Totally irrational

[4380r]

Over a few years I had collected quite a stash of rare, Three Lane Scalextric 1/24 scale track. Didn't have room in my condo to set up a layout, it's massive track, so rented a building on a farm for a year to set up a layout. Wound up taking it down because the arrangement was less than ideal, and 2 or so years ago sold the track, and wound up moving into an even smaller condo.

I wished I'd kept the track, in the event I actually would find space, but off it went.

Over the last month I've stumbled onto two lots of the track, the most recent from a set pictured here. So naturally I bought this knowing I can't use it for the foreseeable future. Altogether now I have about 64 sections, enough for a 55' layout, more or less. Again, waiting for space...although furniture in my LR might get pushed back to make room for a floor layout.

If you're not familiar with the track, it was never imported into the US. True 1/24 with 4 inch lane spacing. Stainless rails, VERY deep slots. Specialty pieces included fly over bridge (which I have) and a huge banked turn. It came with two radius curves, so you could mix them for an interesting road course OR make a six lane layout.

They made four types of 1/24 scale cars: Alfa Romeo and Jag E Type, which came in the sets, and a Lotus 38 and F1 Ferrari. Interesting because the Lotus was an Indy car and never raced against F1 cars in reality. All, in excellent shape, are very collectible, with a complete Lotus being the most valuable, often bringing $1K US, although like many slots, the market is soft lately.

Even though with three lanes, the sets only came with two cars, and NO power supplies.

[chappyman66]

I remember when you sold that track.....what a great piece of slot car history, and excellent plastic track.

And now you are collecting again........amazing. I hope you end up with a place to set up another nice layout. That's really great track.

[Fast Co.]

Very cool track! Odd that they would only include two cars in a set with 3 lanes - and that they only ever produced two cars of each type of racer. I don't know much about the history of the 3-lane track. Perhaps it didn't catch on enough for Scalextric to invest in tooling for additional cars. Still, plenty of models available today from other manufacturers that could be run on it. Both in 1/24 and 1/32 scale.

[noddaz]

It sounds like you need a house with a basement or a house with a garage!
And about the irrational part? You are playing with toy cars. There is nothing irrational about that.

[4380r]

Very cool track! Odd that they would only include two cars in a set with 3 lanes - and that they only ever produced two cars of each type of racer. I don't know much about the history of the 3-lane track. Perhaps it didn't catch on enough for Scalextric to invest in tooling for additional cars. Still, plenty of models available today from other manufacturers that could be run on it. Both in 1/24 and 1/32 scale.

It was partly a matter of timing. The track was produced for two years towards the end of the 60’s, as the hobby was starting to wind down. The typical home in Europe was smaller than most in the US, so this track was a tight fit in most homes. For that reason it was marketed to be set up outside in ‘the garden’ and left up in the rain. Being true 1/24 scale (I think Marx was the only other plastic track manufacturer who made the wider track), it really wasn’t going to sell in quantities for home use.

Actually, selling a three lane set with two cars was brilliant...you were almost obligated to buy a third car separately.

[Fast Co.]

Actually, selling a three lane set with two cars was brilliant...you were almost obligated to buy a third car separately.

Very true!