I never knew that!

[McColm]

I never knew that you could get vacform car kits,  I always thought it was; metal , resin , paper or plastic.
Do they still make them?

[PR19_Kit]

I never knew that you could get vacform car kits,  I always thought it was; metal , resin , paper or plastic.
Do they still make them?

Define kit...........

Most vacform car kits are conversion kits, for instance I have a 1/24 conversion body for the Heller Ferrari 512S to turn it into Mark Donahue's 512M. There's quite a market for them, mostly in the USA, but I don't know of any manufacturers in the UK.

[jcf]

They're generally called trans-kits, I'll leave it up to your own discretion as to what
search terms you use.

[kitnut617]

I never knew that you could get vacform car kits,  I always thought it was; metal , resin , paper or plastic.
Do they still make them?

Define kit...........

Most vacform car kits are conversion kits, for instance I have a 1/24 conversion body for the Heller Ferrari 512S to turn it into Mark Donahue's 512M. There's quite a market for them, mostly in the USA, but I don't know of any manufacturers in the UK.

Way back when I had my Scalextric, I would buy different vacuform bodies to fit on the running gear I was using.

[McColm]

I never knew that the Leyland Princess was in service with a few of the counties Police services. The top speed was a mere 105 mph only beaten by the Ford Consul with a top speed of a 109.
Were criminals more speed conscious and let the Police catch up with them back then or their budget couldn't stretch to a Jaguar?

[PR19_Kit]

I never knew that you could get vacform car kits,  I always thought it was; metal , resin , paper or plastic.
Do they still make them?

Define kit...........

Most vacform car kits are conversion kits, for instance I have a 1/24 conversion body for the Heller Ferrari 512S to turn it into Mark Donahue's 512M. There's quite a market for them, mostly in the USA, but I don't know of any manufacturers in the UK.

Way back when I had my Scalextric, I would buy different vacuform bodies to fit on the running gear I was using.

Vacform slot car bodies were, and still are, the way to go for the very fastest cars, but these days they tend not to look very much like real cars any more. Many dispense with front wheels entirely! 



Vacform bodies for more accurate slot cars are still made, but are very much a fringe market. I have one for a Maserati Tipo 62 'Birdcage', but it'll be a LONG while before I attempt to built it!

[PR19_Kit]

I never knew that the Leyland Princess was in service with a few of the counties Police services. The top speed was a mere 105 mph only beaten by the Ford Consul with a top speed of a 109.
Were criminals more speed conscious and let the Police catch up with them back then or their budget couldn't stretch to a Jaguar?

Back then a Princess would out-handle pretty much every Jaguar apart from an XJS. And you wouldn't carry much swag in an XJS. 

[JayBee]

I remember vac form bodies for slot cars, I built two that I can remember :
Chaparal 2F
Mercedes 600 saloon which I lengthened to make the stretched version.

[PR19_Kit]

I remember vac form bodies for slot cars, I built two that I can remember :
Chaparal 2F
Mercedes 600 saloon which I lengthened to make the stretched version.

A 2F? Oh yes, one of my fave slot cars, I've got three of them, even if Jim Hall only made two. 

And the lengthened Merc 600 came from the same thought processes that produced my slot racing coach. 

At the time the Saloon Class rules said 'More than 3 seats'. Well a 65 seater IS more than three. 

[McColm]

I was watching YouTube and stumbled on 'Sam's Trains ', a youtuber that reviews mainly 00/ho gauge model trains and gives tips on how to improve your layout.
He pays for most of the trains he reviews or Hannants sends him the odd item to review.
On one of the episodes he demonstrated that you can run a train with wagons under water. He first used a shunter on a rolling test track which went well until the motor burnt out. Next he filled a paddling pool after laying down a circuit of track and running the same (now repaired) shunter with three open wagons. To stop the wagons from floating away he also weighed them down with water. This also works even when fully submerged the only cause for concern is the track connection as it showed signs of bubbling.
Why anyone would want to run a layout under water is open to debate.  It might keep the fish entertained if you have a aquarium (not in the same tank!).

[zenrat]

I was watching YouTube and stumbled on 'Sam's Trains ', a youtuber that reviews mainly 00/ho gauge model trains and gives tips on how to improve your layout.
He pays for most of the trains he reviews or Hannants sends him the odd item to review.
On one of the episodes he demonstrated that you can run a train with wagons under water. He first used a shunter on a rolling test track which went well until the motor burnt out. Next he filled a paddling pool after laying down a circuit of track and running the same (now repaired) shunter with three open wagons. To stop the wagons from floating away he also weighed them down with water. This also works even when fully submerged the only cause for concern is the track connection as it showed signs of bubbling.
Why anyone would want to run a layout under water is open to debate.  It might keep the fish entertained if you have a aquarium (not in the same tank!).

Sci Fi layout depicting a British coastal line in the near future...

[NARSES2]

Why anyone would want to run a layout under water is open to debate.  It might keep the fish entertained if you have a aquarium (not in the same tank!).

Sci Fi layout depicting a British coastal line in the near future...

[/quote]

Very Dada'esque. Back in the 60/70's your local Art College would have probably given you a grant to build it. In between all your "demonstration leave" 

[Mossie]

I remember Alton Towers proposed a roller coaster that would plunge into the lake for part of it's run.  No idea how they would have achieved it.

[Snowtrooper]

Re running model railway under water, I have always had the impression that devices connected to electrical mains and (non-distilled) water are usually a Very Bad Idea. Yes, there is a transformer inbetween the track and the plug in the wall, but still.

[Nick]

I remember Alton Towers proposed a roller coaster that would plunge into the lake for part of it's run.  No idea how they would have achieved it.

I think it would have been into a clear tunnel under the water with entry and exit hidden by careful scenery. Like this one in Japan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE_wqPr78VU but far better!
Look at Oblivion which appears to drop into the bowels of the earth. In reality it's all dug into a hole on the side of a hill which was then covered over.

Alton Towers has a problem with locals not wanting to see or hear the rides. That means tall trees around the whole site and several rides are actually dug into the ground so their high points are barely visible from outside.