[dreinecke]

Some folks already know me for my previous track builds and my now-retired resin casting business.

This is the 5th iteration of the Palmer Divide Raceway - aptly named as I once lived on the geographical area known as the Palmer Divide in Colorado. The current version's design is an homage to Riverside International Raceway (RIR), but borrows elements from Colorado in general and the now-defunct Continental Divide Raceway once located in Castle Rock, Colorado.

Having recently moved the track from Colorado to Florida, it has taken quite some time to get the track back on it's legs.  The new slot car space is not in the house as it always has had a basement to reside in, but instead is now in a detached garage.  Therein lies the initial problem: said garage began as a dirty, bug-infested, and sweltering hot space.  After much work that involved installing a ceiling, lighting, insulation, and air-conditioning, it is habitable and a nice space.

   

   

The track is currently bolted back together and has just had the first coat of Bondo applied to the track gaps and the holes from setting the sections back together.   I've used a car without a pinion gear to "drive" the track whilst getting the joints properly leveled.  I've also removed all of the original copper tape in order to prep for laying new tape without all of the new section breaks from transporting the track during the move.

   

I'll be completing the joint work over the next week or so, re-taping it, and beginning the wiring.

More to come!

[JasonB]

Whatever it was like when you found it, it's a very nice track room now, and a very nice track too.

[BAracer]

As seen on the World Wide Chat a few weeks ago.

[dreinecke]

Thanks!  This is a picture from day we made the offer on the house:

   

And the day we took possession.  Quite a bit has been done since this day!

   

[JasonB]

Quite an improvement.

[CMOTD]

That's what you call a garage, its bigger than my whole ground floor!

[Gordon Steadman]

Get rid of the cars and you could have a bigger track!

[dreinecke]

Get rid of the cars and you could have a bigger track!

I'm getting buried in that car...so, no dice.  However the foosball, dart board and lawn tractor may all find themselves homeless...

[Anthony B]

Welcome on board David - so good to see you here. I still have a couple of your castings that need to be made   - superb indeed!

Looking forward to watching the build as your last track was awesome.

[dreinecke]

I was able to spend a few hours this weekend getting the surface ready for taping.  I sanded all the joints, added a few coats of Bondo and sanded.  Took a bit more off than I hoped, but as I've moved homes several times, I find that how a track goes together the first time, may not be exact the next.

   

   

I no longer have the original paint as I'd done 4 prior tracks and used it all up, I found a gray we'd used in one of the bedrooms and snuck some out when the fetching Mrs. R wasn't looking.  Two quick coats looked to be enough.

   

I then did my normal acrylic paint in black and white in separate spray bottles over it.  I allow it to dry for a spell and then blot it all dry.

As you can see, the coating is not an exact match as I'd changed colors and spray bottles completely, but good 'nuff.  I'll put a mark around it to make it look like a patch and then repaint the outer lines.  

   

   

   

As you may have realized from my other PDR builds - I do things somewhat without plan - I like the naturally haphazard look it usually takes on as real life is messy, and not all perfect lines and colors - otherwise, everything in life would look like a rendition of a bloody Apple store.

The old Carrera BMW thing is the only modern car I have, but is fairly heavy.  With the pinion removed and the braid as well, it makes an excellent roller to check all the joints.  I find I usually make racing noises whilst pushing it around - but as the fetching Mrs. R says; I'm probably going to be 12 in my head forever.

Once I have the surface completed and the track running, I'll add some plaster to the cracks in the landscaping area...much further down the road yet.

Happy Slotting!