Just wondering out loud, hope Im in the right place.
Will JL make a JLTO or X-T Slot set ready to race out of a box? I think it would be a nice Idea considering Tyco not really selling HO track sets anymore(The grey track in the newer sets is nice since you can see the black slots easier on them)

Anwser: No

Reason: Safety UL ratings.

Anwser: No

Reason: Safety UL ratings.

I wonder if they could get away with selling something like that as an "adult collectible" meaning not as a toy.
After all, adults are responsible people....
Scott

After all, adults are responsible people....
Scott


Scott,
You're killing me! Go play with your little toys. :cool:

LMAO! :thumbsup: rr

Anwser: No

Reason: Safety UL ratings.

I've wondered the same thing on the board and in chat before too, and this isn't the first time I've heard this response. But I've never had anyone elaborate on it either. Anyone care to?

Whats the big deal about a slot car track? Lite Brites and the Game of Operation both plug into the wall...

Trev

I doubt it would be economically feasible for RC2 / JL to make a track from scratch with its own unique connecting system. This also means the need for controllers, guard rails, box art etc. I suppose they could license an existing track system such as Life Likes, or Mattel’s', but they may not be willing to do so or could be asking for too much money. I would not rule the idea out completely, but I just don't see it being worth it for them.

Chet

Model Motoring tried this. They actually got as far as designing packaging and taking pre-orders. Now there are a LOT of people PO'd at them because the set never came out and they never got their money back... if i understand correctly, the owner (Harrison Woodrow) is still promising that the set will be produced eventually, but it's currently tied up in UL approvals. I can't verify that, but it seems to be the upshot of the whole situation on other boards I've read. It's apparently very difficult to get approval as a little independent company...

--rick

Anwser: No

Reason: Safety UL ratings.


Safety?? Hmm...I wondered if JL/RC2 has been reading our forums about how we used firecrackers and another hazard stuff that we used on cars and tracks .

Heehee

Wes

I'm of the opinion that there's little to be gained by JL/RC2 doing a complete race set. Why introduce yet another snap track format and have to jump through all the UL/CSA/CE hoops?

I've said all along that they should do "sidekick sets" that consist of a set of like themed cars that are intended to be used with an existing track. These could be as simple as a blister 2-pack or 4-pack of similar theme cars with a "designed for slide action racing on your Tomy, Tyco, or LL track" logo on the package.

A more elaborate "race set" would include cars and a pit crew, maybe a whole garage, pylons, bleachers, billboards, decals, crash walls, spectators, crew, scale equipment and machinery, etc. In other words - bring out a "race set" that includes all the things that the other sets DON'T come with that you'd really like to have to complete the look and feel of your race setup. Bleachers, crash walls, bridge trusses, maybe some nice snap-on track borders molded to exactly the right height for Tomy track.

An authentic looking garage "set" that comes with two JL slot cars parked in it would make for a killer little set in my opinion. Think about it - a trackside emergency center, complete with the building and a complete set of slot car versions of all of the emergency vehicles that go along with it. Ambulances, fire safety, track assistance trucks, etc. Throw in a diecast helicopter for effect. A matched and complete set. Killer collectable. (But I'd use it.)

There should be no licensing issues with doing scenery related structures and buildings. It's just your basic injection molded plastic thing - that's JL's primary area of expertise. They should just play into their strengths and fill in the gaps that the other sets leave open.

All of that stuff would be very cool to have. I wonder if they have a market research guy lurking about around here? That would be smart. No-cost market research!!! Static helicopter??? Naw, I have my Chopper Comand "vertibird clone" flying around for effect & My boy hates it when I land it on the track & threaten to ground him if he hits it. lol :tongue:

... maybe some nice snap-on track borders molded to exactly the right height for Tomy track.



IMHO this would be the single most valuable accessory JL could make for their slots. They advertise "slide action" right on the package... turn borders would enhance that capability A LOT. Ever try to "lean" a JLTO on a typical HO set guard rail? The rear tire hangs up on the guardrail post and the car deslots. I have turn borders made from 1/4" foam weatherstripping all around my 4x16 layout, and it changes the whole driving experience. If I could have had readily available hard plastic borders, I'd have bought them in a heartbeat. They'd be pretty much universal... I have a few old Aurora 6" and 9" ones, and they work on Tyco or LL or Atlas or what have you. But the Aurora ones weren't flat, they were kinda concave... they curved up at the outside. I also have a few (VERY few) Tyco 9" ones that work great when I put up a little temporary figure-8 or oval. The only tweak they might have to add is some 1/16" shim material because if I'm not mistaken, some track (like the Atlas I use) is 1/4" thick, while other track (like Tyco) is 5/16" thick. heck, a piece of self-adhesive foam would do that trick...

--rick

advertise "slide action" right on the package

Excellent idea Rick! A slide action kit with versions for 9/12/15/18 curves.

I hate guard rails too, unless they are mounted to the table/scenery beyond the border. I've tried the foam border too. It gets ripped up pretty quickly by magnet cars, but if you paint it with black semi gloss it matches the track perfectly and holds up somewhat better.

Well, having read the explanations of this I could see why JL wouldn't do track.. It stinks though..Just cause UL drags their butts (and they do I remember hearing somewhere that they have a backlog of safety evals to do or something.)
I would say that they would have a slightly larger interest though if they also sold tracks.. That way they could get back into retail outlets since the cars would be in the boxes with the track, and it isn't like they would have to make HUGE track sets, I mean these cars aren't blinding fast.
Plus you would get people who might have played with slots when they were younger but had their track ruined,sold, or thrown away. And they can tailor it to the JLTO chassis' and one for the X-T. Hopefully for prices comparable to the Tyco Slot sets. Plus you can get kids interested again in the cars, kinda hard to get new people interested in these if they have no track to run them on(although I do not know how cheap the Lifelike track is, either in price or design, so maybe Im just being goofy)
I guess it is just a utopian dream I suppose.

Now that Mattel has dropped the Tyco/Mattel track, maybe RC2/JL can pick up that ball. It's already made, which means molds are available, no UL restrictions because it's already legal. The only problem would be is if Mattel would be willing to let RC/JL buy the line.

If this were to happen, the only real thing that needs to be improved would be to put a decent size heat-sink in the controller so they don't burn up so quickly. The 75-ohm resistors are sufficient for controlling a JLTO.

Let's be honest... When people buy a set, they expect it to run well right out of the box. JL would need to use X-Tractions and not JLTOs in the sets or risk a lot of returns from unhappy customers. The JLTO brush springs are way too touchy for mass consumption in this millenium. A significant fraction of the stock JLTOs will not reliably navigate common 9" quarter turns with a stock controller. For most new drivers, a 6" turn acts like a roadside bomb. If JL wanted to include JLTOs in such a set, they'd need to include a highly detailed user's manual for car maintenance along with plenty of spare/optional parts to experiment with. XTs would be the way to go, and then they could use the standard Tyco/Mattel set up.

It would be nice to see a JL Slotcar Race Set. But it is likely not to happen. Life-Like doesn't have all the different types of product that Mattell has. I'd say with the decline in interest with HO scale slotcars by kids Mattell considered slot cars a dinosaur and put an end to them. The UL safety thing, I don't buy it. Slotcar track is old stuff and there should be rules and guidelines already in place so when you make track following those rules and guidelines it should require just a simple inspection to make sure it is safe. JL could make a set and label it an adult collectible to get around some of that stuff. At JL's warehouse sale last year they sold diecast racesets as adult collectibles. Randy.