13 replies to this topic

[ravajack]

Here it is at last, the largest slot car racing track in the world!

Four lanes, length 53 meters, (174 ft) required floor space 7 x 13 meters (23 x 43 ft).

 

 

Still a bit impressive by today's standards, but even more so considering that the track was built 61(!) years ago...

The picture above is from an article (below) in a swedish tech mag from mid 1959, TfA, and shows the track in its full glory. 

The headline in red states boldly: THE WORLD'S LARGEST MINI RACING TRACK

 

 

Construction material is wood and thin fibre board (Masonite) for track, with strips of thin aluminum foil glued to either side

of the slots for power distribution to the cars.

In front center of the track picture is the constructor/builder of the track, Rune Fredholm, a 34 year old teacher in the Riksby

school in a suburb northwest of Stockholm. A few years later he advanced to be the headmaster of the school.

By then he had also developed his own brand of slot racing equipment, Expert Racing, offering complete tracks (see above)

as well as pre-cut Masonite track pieces w. accessories. Expert Racing also offered chassis kits to be used with Merit static

plastic car kits, a then popular brand offering period racing cars in 1/24 scale.

The Expert Racing chassis kit included an assembled frame of silver/steel rods, tires, gears and a Trix train motor. The chassis

was adjustable in length to adapt to the 12 different Merit racing car kits available (except maybe the extremely slim and tiny

Cooper 500 Mk IX...)

 

Rune Fredholm's Expert Racing offered a track system as well as a complete chassis kit w.tires and motor already in the late 1950's.

 

[Ecurie Martini]

I was aware of Expert Racing back in the day but never got as far as an order.  In those pre-internet, pre PayPal days ordering overseas involved language barriers (I'm OK in French & German, can pick my way through Italian but Swedish is a show stopper) correspondence, a bank trip to buy a draft on a foreign bank, mailing etc.

[don.siegel]

That is rather fascinating Bertil, and it was undoubtedly the biggest track in the world at the time - and for a few years to come! Is it really 1959? 

 

Don 

[Pappy]

If I remember right, back in the mid 60's big tracks became all the rage. I think it was Don's Bike Shop that built one that was about 350' around it only to find out no one wanted to run on it. I ran on it one time and don't think I ever got a whole lap in without wrecking.

 

Gary Adams probably knows more about it than I do.

[Steve Deiters]

Running the slot car technology of the era this track was constructed I guess the goal was to crack the 30 second mark for a lap time (lol).

[ravajack]

Is it really 1959? 

 

Don 

 

Yes, Don, it really is 1959. 

This is serious matter, nothing to joke about. 

Below is the cover from the mag with the Fredholm article, Teknik för Alla (TfA) issue #19, 1959.

 

 

But the first articles on the new hobby appeared in TfA almost a year earlier, in issue #23, 1958.

 

 

If needed, maybe Tore and/or Nesta can chime in to confirm and authenticate the TfA status...

 

BTW, in the article above, Rune Fredholm is quoted saying:

 

"When I started out with mini racing five years ago, the hobby was a clean slate, and there were

no experience to build from. Today the situation is totally different for those who are interested in the hobby".

 

Which means that Rune Fredholm was a true pioneer already in - 1954!

[don.siegel]

Thanks much Bertil. 

 

It isn't that I didn't believe you, but the track looked relatively modern - altho the chassis didn't! 

 

If he started in 1954, that would be rather amazing too - do you have any idea if he was following the original concepts in England, or if he came up with this on his own? And were there other experimenters in Sweden? A lot of questions, I know, and probably impossible to answer, but this does open up new avenues... 

 

Do you think it would be possible to find original copies of those magazines? 

 

Don 

[MattD]

It still looks like Major Ken Wallis was ahead of the this by 10 years or so.    

 

The fact the Swede used aluminum foil as a track conductor must have meant a lot of repairs.   If he started in 54, he could have been rail or diesel racing at that time and started experimenting with slots and spent a couple years working toward  conventional slot track..     

 

http://www.bscra.bye...is1942.html?i=2

 

 

This video was made several years ago before the Major passed.   Maybe the  Swede saw this video on Youtube when he was a  kid and it led  to him experimenting with slots!!

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=O44iEBmSg8s

[Mark Mattei]

.

Hi ,Matt, great video on Wallis, made me go and buy his biography on eBay UK.

Thanks,

Mark

[strummer]

Wow, this is all great stuff....  

 

Mark in Oregon

[MattD]

Mark, I have no doubt Major Wallis could excel at any kind of engineering problem.   He seemed to think outside the box and come up with some great ideas and actually make them work.   Seems like he is overlooked  by most slot hobbyists.

[Martin]

Love that track, reminds me of a club track that had to be set up in a common room once a week for BP employees. My friends Dad worked for BP.

I went there to race with my 1/24 Mini as they were all 1/32 guys.

When I punched my car, they complained that there home built cars lost power. It had a hot Champion hot motor.

 

In the bottom right hand corner of the track pic (post 1) there is what look like cactus or some kind of thing to hit while in the turn. Any ideas what they are?

[MattD]

Martin, it looks like some kind of trees doesn't it!    I bet that's fun.

[Martin]

I can see Marge Simpson to the top right, but you are probably correct some kind of  shrub or tree?

Not sure what the point is. Maybe points for hitting them out to the barrier. Who knows???

 

I am sure we were not the first to put toys on the track to wack as we slide by.