Loved it. Not seen Minic for years. I think I still have a large layout in boxes in my attic. It was a great childhood toy, with many hours of pleasure and fun.
You have a superb layout there. The tech for the time was quite advanced. Although as kids we never had any of it... only Triang Railways. However we did have Scalextric which never seemed to work properly in all the time we had it. It was a mission to put the track together. It was a very early set whereby the sections were connected upside down and held in place with tiny spring clips and then the whole circuit had to be carefully flipped over without putting strain on the joints which took about 4 of us to do it (advantage of having a lot of brothers). The car pickups would snag on the joints too. I never dared to ask my parents for a Minic layout. But now I am "all grown up", I have managed to garner my own small setup which works very well considering how old it is. The scale isn't quite the same as Triang trains, but they still work nicely together so I forgive them that flaw. The only major draw back is that the operator can only have one vehicle per slot , and when there is such a great range of vehicles available it does seem a pity that something wasn't thought of so that multiple cars could be used at the same. I was thinking that maybe something like Hornby's Zero 1 system could be adapted to control individual vehicles...I am not tech savvy so I'd have to get help with that. Anyway love your models and layout.😊
Thank you for reminding me why I sold all of mine! I originally had the two trucks set, but my father returned it to the shop the day the shops opened after christmas. I then had a pile of second hand track with a green/grey Humber with the brass chassis, and the paper load truck. They died on their first day of use. Years later I bought the petrol tanker, and trailer and they remained my only vehicles until the set was sold. Challenging bits were the crossroad, the hill and that damned bit with the train tracks through it. Also the rubber was perished between the bass strips so they collapsed together, so I did the only thing a penniless kid could do and fixed them with what I had to hand - used matches, which actually did an excellent job!
Such a tale of woe and I can idenifiy with all of it, Even when new this was a very fragile system and the only reason mine works with any consistency is because it is set up perminately and not put down and taken up as a childs toy would be . I have had Minic motorway since I was a kid and only now can I really enjoy it. New Track Rubber is available from a chap called James Day, who I am proud to call a friend, and he is a walking encyclopedia of small scale slot Cars. If you look through my Videos you will see his Tyco layout from the eighties which he exhibits and this runs faultlessly all day and climbs hills etc and all the stuff MM striuggles with! Thanks for dropping by and if you have not watched them all can I recommend the "Bandit" Video which is the Tyco layout but with reference to a famous film!
Started collecting minic bits and bobs about three years ago , im 55 but only had train sets as a kid , i have a double decker aston martin , oval of track with two junctions and two single track level crossings car ramp and wagon all refurbed with James's track rubber , i have just bought the fire engine and tow truck with trailer + a lay by set , a couple more cars and i am done then will get an oval of railway track with a couple of sidings , this should keep me and my grand son entertained , could i ask if you can get motor brushes from anywhere , I've just bought two pairs for the bus of ebay but had resorted to carpenters pencil lead which works but is not ideal , i would like to obtain some for the car , the blue tack tip is great i will try it on the aston .
I am sorry but you posted a further comment and i inadvertently deleted it without reading it fully, could you please post again as you mentioned James Day who is a very good friend of mine
Loved it. Not seen Minic for years. I think I still have a large layout in boxes in my attic. It was a great childhood toy, with many hours of pleasure and fun.
You have a superb layout there. The tech for the time was quite advanced. Although as kids we never had any of it... only Triang Railways.
However we did have Scalextric which never seemed to work properly in all the time we had it.
It was a mission to put the track together.
It was a very early set whereby the sections were connected upside down and held in place with tiny spring clips and then the whole circuit had to be carefully flipped over without putting strain on the joints which took about 4 of us to do it (advantage of having a lot of brothers).
The car pickups would snag on the joints too.
I never dared to ask my parents for a Minic layout.
But now I am "all grown up", I have managed to garner my own small setup which works very well considering how old it is.
The scale isn't quite the same as Triang trains, but they still work nicely together so I forgive them that flaw.
The only major draw back is that the operator can only have one vehicle per slot , and when there is such a great range of vehicles available it does seem a pity that something wasn't thought of so that multiple cars could be used at the same.
I was thinking that maybe something like Hornby's Zero 1 system could be adapted to control individual vehicles...I am not tech savvy so I'd have to get help with that.
Anyway love your models and layout.😊
Thank you for reminding me why I sold all of mine! I originally had the two trucks set, but my father returned it to the shop the day the shops opened after christmas. I then had a pile of second hand track with a green/grey Humber with the brass chassis, and the paper load truck. They died on their first day of use. Years later I bought the petrol tanker, and trailer and they remained my only vehicles until the set was sold. Challenging bits were the crossroad, the hill and that damned bit with the train tracks through it. Also the rubber was perished between the bass strips so they collapsed together, so I did the only thing a penniless kid could do and fixed them with what I had to hand - used matches, which actually did an excellent job!
Such a tale of woe and I can idenifiy with all of it, Even when new this was a very fragile system and the only reason mine works with any consistency is because it is set up perminately and not put down and taken up as a childs toy would be . I have had Minic motorway since I was a kid and only now can I really enjoy it. New Track Rubber is available from a chap called James Day, who I am proud to call a friend, and he is a walking encyclopedia of small scale slot Cars. If you look through my Videos you will see his Tyco layout from the eighties which he exhibits and this runs faultlessly all day and climbs hills etc and all the stuff MM striuggles with! Thanks for dropping by and if you have not watched them all can I recommend the "Bandit" Video which is the Tyco layout but with reference to a famous film!
Dcc and stayalive coild be the answer
Very good explanation. Have a Happy Xmas 🚙🛻🚚🚂🚃🚃🎅
Thanks Tim.
Started collecting minic bits and bobs about three years ago , im 55 but only had train sets as a kid , i have a double decker aston martin , oval of track with two junctions and two single track level crossings car ramp and wagon all refurbed with James's track rubber , i have just bought the fire engine and tow truck with trailer + a lay by set , a couple more cars and i am done then will get an oval of railway track with a couple of sidings , this should keep me and my grand son entertained , could i ask if you can get motor brushes from anywhere , I've just bought two pairs for the bus of ebay but had resorted to carpenters pencil lead which works but is not ideal , i would like to obtain some for the car , the blue tack tip is great i will try it on the aston .
I have four of these cars with a pair of boxes. Found in my father’s loft. Are you interested by any chance?
I am, please contact me on sanddbond@hotmail.com
What is the brand of the feedback controller that you use and The name the company would sell it under?
It is a Gaugemaster and the list both feedback and non feedback controllers.
I am sorry but you posted a further comment and i inadvertently deleted it without reading it fully, could you please post again as you mentioned James Day who is a very good friend of mine