Hey, isn’t that Bruce Wayne, boy wonder and Alfred in the first picture? Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
Yes it is Jeff... Wow lots of good stories... I had to brake that layout down, it was too challenging for my 6 year old grandson. He didn't say anything but you could see. I put the new magna-track cars on and he said these are too easy, lets get the old cars out.. Those old cars handle like there on Bias Plys but there a challenge.. I took the spiral out, I couldn't get the track to ley flat and the cars kept jumping off... Oh well, these stuff is only 50 years old. I've been buying new stuff from a seller on e-Bay, the store is called HO racing.. https://www.ebay.com/str/horacingdepot Everything looks like brand new and works perfectly.
I have four sets of the Lionel Power Passers and a whole bunch of cars, some never run, if anyone is interested. Would like to see them go to someone who would use them. Been contemplating Fleabay for them.
We've got a 4 lane afx track and ho scale train setup I built. The kid loves it. I had um when I was a kid but there are a few nice things about newer tracks, mostly the power supplies. I can dial it down so kids don't go flying off the track and bust up the cars. I gotta say I prefer the modern cars too, they handle better. I've built 3-4 myself from chassis and they're much better than anything you can buy, and you can get pretty much any kind of lexan body and paint it how you like... Classic matchbox cars? That's another story....
I sure remember the electrical smell of theses cars. Remember the old red grease that came in a small bottle with applicator pin in the cap? It was to lubricate the armature thru the little hole in the center of the chassis of the Aurora cars. I didn't see any of the big slicks we used to put on our cars when I was a kid. They were way out of scale-way too big and you had to wallar out the body for them to fit. They were a bigger chrome wheel that slid on the axle, then a foam rubber tire fit on those wheels. I wish I had kept some of that stuff.... My first HO set was a "Eldon". the cars were really slow compared to the Auroras. They had a worm gear drive and if you tried to push them the rear wheels would skid. Then years later the Eldons were redesigned and were faster than the Auroras, but that was after I was older and out of the hobby. Good times!!
This is my "screaming" red Cheetah.. One of the fastest ones I have... I installed a green armature and Super II magnets in the chassis... Big and littles mounted on aluminum wheels with threaded axles...
Yep, that's it Deuces! And you're right still runners, the first set I had was Tyco and they were faster later. I actually got a Tyco set at a garage sale about 10 years ago and set it all up on a board to play with my grandkids but they really didn't care for it. Ahh.. kids now a days.....
There's a company called Auto World and they have a bunch of drag strip sets... One is called Legends of the Quarter Mile... The track has a Christmas tree and finish win lights... You could run any of the old Aurora slot cars, A/FX or tyco slot cars.... And with more of the Tomy track pieces, you could add a return lane for both cars.... Check it out!!!!....
I forgot about Auto World. I use to pick up their catalogs from time to time but that was a long time ago.
Here's my "BIG JOHN" Mazmanian '41 Willys gasser from Johnny Lightning with the Aurora style T-Jet chassis.....
No explanation for this one... Other than it's the same body... I thought it was cool when I got it..
Wow I have collected a few now that I'm older , they are displayed in an Aurora case . I sure wish I had the originals . I remember the controls had a steering wheel and a brake or reverse button? Out of curiosity , what would an original Aurora Cheetah be worth ?
I just noticed this one on eBay... It's the Hotrod edition '55 Chevy "Tabasco" gasser from the April 1967 HOTROD magazine cover car.... I have this one also.....
The Jalopy Journal
