188 replies to this topic

[Daytonaman]

Eddie Cordle in Marietta, GA, has a Queen (green) Figure 8 in storage, a 60' track. Was operating when it was taken down two years ago.

[Champion 507]

To get back on topic, the number of known King tracks has increased to four, one surfacing in Texas and is supposedly being refurbished for use. I'll try to get a list together here in the next couple of weeks.

Mike,

The king you're speaking of in Texas...is that one in River Oaks? If so, that is an Ogilvie King that was in storage in Tulsa for almost two years after Steve Moore and Bobby Brummett brought it to Oklahoma from Arizona. Yes, it is being refurbished, but no, it is not an original King. It is a Canadian-built Ogilvie.

Bobby's current king track is the one Jeff Dean owned for many years. It too is a Canadian-built Ogilvie. It came from Denver, CO, back in the 1990s.

[Mike Patterson]

Doug,

This is the TRACK I'm talking about. It's back in Texas from Oklahoma. There's another thread on here about it, but I can't find it right now. It's supposedly being set up in the Dallas area, IIRC.

John, thanks for the info on the Queen.

[ropon]

The Monarch that was from Donna Hubbell's Slot Shop in Elyria, OH, is presently in storage in South Amherst, OH. It was redone to increase spacing to 4-1/2". The owner is Larry Harper of Speedway Slots. He kept the esses and the dip in the main straight. He had it running for two years until he relocated. If space becomes available, he may bring it back to life.

[Larry Mattingly]

D & T Hobbies in Hanover, PA, had an original American Figure 8 (green Queen?) in their mall store originally.

According to their website the track was sold to its previous owner in NJ.

LM

[don.siegel]

Are you counting international tracks, too?

There are at least a couple raceways I know of not far from me in Paris, under the AMF label used in Europe. There may be a few more floating around, since they were introduced with a big splash here (starting in England) in about 1966 - right when the steering wheels came out on these tracks.

First, the Royal/American Black at the Bordeaux slot racing club, which they recovered from a failed commercial venture in the late 1970s I think, or maybe earlier. It's been resurfaced and repainted, but is still original. The only photo I had in my archives shows it in the background of their six-lane Carrera track.



And from one of our vintage races (they run right to left in front of the drivers, opposite to what I assume is normal).



And another one I just discovered, an Orange in Nieuport, Belgium, across the border and about 30 minutes from Dunkerque...

[Mike Patterson]

Ron, thanks for the info on the ex-Slot Shop orange. I'm glad to hear it's not firewood .

Larry, thanks for letting me know about another Queen. Do you know who the track's previous owner was?

Don, thanks for posting. I'm not too sure about that orange track. The layout looks right, but the drivers panel, and thin walls, make me wonder. On closer inspection, I DO see some pedestal legs under the donut. Do you know if the track has been rebuilt a few times?

[Tex]

The King you're speaking of in Texas... is that one in River Oaks? If so, that is an Ogilvie King that was in storage in Tulsa for almost two years after Steve Moore and Bobby Brummett brought it to Oklahoma from Arizona. Yes, it is being refurbished, but no, it is not an original King. It is a Canadian-built Ogilvie.

Two different tracks.

Here is a LINK to the King being set up in River Oaks (suburb of Ft. Worth) by John Batson.

And here is a LINK to the American King being refurbed in Waxahachie (just south of Dallas).

[Champion 507]

Tex,

Thank you for those two links. I enjoyed them very much. My son, who lives in Dallas, and I want to see all three DFW area king tracks early next year.

[don.siegel]

Don, thanks for posting. I'm not too sure about that orange track. The layout looks right, but the drivers panel, and thin walls, make me wonder. On closer inspection, I DO see some pedestal legs under the donut. Do you know if the track has been rebuilt a few times?

Mike,

It's definitely an AMF and I believe it's been rebuilt at least once - they were pretty well made, but I don't think too many (any?) of the American tracks survived 40+ years without at least one overhaul...

Don

[TSR]

There are at least a couple raceways I know of not far from me in Paris, under the AMF label used in Europe.

Please note that the few AMF tracks in Europe were NOT built by AMR in the USA but were entirely made in the UK. AMF only purchased a LICENSE from AMR, that extended to any country in the world EXCEPT the USA.

And of course this demolishes the long-floating conspiracy theories of AMF "buying" AMR and "shipping the tracks to Europe so as to save their bowling alleys"...

Level-10 BS alert.

[Ron Hershman]

And Canada. Basically North America only.

[Mike Patterson]

Were the European AMF tracks built to the same specifications as the American tracks, in terms of lane length, banking, etc.?

[Champion 507]

Are there any AMF plans out there that if someone wanted to make a repro track, they would be able to do so? I've had blue sky dreams of owning an American orange some day.

[Jeff Bechtel]

I think Jeff Bechtel in IL still has a Regal in storage.

Yes, Ron, I do still have the Regal in storage. Someday I will find a house with a basement large enough to set it up again. Great Retro track.

[Mike Patterson]

Jeff,

Thank you for confirming that you still have the track. I appreciate the info.

[John Stezelecki]

Mike,

I was looking at your list of tracks. I think the Chicago, IL, Royal track is heading to Modelville in MA. They will then have a Sovereign and a Royal.

[Mike Patterson]

John,

Thanks for the info. Let me know when this happens, would you please?

[John Stezelecki]

Sure will. I'm expecting that the track will arrive late Feb or early March.

It's my understanding that an IMCA flat track is part of the package as well.

[TSR]

Were the European AMF tracks built to the same specifications as the American tracks, in terms of lane length, banking, etc.?

As far as we have been able to document, yes indeed.

[nicky 65]

Here's the list of surviving AMCR tracks to date:

CA - (1) Orange Monarch (in storage?)
GA - (1) Black Regal in storage, (1) Green Queen in storage
IL - (1) Black Royal, (1) Black Regal (in storage?)
IN - (1) Aristocrat aka Hillclimb (in storage?)
MA - (1) Purple Sovereign
MI - (1) Modified Red Imperial, (1) Yellow Windsor (set up?)
NJ - (1) Aristocrat
NY - (1) Yellow Windsor, (1) Black Regal, (1) Orange Monarch, (1) Blue King, (1) Yellow Emperor (in storage)
OH - (2) Blue Kings, (1) Aristocrat, (1) Orange Monarch (in storage?)
PA - (1) Yellow Windsor (in storage)
TX - (1) Black Regal, (1) Blue King
WI - (1) Red Imperial (in storage?)
Buzz A Rama in brooklyn also has a blue king in storage ..................so he has 2 .
Totals:
14 tracks set up or in the process
3 in storage
6 presumed to be in storage
_________
23 tracks total

Thanks to everybody who has replied to this thread. If you know of, hear of, or stumble across an American track that's not listed, please let me know.

[John Stezelecki]

The American Black Royal from Chicago arrived in Ashland, Modelville Hobbies this week.

[Tex]

I "think" Buddy McCutcheon in Odessa, Texas has a Red Imperial in storage, with the launch ramps removed. Buddy owns the "Black" Regal(now painted purple) in Odessa. I'll see if I can confirm.

[Mike Patterson]

Nicholas,
Are you sure about the second Buzz-A-Rama King? Do you know if it has been redecked?

John,
Thank you for confirming the Royal's move.

Richard,
Thanks for remembering another one. Let me know if it's still around.

[Tex]

Click on the link below and scroll about halfway down. The post is dated March 6, 2009 and you can see pics of the Imperial; Dean says it was not setup at that time but that they still had it. I'll PM Dean and ask if they still have it.

http://excoboard.com...s/78017/1541937