# Aurora XLerators



## twolff

I've been researching the slotless systems trying to decided what/if I might want to get myself into.

I'd really be thankful for anyone's experience with the XLerators and XLerators II setups. The ad copy and exploded views I've found on the web indicates that the XLerators can be a 4 car system. The cars ride the left lane and the controller button changes the car to the right lane where it runs full bore until it re-enters the left lane. Let me know if I'm wrong about that. The XLerators II has a variable controller and in inline motor chassis, but I haven't found anything about how they actully are supposed to work or if the track between the two is compatible.

While I'm at it. What I've been able to find here indicates that the Ideal/Tyco TCR track is the best of the slotless HO systems and that you can run Tyco TCR and Aurora Speed Steer chassis cars on it.

Looking for a layout that will fit a 4 x 8 table as a temporary setup over my slotted track and 4 cars and a couple of jam cars should I get into the later systems.


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## twolff

ARRGHH!!

Idle PalyPal funds are indeed the Devil's playthings.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=290314941982


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## resinmonger

twolff said:


> ARRGHH!!
> 
> Idle PalyPal funds are indeed the Devil's playthings.
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=290314941982


Dude, you got four cars for less than I've seen one car go for. I have three Xlerator amatures in T-Jet chassis right now. Those arms scream. Basically, I am saying that you got yerself a great deal whether you run 'em slotless or use the parts for Killer-Jets.

Hutt :drunk::hat::freak::dude::tongue:


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## twolff

The cars is the reason I put a bid in the sniper prog. this morning. I figured that if the track system dosen't work, I'll have T-Jet stuff and a load of track for the next sucker 

I'm really going to give them a go as designed. There just dosen't seem to be much info available on them. Figuring out how they are supposed to work will be part of the fun initally. They look like they run pretty good in the commercial LOL


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## HadaSlot

The cars are what are sought after. If you want the track. I have some you can have if you pay for shipping. I sold the cars before I learned what they are made of. Quad arms and with a little machining make fast t-jets from what I hear. I often wondered why the two I sold went for such good money until I researched it. PM me if you want it. I will keep the shipping real forr how ever fast you want it. It is just taking up my space. David


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## ParkRNDL

i have a couple Tjets with XL motors/geartrains in them. one in particular is CRAZY fast and smooth as silk. handles good too. i have a red JL '70 Chevelle body on it with skinny Tjet wheels--complete sleeper. you can drive it around slow like a normal Tjet, then nail it on a long straight and it's like an AFX or MT, maybe faster...

i've found that they don't all work that smooth, it seems you have to find a Tjet chassis and an XL powertrain that "like" each other...

--rick


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## slotcarman12078

Since we're talking the XL, I'm kinda curious.. What it that resistor looking thing on the back of the chassis??? Is it a resistor, or something else??

Update I did a bit of research into these Xlerators. The thingy is a diode. There were 4 different diodes for multiple car running. If you have the 3 wire track, you can only run 2 cars. If you have the 5 wire track, you can run 4 cars. Each diode corresponds to each controller, allowing 4 cars to be run independantly on the same track at the same time. They still look interesting Tim, and you got a great deal, even if you just use the parts. I would give it a try even if it's a 2 car set up. It looks like a good distraction from the everyday!! (Glad I didn't bid on it now!! :lol


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## twolff

It's s diode. There is a another diode in each input in the terminal track. The pick-up configuration and magnet placement make for 4 different configurations. There is also a clutch assy on the crown gear side wheel, but how it is all supposed to work remains somewhat of a mystery to me.

I lowballed this one for the cars:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=230341338282


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## slotcarman12078

I got the concept of the clutch assembly, as I have a chassis base to tinker with. There's a pin through the axle that engages the crown gear only in one direction. The reason for this is so the car can "coast" between the rails. If the engine put drag on the wheels as you were switching lanes, it would stall halfway between. What I don't understand is the front wheels being turned as they do. They don't pivot. What mysterious power makes them change lanes and keep them there??? I'm sooooo confused! :freak: :lol:


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## resinmonger

slotcarman12078 said:


> I got the concept of the clutch assembly, as I have a chassis base to tinker with. There's a pin through the axle that engages the crown gear only in one direction. The reason for this is so the car can "coast" between the rails. If the engine put drag on the wheels as you were switching lanes, it would stall halfway between. What I don't understand is the front wheels being turned as they do. They don't pivot. What mysterious power makes them change lanes and keep them there??? I'm sooooo confused! :freak: :lol:


Notice that the front wheels are turned LEFT? Xlerator cars can only be driven on NASCAR circuits... :tongue::freak::drunk::dude::hat:


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## twolff

resinmonger said:


> Notice that the front wheels are turned LEFT? Xlerator cars can only be driven on NASCAR circuits... :tongue::freak::drunk::dude::hat:


Hey, you take that back.  I would have quit watching NASCAR this season but, seeing Mark Martin do well has been worth sitting through the Fox garbage--so far. Those guys ought to try doing an entire race in "Crank it up". (With the microphones off). LOL


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## twolff

slotcarman12078 said:


> I got the concept of the clutch assembly, as I have a chassis base to tinker with. There's a pin through the axle that engages the crown gear only in one direction. The reason for this is so the car can "coast" between the rails. If the engine put drag on the wheels as you were switching lanes, it would stall halfway between. What I don't understand is the front wheels being turned as they do. They don't pivot. What mysterious power makes them change lanes and keep them there??? I'm sooooo confused! :freak: :lol:


Driving only the left rear wheel should force the car to the right for a lane change, but the car has a solid rear axle. Maybe they really don't work


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## HadaSlot

It was a pretty cool concept for it's time. 1972. I would't say that they only turn left but the cars do rub the walls and each other.


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## slotcarman12078

The rear axle is solid. Both wheels are driven. The pin through the axle is a floater and falls out quite easily if the back axle is snapped off (yes it snaps off, not pulls out like a TJet). What's cool about it is how it works. In freewheeling mode the pin rides the ramp beyond the lock and keeps setting itself off center so it clears the lock. Apply power to it and it being off center engages the lock and off you go. No drag coasting and positive lock up under power. Other than my messed up uses and cars needing to stop for the more than occasional train I think it's a cool option.

As far as I can tell at lower speeds the pitch of the track keeps the car in the lower lane, and hard accelleration causes the front tires to grip better and steer the car up the bank to the other lane. This is pure speculation as I never operated one of these cars.

Here's an interesting thought that is worth mentioning, and this I just discovered now while tinkering with this chassis base. There was mention of a snap in axle in the B Jet thread, and the technology is right here in this chassis. A 9 tooth pinion for a regular Tjet fits right up to the the oddball crown gear, and I believe this set up (with or without the clutch crown) will be a great option down the road for the B or whatever jet that comes along. Just a thought...


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## grungerockjeepe

Yeah, I watched the vid and dont really get it. Id say use the parts to build killer T-jets and keep in mind, some XLerators actually used an inline motor similar to the G+. 

If you wanna race slotless, Ideal or Tyco TCR are your best bet. They work pretty well and parts are plentiful. The rest seem to be oddballs at best and while some the Aurora Speedsteer works real similar to the Tyco TCR (the tycos actually look to be HEAVILY based on these), parts are a bit more scarce.


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## twolff

I've gotten the two sets in and learned how to clean 35 year-old track  There are two sets of rails. Pairs on the 2 car track and one set of 3 and the other set of two for the 4 car system. The "left" lane (the lane the wheels point to) is controlled by the controller button and is an on/off switch. Diodes in the cars and in the terminal track determine which half of the AC sine wave goes to what rails and which car reacts to them. Momentum over powers the turning force of the wheels and causes the car to change lanes in the turns. The right lane is a pair of rails that are always full power. Once the car is back in a straight, it drifts back to the left and onto the controlled rails. The rails nearest each other between the two lanes, or innermost rails are also constantly powered and the car picks up a boost as it transitions between the lanes. I setup a n oval with flat 15" curves and 27" straights. A pair of cars can run w/o user intervention (left lane off) for a good long time once they get going. I'm sure it could be tweeked to work for hours on end. On this simple oval it was a matter of just holding down the button and watching 'em rip. You could pulse the button and keep the car in the left lane. It's more like pulling over than passing though. I'll try some photos and yak about the cars later. I've been drinking at an after work "happy hour" and I'm just plain tired. Them women get bitter and mean once they've been divorced a couple a times


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## roadrner

Back before it became common, I used to get these chassis for a little bit of nothing just to upgrade my standard TJets. They would definitely step up a notch. Still have a few left over in my collection. Always keep an eye out incase a deal should pass by.  rr


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## twolff

Managed to build 3 running cars out of the 4 that came with the first set. The 4th was missing the small plastic bushing for the top of the arm and has crown gear mesh issues and a bad clutch. Ok, it inherited all the reject parts from the group. The crown gear mesh problem appears to be related to the location of the pin for the driven gear. I may be able to re-man the clutch with some JB Weld. The cars free wheel nicely. The cars have a black lam with copper/red wire arm. JL ThunderJet fronts work on the front wheels and I was able to strech on some medium narrow tires from a Rocket Science bag-o-rejects for some nice tall rears. The rears clear only the Chaprral bodies.

The second set came with cars that use a regular T-Jet crown gear and narrow wheels all around. They do not free wheel as there is no clutch and the rear axles do not snap out. The arms are black lams with green wire. I haven't run one of these cars yet, but both wind up on the bench.

I'll be doing this to at least one T-Jet chassis:


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## twolff

Finally finished cleaning the track in the Sideswipers set. I wire brushed the rail fingers, hit the track with WD-40 a couple times and treated the rails and rail fingers with rail zip before I even tried any of this track. The results were worth the effort. I'll probably be treating my slotted Tomy track with Rail zip too. The track is the 5 rail that can run 4 cars. This set had the wrong power pack (DC) and the locking tab and slot on the banked turn entrance section are broken at the skinny end. I used a 4 rail section for the time being. I'll need a couple track repair clips or another section of track. I've also consided pulling a rail out of one of the extra sections and putting it in an unbroken 4 rail section. I don't think I'll have much trouble getting the rail out of the donor track, but getting it back in another section dosen't look so easy for some reason.

There's a pic of the setup below. We only put the yellow guard rail where testing showed it to be needed. Unlike the oval, this track can be "driven". I boils down to how the cars run through the banked curve. The greater the time you can keep the car powered, the faster it will get through the turn. Holding down the controller at entry rockets the car to the top of the turn's unpowered region where it remains until it slows enought to hit the upper power rails. The car can be driven through the turn significantly faster if the controller is not pressed until the car is well into the turn. It is in the center and exit of the banked turn where nearly all of the planned passing gets done. Usually on the low side. The cars can slip by one another in the other sections of the track, but it is the more the result of dumb luck than anything else. The cars are pretty evenly matched and how fast you can turn a lap depends a lot on how you get through the banked turn. My son and I ran it for an hour or so this afternoon. It was entertaining with plenty of crashing. 4 cars running on one of these layouts would be a real slugfest


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## slotcarman12078

Looks like fun!! I just might have to pull the trigger on one one of these days!!! :thumbsup:


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## T-jetjim

Twolff- do the cars ever stall between lanes? I always wondered if they did. Or do they always carry enough momentum to drop into a powered section no matter what?

Sounds like fun. Getting a knack for passing in the right places sounds pretty entertaining as well.

Jim


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## twolff

The cars occasionally do get stalled between lanes. Usually the result of tradin' paint. The cars are all coast. I'd like to give the clutch crown gear a try on a T-Jet. How the heck the skinny tired XLerators with a T-Jet rear end (no clutch) work is somewhat puzzling after running these. I don't know when or if I'll get to trying them out. They will both need to be cleanned and rebuilt.

I was home alone all day long today and wanted to fool with the XLerators some more so I used a #64 rubber band on one of the controllers as the other racer. The "ghost" car was powered on at all times and I was able to turn consistently faster laps driving through the banked turn. Passing was not guarenteed once I caught back up, but some passes were oh so clean. I found I could also let the ghost car pass exiting the banked turn by staying low (off the throttle). It also worked in the turn leading to the back straight.


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## slotcarman12078

I'm with you on wanting to try the clutch on a T Jet. The problem as I'm sure you noticed is getting it on there. Without making your own snap in axle, or at the very least overboring the holes and using press in bushings I can't think of a way to get it assembled on the chassis.. You'd lose the braking effect, but the coasting through the corners seems intriguing.. I'm adding the concept onto the someday I'll get to it pile..


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## DesertSlot

"The action never lets up because the transformer plugs right into the wall" ???? Great ad copy! LOL


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## twolff

So far the clutch/crown gear is the weak link in these cars. Either the gear mesh goes or the clutch pin carves out a slot in the face of the surface that it bangs against to lock. Attempted a clutch repair with a dab of JB weld. It only lasted a handful of laps. I think I'll try gluing in a brass sliver onto the face of the clutch flat so the pin has something more substantial to hit.


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## bobwoodly

twolff are you still working with Xlerators? I've got one of both versions - Type I with the quad arm and the later version with the inline motor similar to the G+. Both chassis run but only when power is applied near the arm (brush tubes or brush holders - bypassing the diode). Both chassis were clean but I've cleaned them and still can't get either to run (I don't have an Xlerators track, just a standard L&J tjet track) from the pickups. If the if the diodes failed would this affect anything? Looking for any suggestions. Thanks! 

Tom


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## Bill Hall

Tom, reverse your power leads (polarity) and see if they spark up!


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## slotcarman12078

Yes!! Those diodes are like a check valve for electricity. Current flows only one way. If you're running them on regular track and they power up backwards you can remove the diode and solder a small jumper wire on the chassis to bypass the diode. You should be good to go then! :thumbsup:


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## bobwoodly

Doh! I'm an idiot. Reversing the polarity worked with the inline Xlerator. I'll reassemble the quad arm version to see if that works as well (missing the top bushing on that one). Thanks!

Tom


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## twolff

What everyone else said  LOL

Truth be told, the cars are a lot of work to keep running. I've been keeping an eye out for the pick-up shoes for the #1 and #2 cars so I can get 4 running at a time. Then it will be a matter of keeping 4 cars runable.


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## videojimmy

I buddy of mine has thre Speed Steer set up... works well, but the cars are a bit slow... you can actually pass from one lane to the next


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## foxkilo

BTW: Faller used the half-wave system on their normal tracks to allow two cars running independently on one track. Instead of DC they used AC and one car wa running on the upper (positive )Half of the wave where as the other was using the lower (negative) half-wave. Ok, they were less fast than on DC but it worked. Thats why Faller cars have this little selen chips or on later cars pick-up shoes with in build diods. Aurora had a similar system too, because I have an MIB Indy racer with such a pic-up shoe, which is not Faller one but genuine Aurora. I don't know wether this was only offered on certain markets 'cause I never stumbled on an Aurora set utilising this system.
May be some might enlighten me.

Mario


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## 1scalevolvo

*TCR/Speedsteer This is from a private message I once sent*

THis has some good info hat puts some more light on this subject:


"IDEAL TCR will not work on AFX Speedsteer track nor TYCO TCR at all.I did mount some IDEAL TCR bodies on the TYCO "JAM" chassis but that is the extent of what you can do.The IDEAL TCR bodies are too long a wheelbase to mount on TYCO TCR A/B chassis's.
Did you se the IDEAL TCR Magnums I modified to run on TYCO 440-X2 slotted chassis on the HT ?

TYCO TCR can be modified to do so if you narrow down the front "HammerHead" / Bumper on the chassis so it is no wider than a Speedsteer car.I have not actually tried this (I will only have 2 systems- TOMY Slot & TYCO TCR slotless tracks for the sake of my insanity) but have successfully modified Speedsteer cars ( a Javelin & a 'vette GT) to run on TYCO TCR using plastruct to widen the front bumper on the TYCO TCR chassis.Speedsteer & TYCO TCR chassis are essentially the same (Interchangeable parts) that both got from common supplier in Asia.

Do you have an IDEAL TCR Set & cars ? I once tried to make it work but it was almost impossible & not worth my further time.
I also have a Lionel Power Passers set w/cars but I never bothered to set it up after my IDEAL experience.TYCO TCR is the best slotless.
How do you rate the AFX speedsteer system?
I assume it is as good as the TYCO TCR."


Neal:dude:


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## guinnesspeanut

The original XLerators were a 4 car system. Their original controllers were not variable speed, but could be swapped for them as long as they work on AC power. I use Model Motoring steering wheel controllers to calm down the speed on the inside 'hot' lane, forcing the cars back to controllable faster. You can also 'adjust' the spring pressure to get more 'hot' time or control time. To use the 3rd and 4th cars, you need to find a rather rare set of shoes that have a tab that sticks out, touching the center rail. Aurora eliminated the center rail for XLerators II, making it a 2 car system, so if you want 4 cars, you'll need to find those shoes and make sure there's a center rail on the outside lane. As for the Tyco TCR, yes you can use Speedsteer and Ultra5 cars. If you can find the Tyco Steer & Pass set, buy it. The 15 inch straights didn't have 2 sidewalls, so you could expand to 4 lane racing. Still only 2 cars, but a 4 lane track. You could just hold down the trigger if you want, but the skill is to drive more like a real car-enter the turn on the outside, hit the inside at the center of the turn, then back to the outside exiting the turn. You'll end up with slightly faster lap times if you can master this. I loved playing the drag races in the Need For Speed playstation 2 games, with the traffic and obstacles. now that Auto World has a drag set, I can't wait to modify it to work with slotless, add a few junkers to avoid, maybe a turn, and have a good old fashioned street race.. What did you end up getting? By the way-Faller also had a 4 car system that used a 2 lane track, 2 cars per lane. XLerators was Aurora's multi-car experiment.. Minic may also have a version of the Faller system. Faller now has an "invisible" track system, quite a neat twist. Wish somebody would come out with less visible rails for slotcars in the US market...


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## guinnesspeanut

*Still interested??*

If you're still interested in XLerators, let me know. There's actually a lot to it, subtle changes go a long way, but custom layouts can be a bit of a hassle with 4 car setups. I think worth the trouble. I've set up 4 lane(2 per track) layouts running 8 cars, and it's a blast. I'm still kicking myself that I didn't take a picture of the layout, or make a diagram. well, let me know. I'm also pretty well versed in the other slotless setups.


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## guinnesspeanut

For the most part, XLerators are 4 car, and XLerators II are 2 car. I recently found a 4 car XLerators II set, but somebody grabbed it while I was negotiating. You can tell the difference between 2 and 4 car by looking at the track: 4 car track has 3 rails on 1 side and 2 on the other. 2 car track has 2 rails each lane. It's a bit difficult setting up custom 4 car tracks because a curve has 3 rails inside or 3 outside, they aren't interchangable. Niether XLerator will work on any other slotless track. 4 car is definitely more fun, but to be competitive, make sure all of your chassis are the same, either rotary or inline chassis, as the inline have a tendency to draw more power, leaving less available for the rest. Controlling your car can be quite interesting. I usually put one of those old Model Motoring steering wheels wired up so the 2 rail side gets about 85% power, and 100% power to the 3 rail side, so it's to your advantage to stay in the inside lane. Adjusting the springs under the pickup shoes gives you better traction or worse traction. The less your front tires grip, the faster you go, but at a price: without grip, you'll surely fly into the hot lane where power is only 85%. Tightening the springs gives you better traction, but also creates drag, and makes it harder to pass. Remember, there's only 2 ways to pass- stay on the inside while your opponent is slowing down in the hot lane, or pick up enough speed that you can overtake them and pull yourself in front of them so they can't pass. If you prefer, you can bend the shoes instead of playing with the tiny springs. The original controllers have no speed control- push the button or don't. I like using the newer slotless triggers for variable speed. I never tried pushing the lane change button, so can't tell you what would happen. All in all, they're a blast.


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## plymouth71

Guiness, I'm sorry to be the one to inform you, You're not likely to hear from 1scalevolvo anytime soon, at least I hope not. Neal Passed away in early May.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showpost.php?p=4208349&postcount=1


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## JordanZ870

If its all the same, I'd* like to hear from Neal.
I miss him.


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## guinnesspeanut

The reason for the curved wheels is because only the intside lane is controllable. When you go around a curve, G forces pull your car into the outside lane. The curved wheels are designed to pull you back into the inside lane, where you control the gas. If you stretch out the pickup springs, you get less traction. Compress them or snip a bit off, you get more traction. If you don't want to play with tiny springs, you can bend the shoes a bit to get less traction. I think the power ratio is different between the 2 lanes, but never put a multimeter to it. Any other questions, just ask. I love these damn things. If you have any parts, I'd love em.


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## guinnesspeanut

If you have any XLerator parts, please let me know. I've got a dozen chassis I'd like to get rolling..


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## guinnesspeanut

Autoworld medium fronts fit the low profile XLerator rears.. Just thought you might want to know.


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## guinnesspeanut

There's actually long and short pickups. The shorts are available from slotcarcentral. I know I have both, but need to check quantity. The ones with inline motors use the small ones, and the rotary use long. Which do you need?


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