26 replies to this topic

[Crazy8s]

Afternoon!!
I would like some input on any amcr track...like if you found one would you buy it?
Say you knew this reallly old man who had a AMCR black in storage for more than 10 years...
If you had the chance to obtain it would you try and get it?
Or would you assume the track is most likely too far gone considering its time in storage?
Would racing on a piece of slot car history be something you yourself would travel to see and race on?

Lets hear it

[Shruska55]

f the storage was temp controlled, it may be just fine depending on how it was put into storage. Stacked or on it's sides. There were two AMCR black tracks. The Regal and the Royal. The Royal was banked where the Regal was flat. Slot Blog AMCR Track history

 

I've been looking for a Regal, but they are hard to come by. I very much like the compact and tight lap length. It'll be a narrower lane width as well, but that made for some very tight racing back in the day.

 

It will need work, no doubt, but at the very least check it out and see if it is at all salvageable. It'd be a passion project, but then, that's pretty much what slot car racing is, yes?

[Bill from NH]

I would want to see it before I got very interested in buying it. See how it was stored. Assume it needs new braid & some wiring at the least. CJ, I see you asking about many tracks. At one time, I heard the Eagle Distributing in Enid, OK had several used tracks for sale. Contact them to see if they currently have anything that would meet your needs. Eagle does have a website.

[Crazy8s]

Bill...thanks for the response..i am a new track owner in central florida and im familiar with Eagle and they do not hav any tracks available
We are looking for a new track for our facility but our place is small however a BLACK is a perfect footprint for us regal or royal...
Me being in florida the rent is very high here so its tough for that space not to mention slot racing is not common here so tracks are few and FAR between

[Crazy8s]

Say this BLACK track was in a non temp controlled insulated storage up off the ground on 2x4s?
Gentleman is an old timer and connot send pics would you chance a trip?
Or would you let it go and get a gerding dadds or newer construction?
Sorry...just trying to keep it ALIVE

[Jay Guard]

C.J.:

I'd probably go take a look at it unless it was over say a thousand miles away.  But first I would definitely ask the owner a bunch of questions.  The first would be if the sections were stored stacked flat (not so good) or on their edge.  However the true AMCR tracks I'm familiar with have an upper and lower level which if any track can endure being stored flat one of those can.  You should also ask when it was last put up and in running condition as well asking about wiring, the drivers panel, braid condition, and if all of the original metal legs are there.  Computer and power supply aren't that big of a deal as you will probably want to use new items there.

 

BTW...I know of a really nice black track up in LaGrange, GA that I believe may be for sale.  I raced on it about ten years back and it was awesome, could it be the same one you are interested in?

[Crazy8s]

Jay i have asked multiple questions like that and i cannot be positive...however the track you speak of in la grange ga..well...that is the track...ive been in contact with the owners over the last several days...i was trying to keep it kinda down low lol but it is still in La Grange im trying my best to get it running again but the owners are not exactly ready to let it go so i just kinda have to hang out for a bit

[Jay Guard]

C.J.:

I know the owners Shirley and Steve very well, and have raced on that track a ton of times, but that was years ago.  Back then it was GREAT and one of my all-time favorite Black tracks.  It was in good condition when they took it apart.  They have been holding on to that track (stored) for at least 10+ years so of course I can't vouch for it's condition now.

 

BTW...To the best of my knowledge they also have a nice non-AMCR Orange track that might work for you.  It too was in great shape when they closed their slot car shop years ago.  It was a really "fast" track and had no esses between the donut and the lead-on, very similar to the Orange track that is in the Viper Pit in Thomasville, GA.

 

They have always talked about selling one or both of the tracks but as I recall were asking what I consider to be a bit too high of a price and always seemed to be reluctant to sell either of them for some reason.  While always a possibility they may be thinking of starting another slot car shop but if they haven't done it in the last 10 years or so I would kind of think that was unlikely.  I really hope you can get one of those tracks (especially the Black) and get it up and running again, as it would be ashamed to just have them eventually deteriorate and just be thrown away.

[Crazy8s]

Do you remember if its a regal or royal?

[Jay Guard]

C.J.:

I seems to me it was a flat Regal and that is why nobody else but me really like running on it.  I could be wrong as it has been over 10 years since I raced on it.  The reason I think it was a flat Regal is that i really like flat tracks and i loved that one.

[Crazy8s]

Steve couldnt tell me what it was but he said it was 90 foot so i assumed regal...im going to do my best to get it and set it up in florida. I have to wait until the end of the month for it and thats gonna kill me lol

[Jay Guard]

That would be awesome to get that track down here, I'll be one of your customers for sure!

[Paul Menkens]

Say this BLACK track was in a non temp controlled insulated storage up off the ground on 2x4s?
Gentleman is an old timer and connot send pics would you chance a trip?
Or would you let it go and get a gerding dadds or newer construction?
Sorry...just trying to keep it ALIVE

either of those gentlemen could build you a slightly larger (maybe 110') track of the same general layout that would be vastly superior to an old one, I'd go 6 lanes and 4 1/2" spacing

[Ramcatlarry]

Regal and Royal are both 90 ft.  The donut is round on one and 'D' shaped on the other as I recall. 

[Jay Guard]

It's correct that they are both 90 Ft. long but I think they both have a round donut.  As I recall the only difference is one has banked turns the other has all flat turns.  The general shape is of course a King track with the straights shortened.  The only AMCR track that I recall having a "D" shaped donut was the Red track.

[Rob Voska]

Is it the old press board or MDF?  Is it a T slot or grove?  When factoring in the price consider a complete redeck at 5-6K.  Updated timing system etc.........  Maybe even making it a 6 lane to give wider spacing unless you are going to run 1/32 cars.

Local track was a American Royal and T slot wore out quick and the track had to be redecked as the old wood just sort of crumbled away.  If it's a 5K piece of history and it needs everything it will be a 10-12K when you are done and that gives you a LOT of other options. 

[Paul Menkens]

I was always under the impression that the Royal slightly banked version was 95' but many raceways embellished the lengths of their tracks, one that I raced at claimed in radio ads that it was a "110' high banked, high speed" track when it was none of the above, the manager told me it was 95' which is what I always thought it was, one of the local raceways when I was a kid claimed theirs was 95' but they also claimed their Red Imperial was 175'.

I have raced on one that appeared to be identical to a flat Regal that deff did have a short straight section on the donut but the owner told me that that was an Engleman and the driver's stations were all labeled "Engleman Designs" however that could have been a part that was switched over the years. If that was an American it was the most smooth American I've ever seen, not a bump on the whole thing.

[Crazy8s]

Is it the old press board or MDF?  Is it a T slot or grove?  When factoring in the price consider a complete redeck at 5-6K.  Updated timing system etc.........  Maybe even making it a 6 lane to give wider spacing unless you are going to run 1/32 cars.

Local track was a American Royal and T slot wore out quick and the track had to be redecked as the old wood just sort of crumbled away.  If it's a 5K piece of history and it needs everything it will be a 10-12K when you are done and that gives you a LOT of other options. 

no actually 10 to 12k when done is cheaper than a new track at 125$ a linear foot a 110 foot track 13,750$ lol trust me ive priced it...and as far as timing and power i have modern stuff already running another track im taking down i am not scared to redeck/repair a track i also have a lead on another track built just like a black thats been restored but the owner cannot verify it is a black as it was her husbands and he passed..

[mreibman]

In this post, http://slotblog.net/...to-buzz-a-rama/, there's a couple of amcr tracks, including a full pic of what I believe is a black royal.

All these tracks are in storage in NJ when last I heard.

You want to talk about HISTORY?

[Mike Patterson]

Buy it. AMCR tracks are WAY overbuilt, that's one reason they're still around today. Biggest downside is the track pieces are HEAVY!

[Rob Voska]

no actually 10 to 12k when done is cheaper than a new track at 125$ a linear foot a 110 foot track 13,750$ lol trust me ive priced it...and as far as timing and power i have modern stuff already running another track im taking down i am not scared to redeck/repair a track i also have a lead on another track built just like a black thats been restored but the owner cannot verify it is a black as it was her husbands and he passed..

But you still have the lane spacing issues with the old track.

[jimht]

But you still have the lane spacing issues with the old track.

 

4" lane spacing has never been an issue on my Engleman. 

There's really never been any "justification" for wider lanes other than the fact that it was easier for the instigator (Hasse Nilsson, a metric kind of guy) to use 110mm than 4" (101.6mm).

 

Elliptical routing on newer tracks makes lane widths vary all over the place anyway.

 

Wider lane spacing is less critical on a slower shorter track.

 

Why make it so passing in a corner is no different from passing in the straight?

 

Aside from that, it adds an extra lanes worth of width to a track, making it harder to reach across.

[Crazy8s]

Well guys here is the update!!
Steve was kind enough to call my wife with more information on this BLACK
It is NOT an original AMCR however an olgivie track double tounge w triangle legs like most moderns are he calls it an american as thats what it was listed on olgivies website as...i guess we can presume the AMCR in ga storage? In the amcr remaining tracks thread was a myth? Or maybe there is still one in the state? Hmmm maybe opened a new search for us all lol.

AMCR or not i still have hopes of bringing this track to florida along with their orange hopefully...very soon
Thanks for the feedback guys...and god bless steve and shirley...

[JHMerriman]

Im very positive that the Black from LaGrange is not an American track.

[mjsh]

Ogilvie.