28th-Aug-26, 01:02 PM
Welcome to SlotRacer JAA17 
My thoughts on AFX...
AFX is the premier HO scale track system and offers a lot for whatever your interests are. For me, HO is the basis of our local club (four lane AFX tracks), home drag racing and collecting. HO is also the perfect scale for small homes and for scenic landscaping. Almost all HO cars manufactured from the early 1960s to 2026 run on AFX track.
Beyond the AFX cars, there is the UK-produced Bulldog chassis and a growing 3D-printed body shell market. Plus out-and-out racing chassis like Viper and Wizzard.
Europe and the UK has been a bit of a backwater for AFX since a failed distribution deal about 10 years ago. A new Europe-wide distribution deal in now in place and the final hurdles are being navigated. Expect to see AFX sets, cars and accessories available soon-ish. Maybe by Christmas?
Until then, the sole UK seller of AFX, Bulldog and other HO products is Barry Johnson at Slot Cars Direct. He does not sell sets.
Original Tomy AFX sets from the late 1980s and 90s can be found in the UK. These use the same track as the current sets and generally work fine. 90% of our track at Worthing HO Racing is of this vintage. Don't pay more than £25-40 for a set, for example this one would be a cheap way to see if AFX work for you.
And 1:43 scale...
This scale typically offers sets for younger racers to enjoy until they are old enough to move up to the 1:32 and 1:24 scale 'hobby-grade' systems. However, there is a small but enthusiastic 1:43 scale hobbyists scene across Europe and North America. The layouts have a bigger footprint than AFX, but smaller than Scalextric etc. They aren't anywhere near as versatile as AFX - eg not as many different track pieces or as big an 'aftermarket' scene for compatible cars and accessories.
Carrera 1:43 (aka Carrera Go!!!) is available new in the UK, mostly sets in toy shops and individual cars from slot car retailers like Pendles and Jadlams. There are some nice accessories, although you'll have to import them from Germany. Other 1:43 cars don't always work on Carrera tracks and vice versa.
A slightly more hobby-grade 1:43 scale option is SCX Compact. The sets can be upgraded with aftermarket controllers etc and there are loads of racing and rally-themed cars available, including modern GT3, F1 and WRC cars. The prices are similar to Carrera Go!!! but I think you get better value with SCX Compact.
Jadlams in Glastonbury (near you?) have some SCX Compact sets from £56 to £106 here. Gaugemaster distribute SCX in the UK and you can see (and buy) the full Compact range on their site.
In conclusion:
In my opinion, AFX is the basis of a fully-fledged hobby in a smaller scale than Scalextric (and Carrera), which makes it more practical for a small home. A decent track can fit on a board under a single bed or behind a door. Loads of different track pieces, spares, accessories (including a huge aftermarket scene) means the possibilities are endless. One downside is that HO cars are very small and fiddly to work on. Another is that HO prices are more than 1:43, closer to 1:32.
The 1:43 scale systems are much more limited systems (an entry point for younger racers), although - with compromises - they can be the basis for a fun hobby. Sets and cars are cheap. The cars are much bigger than HO - just scaled-down down versions of 1:32 scale cars, but with less detail. They are easier to work on than HO cars, but only a few aftermarket accessories and hop-up parts are available. My preference in 1:43 scale would be SCX Compact over Carrera Go!!!
I hope that helps!
Here are some pictures...
That's 1:32 (Scalextric) at the top, 1:43 in the middle (SCX Compact) and HO (Life Like) at the bottom.
Inside an HO car (AFX Mega-G+) and an SCX Compact car...
And my old 1:43 track on a cut-down 6x3 door...
I did use Carrera Go!!! track, but wired it up myself to take club controllers - so there are ways to make 1:43 more of a hobby than a toy
And my HO home track with an even smaller footprint...
My thoughts on AFX...
AFX is the premier HO scale track system and offers a lot for whatever your interests are. For me, HO is the basis of our local club (four lane AFX tracks), home drag racing and collecting. HO is also the perfect scale for small homes and for scenic landscaping. Almost all HO cars manufactured from the early 1960s to 2026 run on AFX track.
Beyond the AFX cars, there is the UK-produced Bulldog chassis and a growing 3D-printed body shell market. Plus out-and-out racing chassis like Viper and Wizzard.
Europe and the UK has been a bit of a backwater for AFX since a failed distribution deal about 10 years ago. A new Europe-wide distribution deal in now in place and the final hurdles are being navigated. Expect to see AFX sets, cars and accessories available soon-ish. Maybe by Christmas?
Until then, the sole UK seller of AFX, Bulldog and other HO products is Barry Johnson at Slot Cars Direct. He does not sell sets.
Original Tomy AFX sets from the late 1980s and 90s can be found in the UK. These use the same track as the current sets and generally work fine. 90% of our track at Worthing HO Racing is of this vintage. Don't pay more than £25-40 for a set, for example this one would be a cheap way to see if AFX work for you.
And 1:43 scale...
This scale typically offers sets for younger racers to enjoy until they are old enough to move up to the 1:32 and 1:24 scale 'hobby-grade' systems. However, there is a small but enthusiastic 1:43 scale hobbyists scene across Europe and North America. The layouts have a bigger footprint than AFX, but smaller than Scalextric etc. They aren't anywhere near as versatile as AFX - eg not as many different track pieces or as big an 'aftermarket' scene for compatible cars and accessories.
Carrera 1:43 (aka Carrera Go!!!) is available new in the UK, mostly sets in toy shops and individual cars from slot car retailers like Pendles and Jadlams. There are some nice accessories, although you'll have to import them from Germany. Other 1:43 cars don't always work on Carrera tracks and vice versa.
A slightly more hobby-grade 1:43 scale option is SCX Compact. The sets can be upgraded with aftermarket controllers etc and there are loads of racing and rally-themed cars available, including modern GT3, F1 and WRC cars. The prices are similar to Carrera Go!!! but I think you get better value with SCX Compact.
Jadlams in Glastonbury (near you?) have some SCX Compact sets from £56 to £106 here. Gaugemaster distribute SCX in the UK and you can see (and buy) the full Compact range on their site.
In conclusion:
In my opinion, AFX is the basis of a fully-fledged hobby in a smaller scale than Scalextric (and Carrera), which makes it more practical for a small home. A decent track can fit on a board under a single bed or behind a door. Loads of different track pieces, spares, accessories (including a huge aftermarket scene) means the possibilities are endless. One downside is that HO cars are very small and fiddly to work on. Another is that HO prices are more than 1:43, closer to 1:32.
The 1:43 scale systems are much more limited systems (an entry point for younger racers), although - with compromises - they can be the basis for a fun hobby. Sets and cars are cheap. The cars are much bigger than HO - just scaled-down down versions of 1:32 scale cars, but with less detail. They are easier to work on than HO cars, but only a few aftermarket accessories and hop-up parts are available. My preference in 1:43 scale would be SCX Compact over Carrera Go!!!
I hope that helps!
Here are some pictures...
That's 1:32 (Scalextric) at the top, 1:43 in the middle (SCX Compact) and HO (Life Like) at the bottom.
Inside an HO car (AFX Mega-G+) and an SCX Compact car...
And my old 1:43 track on a cut-down 6x3 door...
I did use Carrera Go!!! track, but wired it up myself to take club controllers - so there are ways to make 1:43 more of a hobby than a toy
And my HO home track with an even smaller footprint...
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