# Tomy 6" Turn Solution.



## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I can't be the first one to think of this, but I haven't seen it here in all my surfing.
There has been much disappointment over the years concerning the Tomy 6" radius turns.
You get a ton of them with the International race set and they line the bottom of my Tomy track bin.
We have one hairpin on our main track and it causes havoc with Tjets, HP7s, Magnatractions, and now MegaGs.










The problem seems to be in the zig zag at each connection. If you slide at just the right angle,
and the turn radius is so tight that you must slide, the shoes tend to hang up on the rail connections.
This can cause a flip, a shoe to come off, or just stop the car.
You may go through it once okay, then the next time lose power.
I've always thought, gee, Tyco really got it right, their 6" turns are 90˚ turns.
This got me to thinking.... 


You need four Tomy 6" turns, and one 9", or two.
(not sure if you can spare any 9" turns)










With some needle nose pliers, pull the rails out of the 6" turns. (just yank em out!)










Now it gets more interesting... push the rails up from under the 9" turn.










Now pull the rail out of the 9" turn. I would do this by hand. Try not to bend it.
If you bend the track to open the rail crease, it helps...










Now install the rails into the assembled 6" turns. Use the pliers to press them in.










Be sure and install with the zig zag in its place on each side. Trim the other side to fit.


















Now you have a continuous rail 6" hairpin.

*UPDATE*

The outside 9" rails will do the inside of a 180 6" turn.
You will need to use rail from a 15" section to do the outside rails on a 6" 180.
The rails will need to be glued in, and may require a hot iron touch to get the right rail height.

This one I'm building to go to Larry's this weekend. We have a series race this next month there with the MegaGs.


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## TBI (Apr 25, 2011)

I did the same thing, but glued the sections together, filled the seams and smoothed out the guide pin slot before re-installing the rails


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

Great tip, Rich!


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## Black Oxxpurple (Jul 3, 2011)

this is a great Idea. WTG Rich. this might just allow for my traveling layout to be six lanes.

We will have to see.

Rob


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## kriket (Feb 15, 2013)

*6 inch tomy track*

why not just pull all the rails out or all thr track and run all new continuous rail all the way aroun the whole track layout or maybe not.. sounds like alot of work..lol
But that is a brilliant idea to solve the problem with the 6 inch curves, im going to do that.


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

> why not just pull all the rails out or all thr track and run all new continuous rail all the way aroun the whole track layout or maybe not


used to be a number of tracks around that were re-done this way.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Yes, even in Texas, we had a couple of hobby shops in the 90s with continuous rail sectional tracks.


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Great way to use up those dang 9" curves.


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

Hey Rich, I have a 'Boat' load of Tomy 9" turns left over. Let me know if you need any and I will bring the Saturday.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I don't have a boat load, but I'm sure I could fill one of those CHINA containers with mine.

Thanks though.


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## Jisp (Oct 19, 2008)

Excellent tip. Thank you.


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

Having done this mod way more then i like to remember,take the advice of gluing the pieces together.
Otherwise any little twist or bend at the joint,will either pop the rails out or puts a small kink in the rail itself:thumbsup:
If you have any 15" pieces of track that have pull out lanes,the pull out lane usually has the longest rails to salvage


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

I find the slot joint much more of a problem on tight curves than the rail joint. If I had to choose between continuous rail and continuous slot, I would choose continuous slot every time.

All the same, this is a nice tip. Although I cannot condone the wanton destruction of 9" curves. 

Joe


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## pat4gis (Jan 12, 2008)

I don't have spare 15"s, is it worth just doing the inside lane of the 6" hairpin, which would be the worst. What could be used in place of canabolized 15" rail, that would be compatible with the standard track?


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

A 15" lap counter is completely useless on a 4 lane track, that's what I'm using.
A 15" power terminal track would be My next choice.

The inside is the worst, and would be a 50% improvement.


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

Rich... I wonder if you could put copper tape over the trouble spots on Tomy curves?


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I don't know. Black tape works okay.


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## pat4gis (Jan 12, 2008)

What did you "fill" with? I have tried wallboard spackle, but did not like it.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I used to use black tape, but it has its flaws.
My favorite now is black modeling clay. It's non permanent and looks great.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

This is the stuff I use...










I filled between these tracks with it...


















I went ahead and filled the inside of that turn with it. You can see it on the bottom right.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Workin on a couple sets of these for a trade.

Turns out this mod can get pretty involved. You will need to dremel off the locking tabs 
on the bottoms of the rail to get it to sit in the slot correctly, then glue the rail in.
I glued the track pieces together first, and am now digging the excess glue out of rail slot.
I'll get better at this...


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Time to announce to the world..... I'M WRONG... _in a most interesting way..._

Even a fifteen straight is a little short for the outside lane on a 6" turn...

There, I said it...


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