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American Model Raceways Emperor 220' track


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#1 Cheater

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 06:26 PM

In a thread about recent media coverage of Buzz-A-Rama, Nick Cerulli posted a pic of the Emperor track that used to be set up there (and which is said to be stored in Buzz's legendary basement).

It occurred to me how few pics of this track have ever surfaced, at least how few I have seen. The AMRC promotional material only contained this artist's image, which is known to be inaccurate insofar as showing what the real track actually looks like.

 

emp6.jpg

 

Since, as far as I know, the Emperor at Buzz-A-Rama was the only one ever built/sold (any know differently?), all of the existing photographs of an Emperor show the one that was there. And I believe all of the few photos of that track I've been able to locate have come from Buzz.

 

Peter Lentros posted the next three photos in a thread last year on Purple Mile tracks.

 

emp2.jpg

 

emp3.jpg

One of the famous 'Buzzy's Bunnies' marshaling. These two obviously were taken a few moments apart, since the same people are present.

 

emp5.jpg

Pretty certain that is Buzz's hand. On my one visit there a few years back. I noticed that he has what I consider to be distinctive-looking hands.

 

emp.jpg

 

And this is the pic that Nick posted earlier today.

Phil Hackett mentioned he had some pics of Buzz's Emperor somewhere, but he's either never found them or hasn't posted them. Anyone else have any pics of an Emperor?

I did quite a bit of Googling looking for more pics and they just aren't there. Most of the pic links I did locate wound their way back to Slotblog as the primary source.


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Gregory Wells

Never forget that first place goes to the racer with the MOST laps, not the racer with the FASTEST lap





#2 Martin

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 07:02 PM

Hey Greg,

I went looking too, and stumbled on this article.
 
Long-lost Playland at the Beach relic resurfaces in Massachusetts

I was under the impression that Playland had one of each AMR tracks. But now I think they did not have a Emperor. 

Playland did not have Buzzy's Bunnies either.


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#3 Pablo

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 07:03 PM

Whoopsy, my car is on the floor again.

Whoopsy, my car is on the floor again, darn it.

Whoopsy, my car is on the floor again.  :laugh2:


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#4 Cheater

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 07:26 PM

Martin,

There are a number of threads here at Slotblog regarding the Purple Mile at Modelville Hobby. Search on "Playland" and you'll probably find most of them.

Gregory Wells

Never forget that first place goes to the racer with the MOST laps, not the racer with the FASTEST lap


#5 John Streisguth

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 07:32 PM

I could swear that O'Dowds raceway in Pine Brook NJ had one of those, or at least something very similar. Any NJ old-timers remember the biggest track they had?


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#6 MSwiss

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 07:40 PM

I just got a chance to take a close look at the new photo(s).

I don't think it is 100% the same track.

IOW, unless I'm missing something, the track in the new photo was modified, or vice-versa.

On the new pics, there isn't any crossovers.

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#7 tonyp

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 08:17 PM

Buzzy removed the crossovers.

The crossovers on the short straight were made into esses, that were more like ZZs.
 
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#8 Cheater

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 08:19 PM

I was wondering about that, too.


Gregory Wells

Never forget that first place goes to the racer with the MOST laps, not the racer with the FASTEST lap


#9 slotcarone

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 08:37 PM

Yeah, yeah me, too!!

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#10 slotcarone

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 08:40 PM

It looks like the cars went from right to left past the drivers panel. You would have thought it would go the other way into the bank. :)


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#11 Larry Labounty

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 09:27 PM

The AMF bowling center in Bloomfield, CT, did an addition in the front for slot cars around '65-66. All three tracks were American Raceway: an Emperor, a blue King, and a Hillclimb with the steering wheels. By '68 or '69 the raceway was closed. 

 

At C&C I remember seeing a track with yellow sides in one of the back rooms, always wondered if that was the Emperor from Bloomfield? Thought the King may have been from there.

 

Think the picture of Graham Hill that Bob had at BIR was in Bloomfield also.



#12 old & gray

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Posted 11 December 2018 - 10:07 PM

It looks like the cars went from right to left past the drivers panel. You would have thought it would go the other way into the bank. :)

 

Right to left at the driver's straight; through the "small" bank; down the long straight (crossover); Big bank; short chute and 45 kink left; straight; 180 left; straight with crossover; flat 180 left; and repeat. Bring a motor or get run over.

 

Over an hour on the bus to the track in Bloomfield whenever I could.


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#13 Mike Patterson

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Posted 12 December 2018 - 10:42 AM

IIRC, the consensus was that only four Emperors were built, and one of those went overseas. I have no facts to support that assumption, however.


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