Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

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Go Bubba Go
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Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by Go Bubba Go »

Do any of you already have a handout with pictures (or a Teeeman CAD drawing :D ) of good versus bad staging of a car.

I was thinking of either handouts, or a wall size poster to refresh the boys (and train the new ones) on how to properly stage a car (i.e. body aligned straight with starting pin dead center, wheels located midway on axles rather than in full "parking brake" position with hub rubbing against the body or axle heads)...

If not, I'll make my own when we set up the track in January, but I would rather "five finger retrieve" something that already exists :dance:
"Who's Grandpa's neighbor?"... Phil Davis, Down and Derby
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sporty
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by sporty »

you hit it right on the head of the nail !

I think handing out fliers prior to the event, would help alot.

Many children do not know how to stage the car.

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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by pwdarchitect »

Improper Staging - (See Middle car)
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Go Bubba Go
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by Go Bubba Go »

Jim:

Thanks, just what I was looking for. I'll probably also take some "up close" shots from the back showing wheels aligned mid-axle.

p.s. Little Miss Molly looks like she would really fly.
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by gpraceman »

pwdarchitect,

Well those are quite a bit obvious of staging errors.

How about some not as obvious scenarios:
  • Car crooked on the lane (wheels still on the running surface)
  • Car nose sticking over the start pin (high nose car -- front wheels off the track)
  • Car loaded backwards (granted, with some designs you can't tell -- that is why we put the car number sticky dot on the nose of each car)
  • Wheels pushed in against the car body.
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by joe »

PWD, I'm still laughing!
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Stan Pope
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by Stan Pope »

gpraceman wrote:pwdarchitect,

Well those are quite a bit obvious of staging errors.

How about some not as obvious scenarios:
  • Car crooked on the lane (wheels still on the running surface)
  • Car nose sticking over the start pin (high nose car -- front wheels off the track)
  • Car loaded backwards (granted, with some designs you can't tell -- that is why we put the car number sticky dot on the nose of each car)
  • Wheels pushed in against the car body.
In the pic with the center car on its side, the other cars show the first of these faults in two different forms. They are adeptly hidden by the incongruity of the car in the middle!
Stan
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by Go Bubba Go »

I don't think I'll get to until January, but what I am composing in my head is a Powerpoint presentation something along these lines:

1) Several introductory pictures highlighting the key concepts:

Nose in middle of staging pin
Car body aligned straight
Wheels not touching center lane strip
Wheel hubs centered on axles, not touching car body or axle head

2) Then (mostly for the Tigers) a few pictures of blatant errors (car on it's side - got a chuckle out of that one myself, wheel up on center strip, etc.)

3) Then pictures of a few more subtle errors

4) Then a game of "Which car is properly staged?" with 4 pictures on a slide, 3 with more subtle staging errors and 1 that is juuuuust right. Perhaps a "trick slide" with all 4 improperly staged or all 4 properly staged?

Let me know if you have any added thoughts or suggestions.
"Who's Grandpa's neighbor?"... Phil Davis, Down and Derby
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by Go Bubba Go »

I managed to take a few pictures at the end of the races today before we took the track down.

In order (from most obvious errors to proper staging) the pictures I took are as follows:

Car body angled to the right, passenger side rear wheel riding on center rail
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Car body angled to the left, passenger side front wheel riding on center rail
Image

Car body angled to the left, driver side rear wheel rubbing center rail
Image

Car body angled to the right, driver side front wheel rubbing center rail
Image

Car body straight, but both driver side wheels rubbing center rail
Image

Car body straight, wheels not touching center rail but in too far towards body and hubs against body
Image

Car body straight, wheels not touching center rail but out too far on axles and hubs against axle head
Image

Car body straight, wheels not touching center rail and centered on axles i.e. GOOD!
Image

I will probably put these pics in a Powerpoint handout as described above at some time in the future...

Please feel free to comment about any other needed pics, I expect to revisit this post next season...
"Who's Grandpa's neighbor?"... Phil Davis, Down and Derby
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by gpraceman »

The original pics posted reminded of our pack race today. During the open division race, my car was doing very well, so the start gate operator loaded the car sideways, across two lanes. As a joke, of course. :lol:
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by 2kids10horses »

LOL!!!

Some of those original staging photos are a hoot!

Our car this year could easily be staged upside down. I am thinking of writing "This car is upside down, please turn me over." on the bottom!

(Just in case.)

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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by PWD »

I have had the same problem. Right before going to districts last year I looked at the car and it was idential front back and up and down. So I had my son write top and bottom on the car and a arrow which direction the car is suppose to go.


Seemed to solve the problem.
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by Go Bubba Go »

My older son built a rail car this year that has the character Luigi from Donkey Kong on one side and Donkey Kong himself on the other.

At Council he is allowed to stage his own car, but I must admit that at the Pack race I "reminded" him a couple of times "Luigi side up!"
"Who's Grandpa's neighbor?"... Phil Davis, Down and Derby
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Re: Proper Staging - Pictures / Handouts?

Post by OneHour »

One thing that not a lot of folks keep in mind is ... which way is the front? Many times in the past, cars were run backward! So now, we ask the question and place the official car numbering on the back. Our loader will know that the opposite end of the number is the front.

- L
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