr_dodge 10/18/23

more mock up pics ~35-40 ft)
need more connectors
5 boxes of CT

being cat scanned

dr


  • thats looking pretty epic! — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
  • Thanks! my track build is slow, but I try to think so far ahead, too. want to host some events one day, and trying to take this seriously, but have to be able to break it down and clear the room for guests. Quite a challenge — dr_dodge
  • Agree! Love up that Fur Ball — Bent_Rod_Racing
  • Put them in the Barn ; ) — Bent_Rod_Racing
  • got plenty of those now — dr_dodge
  • I meant the Guests! Just kidding, I just rescued 5 that were dumped up here and one left to live trap — Bent_Rod_Racing
  • I have a bunch of ferals at the house. I am on a dead end street, that, and rental houses I have no shortage of poor things abandoned, and can't let them starve. — dr_dodge
  • Thank you! I just rescued Momma and 5 young ones. Vet appointment on Friday for two. I volunteer at the Shelter. r — Bent_Rod_Racing
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dr_dodge 11/6/23

so, I have discovered something
I have been using my compound miter saw to cut track
works very good, so I thought, does it rip longwise?
yup, band saw does great. 

Why????

Flat corner guard rails!  (normal) outside of the track goes down,
and the (normal) surface is the retaining wall....aka rotated 90°
It solved my corner problem.
Overlapped, in a "fantail" configuration. 

You can set the spring rate of the corner by removing the rib that (normally) holds one side of the connector.  You could even put a wire spring in it if you wanted to.

 

even crappy cars make the corner, and fast ones hum and solidly thump the book (stopper)

very pleased

dr


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dr_dodge 11/6/23

the video update

dr

www.youtube.com/watch?v=raMZc5Lxp_E


  • Interesting. Like the glass at a hockey rink. Absorbs some energy and spits it right back out. Neat. — redlinederby
  • yea, it's very active. I am super pleased with the improvement it made — dr_dodge
  • cool... it is always great when an experiment works out! — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
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dr_dodge 11/25/23

new layout for Old Jamestown Road

First removable shelf is it.  

This is the Highlights of track testing as a music vid

I'll do a build update later

dr

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqXzGQfgPeU

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dr_dodge 12/6/23

update video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BpKZuTrn5M



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