# Built a new routed track.....



## bjanzen (Oct 24, 2008)

Well I have been on a quest for way too many years to build a really nice HO routed track. I have been down just about every road there is related to tracks and after much research I managed to get hooked up with Kevin Shaw. He was happy to assist with the issues I was having and after building myself a track a local friend wanted one too. So here is the track I made him. It still needs lane colors and border walls but it is getting close. Surface is laminate and hand routed lanes. 








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## hojoe (Dec 1, 2004)

That's a beautiful track. Nice job!
hojoe


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## sidecar53 (May 14, 2006)

WOW!! that looks awesome! What's the lane spacing dimension? Looks wider than on commercial toy track. Beautiful job.


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## bjanzen (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks for the compliments. I am proud of it. The new owner now has color coded the lanes and made a black stained 8" perimeter for it. I will try to get some more photos when I see it next. Yes it is wider than the Tomy track..... Lane spacing is 1.75" center to center. I drew up 6 layouts in CAD and this is what he picked. I think several of the commercial tracks use wider spacing as well but I'm not sure who does what. The extra room is nice and makes less bump and grind action.


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Good looking track bj... I know Kevin myself, great guy. I don't think there's much he can't do!!! RM


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Cool track!!! Looks fast!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Cleveland, TN, huh? Last time I was there a tornado (F-1 I believe) had meandered through the industrial park the day before, and part of the building from across the street was curled up in front of the business I was picking up a load at. Until I found out about the tornado, I thought is was a very strange modern sculpture! :lol: As I recall I was picking up freezer pops. The guy loading my truck told me he stood on the dock and watch the twister glide by. I probably would have done the same. I have pictures from that stop somewhere around here...


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## bjanzen (Oct 24, 2008)

Oh yeah.... I remember the day well..... It was 7pm on 4/26/11. I may have the year wrong but it went right through my area..... Worst part was about 3 miles east of me. I spent days cutting up trees in the neighborhood


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

This one was in '98. Just about that whole year I dealt with a tornado in one way or another every time I was heading for home (either on the way to pick up a load, or loaded and on my way). It's easy for me to remember because my wife was pregnant with my kid and in the truck with me for the first 5 months of it. Whether being chased by them on the Indiana toll road, or having one cross the interstate ahead of me or behind me in TN or NC, to seeing a funnel cloud pass over St. Pete, FL. 

The worst day was also in TN. I spent over 8 hours sitting in a Walmart DC in eastern TN getting unloaded, and every 45 minutes or so another warning would pop up on the weather radio of a tornado running parallel to I-81 one or two towns away. Once I got out of there I had to go to Murfreesboro to get my load home. One passed across I-40 less than 1/2 mile ahead of me.. It was dark by then, and I never seen so much lightning concentrated in one small area, and nearly constant like a strobe light. That was the same day Nashville got hit by an F-5. That whole year was crazy!! :freak:


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

Wow! Very nice track! ...and very interesting weather stories, guys!


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## bjanzen (Oct 24, 2008)

Well I have been busy making another track. I have found a lot of techniques that make this simple to do and have been enjoying the process. I have been racing with the NASA group and a couple of guys are coming up to see what I have come up with. I hope to offer my track building services in the next few months if I get good reviews on this one.. 




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## FOSTBITTEN (Aug 1, 2013)

Is the top design inspired by the Catlunya GP Circuit. I have played that circuit in lot of different games. It's always been one of my favorites. 

Your newest design looks like that one on steroids!! Looks very nice great job!


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## Gerome (Sep 25, 2011)

Looks good Barry! I wish I could come with the guys to race on it.


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## bjanzen (Oct 24, 2008)

FOSTBITTEN said:


> Is the top design inspired by the Catlunya GP Circuit. I have played that circuit in lot of different games. It's always been one of my favorites.
> 
> Your newest design looks like that one on steroids!! Looks very nice great job!


Sorry but I have not seen that layout before. I just sat down with my laptop and started drawing lines and circles. The newest version did start with what I had done previously and was stretched 6 feet. I like tight technical tracks and want to make the most of table space. I had 6 different layouts and this was the last one I drew and my favorite as well. The border went on tonight and I hope to get the wiring done tomorrow.


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

Very nice work dude. What is the track made of?? Is it MDF? How much a sheet and what are the dimensions per sheet???


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## bjanzen (Oct 24, 2008)

Joe65SkylarkGS said:


> Very nice work dude. What is the track made of?? Is it MDF? How much a sheet and what are the dimensions per sheet???


Joe, 

Thanks..... I am very happy with it. It is two 4x8 sheets of MDF board with laminate top for the surface. 

Barry


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## [email protected] (Jan 31, 2010)

Looks awesome. What did you use for rail wire?


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## FOSTBITTEN (Aug 1, 2013)

This is an example of the Catalunya circuit: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catalunya.svg

The Catalunya circuit would make a good scenic slot track. The first section climbs a slight incline. Then gradually goes down then back up through the middle & then down. And up again for the final section & then you guessed it back downhill for the main straight which at the end of the straight it starts gradually falling down again. It makes for one of the most fun places to race within a video game. With the exception of The Green Hell or The Nurburgring.


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## bjanzen (Oct 24, 2008)

Frost..... That is a awesome layout. I must see if I can adapt that next time I get playing with CAD. Thanks for the insight. 

I have been working on the track all day...... It may not look much different but all the wiring has been done underneath and I cut some panels for stations. I smoothed up all the border boards and put a coat of stain on them. After all the mess, I cleaned up everything and did the striping. I wanted something different and subtle but still use common race software colors from Trakmate. Here is a picture of the current project...


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

Damn that looks like fun, great job. :thumbsup:


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## FOSTBITTEN (Aug 1, 2013)

I cannot tell if you have installed rails yet. But have you been able to test it out. It looks tricky and it also looks like the lane lengths would be fairly close to each other. Very cool and nice craftsmanship especially for your first couple of tracks. It looks like you are a pro!!


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