rally track grave yard ?

OXO cube · 13th-Mar-21, 06:55 PM

hi guys

i have seen so many old videos of fantastic UK rally tracks
with great scenery , additions and challenging courses
also lots of tracks from the 'SLOTRALLY GB' events

my question is (many fold) :-

where have these tracks gone ?
are they still out there ?
have most been discarded ?
is there a rally track grave yard somewhere ?
is there a possibility of resurrecting ?
are there any unwanted circuits out there that need a new home before they reach the tip ?

with the apparent revival of proxy racing due to covid
is there any possibility of a 'UK RALLY' proxy resurgence ?
if we can find some of the awesome old tracks
i for one would be up for this
would others ?
or am i day dreaming again ?

kev

Scuderia_Turini · 14th-Mar-21, 01:05 PM

Hello OXO,

That is a good question!

Several of the tracks were of course club tracks as featured in Southern Wales. I expected those to be the basis of the recent Wye_Valley_Winter_Series but I guess that the club premises were off-limits and so home-based tracks were used. Phil Barry (Aberstone) is one of the leading lights in that area and regulalry shares pictures of rally activity.
The emphasis in the UK slot-car scene is on racing and so when no-one is "pushing" rally, the specific tracks linger in a corner and fall into disrepair and get cleared out, either recycled or in some cases rescued by the one rally-fan.
So tracks must be out there but in reality, there were not a huge number of specifically constructed tracks, probably fewer than 12.

A chat with Phil might identify tracks that need re-homed.

Leo

Qman · 14th-Mar-21, 02:02 PM

Well.... back in the 70's we had 2x rally tracks at Headway Club in Crawley, they both disappeared when the club membership dropped to 2 of us, then we gave it a break for a couple of months to regroup our ideas but the youth club who owned the premises decided they wanted our space so scrapped our 4 lane, 100' club circuit and both our rally tracks.

I only knew of one other rally track, I never got to use it but it looked amazing, that was at Roedale club in Brighton, it lived above Reg Church's coal yard beneath their main clubroom so I'd see it every time I visited but alas the club has moved premises and I haven't heard what happened to the rally track.

Given time (and health) I plan on making a small rally circuit, but certainly not yet.

OXO cube · 14th-Mar-21, 04:55 PM

would be great if there was a record of the currently still 'alive' tracks
kind of a database with pictures
would be nice to look through them all
get ideas for future projects
find out where they are
seek permission to run a car around the closer ones if possible
and maybe try save any in danger from the highway in the sky Checkeredflag

kev

woodcote · 14th-Mar-21, 08:02 PM

Some of the Wye Valley ones are one this thread... and collected into this image we shared on the SlotRacer Facebook page...

They certainly do get used. Rockingham have a track in their club complex. And don't forget Hub's amazing layouts - plus others in the Show us your tracks section. I'm sure these are just some of the many scenic rally layouts in people's homes. I've seen quite a few being made during lockdown and shared on various Facebook groups (eg Scalextric Trackside NE).

Tracks that don't get used any more do tend to get chucked or repurposed. They are big old things to have laying around!

Qman - I don't remember any mention of the rally track when I raced at Roedale 10-12 years ago at their post-coal yard venue in Coldean. There was the club track and a "portable" exhibition layout. Sadly, Chris (Reg's son) passed away two years ago, but the club is still going strong - celebrating 55 years in 2020.

Scuderia_Turini · 14th-Mar-21, 09:15 PM

Hello OXO,
Wye Valley club have changed to a new website but the older one has photographs of their tracks.

Leo

https://aberstone.webs.com/apps/photos/

Qman · 16th-Mar-21, 12:49 PM

(14th-Mar-21, 08:02 PM)woodcote Wrote: Some of the Wye Valley ones are one this thread... and collected into this image we shared on the SlotRacer Facebook page...

They certainly do get used. Rockingham have a track in their club complex. And don't forget Hub's amazing layouts - plus others in the Show us your tracks section. I'm sure these are just some of the many scenic rally layouts in people's homes. I've seen quite a few being made during lockdown and shared on various Facebook groups (eg Scalextric Trackside NE).

Tracks that don't get used any more do tend to get chucked or repurposed. They are big old things to have laying around!

Qman - I don't remember any mention of the rally track when I raced at Roedale 10-12 years ago at their post-coal yard venue in Coldean. There was the club track and a "portable" exhibition layout. Sadly, Chris (Reg's son) passed away two years ago, but the club is still going strong - celebrating 55 years in 2020.

I was aware of Chris's sad passing, I'd known him since my first 'Open' in 1970 (which is when I first saw the rally track), I guess it was scrapped when the coalyard was sold, it was a big old track which included a suspension bridge that was actually suspended, I never saw it actually used but it was a beauty.
I last visited my friends at the club around 5 years ago but I'm still in contact with most of the guys.