Minic Motorway

[Buzz]

Does anyone remember minic (?) motorway?
Was a bit like a track where there were slots and the cars used to just go round and round the track. Bit like a lazy scalextric.!

Wasnt really much point to it. Just put the cars over the slots and they went round. Dont even think you could control the speed.

Buzz

[sixtyten]

Re: Minic Motorway

As far as I can remember it was the same as Scalextric.I remember seeing a huge Minic layout on display in Allders toy department.Never could get the hang of the speed control on those types of thing.My car would fly off the track at the first corner

[Heather74]

Re: Minic Motorway

[ATTACH]493[/ATTACH]

[Mulletino]

Re: Minic Motorway

I had something called "Matchbox Switch-a-Track" in the 70s. Basically it was a slot track but you fed a long spring through each slot and you got pins with "tin" stickers to hold them in place on your existing Matchbox cars. trouble was all the cars moved at the same speed so no racing ever took place.

This is a pic of a 60s version (commonly called Matchbox Motorway), mine did have the roundabout and was a figure 8 track with no bridges.

[Buzz]

Re: Minic Motorway

I think that one must be the one I remember.
With the springs running along the track.

Got it mixed up with the Minic motorway. I remember that the cars only plodded along and didnt race.

Buzz

[stewart]

Re: Minic Motorway

I had something called "Matchbox Switch-a-Track" in the 70s. Basically it was a slot track but you fed a long spring through each slot and you got pins with "tin" stickers to hold them in place on your existing Matchbox cars. trouble was all the cars moved at the same speed so no racing ever took place.

This is a pic of a 60s version (commonly called Matchbox Motorway), mine did have the roundabout and was a figure 8 track with no bridges.

My Christmas present 1970,and it was the same box.Seem to remember the track was orange though.Those seventies designers just loved to mess with colour be it purple trousers for men or pink bathroom suites.

[rossobantam]

Re: Minic Motorway

I had loads of Minic at one time...sold most of it last year on ebay. They had some cool track-side buildings which operated as the cars went by (one triggered a helicopter from the roof of a building)

Some lovely cars too..old Humbers, Jag police cars, even a caravan



They looked great when set up with a Tri-ang HO/OO railway (you could link up a car transporter carriage which connected directly to the road & just drive the little cars straight on board!)

Here's a lovely one: (2 car loaders can be seen in the centre)
Dave Lyon's Layout


ps did anyone have the Minic 'Battleships' from the 70's? Re-makes of earlier models, these were metal, with wheels in the base, made in Hong Kong.

[Heather74]

Re: Minic Motorway

I had something called "Matchbox Switch-a-Track"

[Emettman]

Re: Minic Motorway

Artwork for the American market? Right-hand driving!

(of course the first box-cover implies the cars could overtake. Over-done adverts and artwork, as ever. Us poor, put-upon, kids!)

[rossobantam]

Re: Minic Motorway

check out my link 2 posts above for a GB set up Emettman !!

[Emettman]

Re: Minic Motorway

check out my link 2 posts above for a GB set up Emettman !!

Yes, I saw that earlier. Having that running all day at an exhibition would be something. The Minic cars I used to race on my cousin's set (and the Airfix racing ones too) tended to overheat after a while. That's the Minic, not the rarer (as largely unsuccessful) Matchbox.

Not quite even Scalextric/Airfix racing disproportion.
Though Airfix racing did have the quite cool Monte Carlo set, which even got shown on Blue Peter one year, somehow.
http://pws.prserv.net/gbinet.dbjames/4thmonte.jpg

[memoman]

Re: Minic Motorway

I had something called "Matchbox Switch-a-Track" in the 70s. Basically it was a slot track but you fed a long spring through each slot and you got pins with "tin" stickers to hold them in place on your existing Matchbox cars. trouble was all the cars moved at the same speed so no racing ever took place.

This is a pic of a 60s version (commonly called Matchbox Motorway), mine did have the roundabout and was a figure 8 track with no bridges.

looks like something i had.i remember the long spring and sticking pins to the bottom of matchbox cars..

[frame]

Re: Minic Motorway

I have a large box of this in the attick along with lots of model railway stuff. On a similar note there is a system like this which I have bought to run on one of my railway layouts....
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLG2K1gYB9A

[Emettman]

Re: Minic Motorway

I couldn't get the link to work:
is it the modern Faller HO version with a hidden wire guiding battery-powered vehicles via a magnet leading on their steering axles?
No groove!

Stopping and starting can be done with magnets and reed switches.

YouTube - Faller Car System Paso a nivel en circuito coches