#120 Test Track from Best Track

Commercial tracks.
hwsjr
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#120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by hwsjr »

Has anyone purchased or tried this as a test track? http://www.besttrack.com/test_tracks.htm It's 2 feet high instead of 4 and the track is 20 feet long. I'm wondering if it is a fair representation of how a car would run on a regular track. If so the size would certainly fit in our house a lot better than a full track.
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by tmbnorm »

You could check alignment and such, but I am not sure it would be a true representation of track conditions.

The speed of the car would be a lot less. Some problems that would show up at higher speeds and on a longer flat section might be missed.

My $0.02.
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by hwsjr »

The cars obviously wouldn't reach the same speeds as on a 4' drop, but 20' after a only a 2' drop should be a long enough flat section to show what the car does as it's slowing down. Shouldn't it? I guess the question is will a wobbler wobble with only a 2' drop?
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by Stan Pope »

Yes! That one would probably fit diagonally across your bedroom! You'd have to elevate it quite a bit, of course, or your "nightlife" will suffer.

Caveats include:
speed is only about 70% of a real track, so aerodynamic effects and some wheel effects will be missed, and
speed decay effects, including end-of-run fishtailing will be tough to pick out.

But you should be able to identify big "gotchas" like rear wheels hugging the rail.

It is a "step up" from "the kitchen table" but definitely a step down from a "real track."
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hwsjr
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by hwsjr »

So if the speed is only going to be 70%, then the track length would be 70% at least to be a fair representation of the end of run effects? Or at least the flat of the track would need to be 70% of what the flat of the regular track would be. Is this right?
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Stan Pope
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by Stan Pope »

hwsjr wrote:So if the speed is only going to be 70%, then the track length would be 70% at least to be a fair representation of the end of run effects? Or at least the flat of the track would need to be 70% of what the flat of the regular track would be. Is this right?
I couldn't make that assertion!
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by SlartyBartFast »

I'd think that while better than a lesser test setup, it's still lacking.

Problem is that so much of the physics is not linear in nature. So many facftors depend of the square of the speed.

Simple engineering/testing FACT: Things go wrong quickly at a threshold velocity.

If you don’t test in race conditions, you always risk the threshold speed for some fault is lower than the speed that will be attained during testing.

Indeed, good practice is to test to greater stresses and speeds than those you will encounter in use.
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by hwsjr »

Thanks for the input. Sounds like it wouldn't be worth the money.
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by tmbnorm »

I think the money could be better spent.

Maybe you could find a used track.

A new 1 lane test track #125 is $120 more.
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by Go Bubba Go »

hwsjr wrote:...It's 2 feet high instead of 4 and the track is 20 feet long. I'm wondering if it is a fair representation of how a car would run on a regular track. If so the size would certainly fit in our house a lot better than a full track.
Of course just because those are the specs out of the box, doesn't mean you couldn't take the raw materials and do a little "home improvement" on them... :D

The specs you listed above aren't a close approximation of the real thing, but they may be a much better approximation than what you have (or have access to) now. It's a "reality check" moment, just how close to the real thing do you feel the "need" to be, and how much $$$ and space is at your disposal (i.e. just how "Down and Derby" are you?).

It's a humorous question that involves many concerns (size of your PWD budget, number of years you expect to keep PWDing, whether it would be for your own use strictly or whether you might "share" the opportunity with boy's peers, PWD tolerance level of the Mrs., etc.).

The other issue to consider is what your alternatives are. Would your organization (with your support and impetus) be able to provide a couple of testing nights using the "real" track? Maybe at a Workshop? Maybe a neighbor Dad and boy that have a loooooong hallway in the basement?

The test track sounds like a "decent" approximation. You will have to decide whether it is "decent" enough. Myself, I am trying to finagle a way to set up the "real thing" ahead of time next year (either at my house or at a couple of "testing nights" / workshops).
"Who's Grandpa's neighbor?"... Phil Davis, Down and Derby
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by hwsjr »

I'm surprised that no one here owns one or has used one. If they aren't selling them to folks like the crowd that hangs out here, who are they selling them to?
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by BigDozer66 »

For my 'Test Track' I went with a 40' Piantedosi Freedom Aluminum model with 3 lanes. :wink:

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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by gpraceman »

hwsjr wrote:I'm surprised that no one here owns one or has used one. If they aren't selling them to folks like the crowd that hangs out here, who are they selling them to?
I tried one out just before they started offering them for sale. While you are not going to get a full idea of how the car will perform, I think it will give you a good enough idea. It is a step up definitely from the kitchen table or even the test tracks sold by BSA and a similar one on eBay. Ideally, a full scale track would be best to test on, if it would fit in your budget. Once you are eventually done with it, you could sell it on eBay or the Trading Post here to recoup part of that cost.
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by Ricerocket00 »

hwsjr wrote:Has anyone purchased or tried this as a test track? http://www.besttrack.com/test_tracks.htm It's 2 feet high instead of 4 and the track is 20 feet long. I'm wondering if it is a fair representation of how a car would run on a regular track. If so the size would certainly fit in our house a lot better than a full track.
I wonder if you might be able to use some of the pieces from the #120 and turn it into a full scale track later. Might be a question worth asking the fine folks at Best Track. I originally got a #235 (2 lanes, 35 ft) and added another section to make it a #242 (even though I have nowhere in my house to add the extra section....... yet! :shock: ) I figure I can set the full track up at our Derby Workshop next year.
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Re: #120 Test Track from Best Track

Post by Go Bubba Go »

Ricerocket00 wrote:
hwsjr wrote:Has anyone purchased or tried this as a test track? http://www.besttrack.com/test_tracks.htm It's 2 feet high instead of 4 and the track is 20 feet long. I'm wondering if it is a fair representation of how a car would run on a regular track. If so the size would certainly fit in our house a lot better than a full track.
I wonder if you might be able to use some of the pieces from the #120 and turn it into a full scale track later. Might be a question worth asking the fine folks at Best Track. I originally got a #235 (2 lanes, 35 ft) and added another section to make it a #242 (even though I have nowhere in my house to add the extra section....... yet! :shock: ) I figure I can set the full track up at our Derby Workshop next year.
I would be tempted to go straight to a multi-lane track and just not install all the sections if I didn't have the room.

The really nice thing about having at least a 2nd lane, regardless of length, is the ability to test cars side by side.

While it might be difficult to extrapolate exactly how much time that latest tweak gained you or lost you, you should be able to see whether it was a net gain or loss as compared to your "unchanged" base car. Unless your "real" track at Pack, District, or Council is quite long, a 20' approximation should at least be pointing you in the right direction.

Example: If this year's car is slower than last year's car on the "short track", I would be going back to figure out which "improvement" you made wasn't really an improvement after all.
"Who's Grandpa's neighbor?"... Phil Davis, Down and Derby
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