Q.  What is the best way to build a table for my plastic track racing layout?

A.  Half-inch ACX plywood with a framework of 1 X 6s underneath will make a very satisfactory table for a home racing layout.  Use glue and screws to fasten the tabletop and framework solidly and permanently together. For legs, use 4 X 4s cross-bolted to the 1 X 6s at each corner. Bolt 2 or more tables together to make larger layouts with 3/8" bolts through the 1 X 6s.

If you want to be able to store the tables when not in use or move your layout tables around easily in your truck, van, or station wagon, use metal folding leg assemblies, available in most home improvement stores for around $20 a set (one set per table). Glue and screw extra rectangles of plywood to the bottom of each table where the leg assemblies are to be attached.  Before building tables for a portable layout be sure to measure the inside of your vehicle and size the tables to fit.

Q.  What height should my table be?

A.  Our track is about 33 inches from the floor.  The legs are 30.5" long, and then we have casters on all of them so we can move the track around.  This height seems to provide a good view of the track for all but the smallest children.  We give them something to stand on.  The height works well for turn marshaling around the layout.  People can reach all parts of the track without having to bend over too far.  We also find that this height gives us useful storage space under the track table.

Q.  What if my layout will be used mostly by young children?

A.   A track that will be used primarily by young children will be easier for them to work with if it's about 24" from the floor.  This is a little low for comfort for most adults, but not excessively so.  You and your kids can still enjoy racing together comfortably.

Q.  What about other table dimensions?

A.  The main one to consider is the overall area and shape of the table.  This, of course, is dictated by the space you have available.  Most 2-lane home race sets can be set up in a single 4X8 table. The effective minimum for a 4-lane layout is two 4X8s, though you will probably want to go larger if space permits to get a layout with more driving challenge.

Q.  What else should I consider?

A.  Another important consideration is the maximum horizontal reach from the nearest edge of the table to all parts of the track.  For average size adults, try to keep the maximum horizontal reach to 36" or less, and 24" for small children.  If your layout is built on 4 X 8 sheets of plywood this will largely take care of itself, as long as you don't put two of them side by side and then have turns to marshal that are 4 feet from the nearest edge.

Try to avoid any layout that requires you to reach over one part of the track to get to another.  If one side of your layout has to be up against a wall, try to run a single long straightaway the full length of that side to avoid as much as possible having to marshal cars in a difficult-to-reach location.

Q.  What about overpasses?

A.  Many slot racers consider an overpass to be an essential part of a layout because it helps to equalize the number of left and right turns and the lane lengths.  An overpass can also enable you to twist the race course in on itself and get a longer lap length into a given space.  However, unless you have no other way of getting the lap length you need into the available space we recommend avoiding overpasses  as they cause sight line and turn marshaling problems, increase the complexity of construction, and don't look very realistic.  You can overcome any difference in lane lengths by running your races in heats, with the drivers rotating to a different lane after each heat until each driver has driven a heat on each lane.

If you do build an overpass you will want to make a solid plywood structure to support the plastic track through the required elevation changes.  Be careful to avoid abrupt changes of grade that can cause the front end of the car to hit the track and deslot.

Q.  Can I make banked turns on my layout?

A.  Yes!  To find out how to make banked sections with flexible track systems such as Scalextric and Ninco please see our Building bank curves for flexible track article.  To add banked curves to your carrera layout all you need to do is to use one of their bank curve track sections.

Q.  Where else do I need walls or guard rails?

A.  You will want to put a wall around the entire perimeter of your table to keep deslotted cars from leaving the table and heading for the floor.  About 2 inches is as high as you will need, except at the end of a long straight where full-throttle crashes may send cars flying much higher.  We use 4-inch wide 1/16" clear sheet Lexan  for the walls on our table, extending 2" above the table top all around  except for a piece extending about 10" above the table and 2 feet long right at the end of our longest straight as insurance against a flying car going through the front of the glass display case across the aisle.

With walls on the edges of the table and borders in all the necessary places on the track, you can dispense with guard rails at the border edges, except where a deslotting car might land on another part of the track.

Q.  What are the track borders for and where do I need to use them?

A.  The borders allow the car on the outside lane to slide out on the turns as much as the cars on the other lanes do without running up against the guard rail or putting a wheel off the track edge,  Either of these things will usually cause the car to deslot.

You should use borders on the outside of all curved track sections, on the straights before and after each turn for at least two full straight track sections, and on the inside of any turn immediately following a turn in the opposite direction.  If you plan to run your track in both directions, make sure you have placed the borders in the appropriate places for both directions of travel. The straight and inside borders allow the cars to get straightened out after a curve without dropping a wheel off the edge of the track.

Q.  How can I be sure I have everything right before I start making things permanent?

A.  When you build your tables it's a good idea to set out your sheets of plywood on a temporary structure in the approximate arrangement and height you expect to use for your layout. Then set up the track and run the cars for a while, checking to see that sight lines and marshaling access are suitable for all the likely users of the track.  Adjust the table height and arrangement and track layout until you are satisfied with the driving qualities of your race course and access to all parts of it.  Make sure the drivers' positions are located so none of the drivers have to look too far to the side or through the other drivers to see any part of the track.