Thomas & Friends Locomotives & Accessories

HO SCALE THOMAS & FRIENDS LOCOMOTIVES

*** Estimated Availability is November 2011 ***

Bachmann Thomas & Friends Diesel HO Scale Locomotive

(w/ moving eyes)

Performs best on 15" radius curves or greater.

Item No. 58802

Bachmann Thomas & Friends Donald

(w/ moving eyes)

Performs best on 18" radius curves or greater.

Item No. 58807

Bachmann Thomas & Friends Douglas

(w/ moving eyes)

 Performs best on 18" radius curves or greater.

Item No. 58808

HO SCALE THOMAS & FRIENDS ACCESSORIES

*** Estimated Availability is August 2011 ***

Bachmann Thomas & Friends Knapford Station

Includes three platforms; two or more kits can be combined to create larger station configurations. Approximately 10.5" wide x 26" long x 6.25" high.

Item No. 45239

*** Estimated Availability is December 2011 ***

Bachmann Thomas & Friends Operating Windmill

Connects to AC power pack terminals.

Item No. 45241

Auto World Scooby Doo Slot Car Set

Auto World Scooby Doo Slot Car Set

*** Estimated Availability is October 2011 ***

NEW NINCO 1/32 Slot Cars

All of these new NINCO 1/32 slot cars arrived yesterday (7/19/2011) - 

• NINCO #50556 LIGHTNING Renault Megane Trophy Unzurrunzaga
• NINCO #50546 LIGHTNING Audi R8 GT3 S-Line
• NINCO #50569 LIGHTNING Lamborghini Murcielago Blancpain
• NINCO #50585 AC Cobra BP
• NINCO #50584 Corvette Classic Speed Record
• NINCO #50577 Ford Focus WRC Expert
• NINCO #50586 Porsche 911S Escuderia Repsol
• NINCO 1 #55015 Lamborghini Diablo GTR Fedon
• NINCO 1 #55024 Corvette Z06 GT3 Sangari

Find all of these NINCO 1/32 slot cars and more at this link - NEW 1/32 Slot Car Products

Auto World Batman Riddler Revenge Slot Car Set

Auto World Batman Riddler Revenge Slot Car Set

*** Estimated Availability is October 2011 ***

Overcoming Obstacles to Other Manufacturers' Cars in N-Digital

Converting other (than Ninco) manufacturers' cars to N-Digital is arguably the easiest process of the all the major digital slot car systems. This is primarily because the N-Digital decoder chip is very compact and there are no external components, such as a sensor, that often require modification to the chassis in order to be installed. I have never encountered a car that could not be "chipped" to the N-Digital system, although a few did require some minor internal body and chassis modifications such as a little filing or sanding here and there.

However, once the N-Digital chip has been successfully installed it's not a good idea to start celebrating right away. That's because there are other obstacles to performance of some non-Ninco cars that are inherent in the N-Digital system. Most notable are the road surface anomalies that are inherent in the N-Digital track pieces such as lane change sections. The rails of Ninco track are raised above the actual road surface higher than all other track systems and there are many gaps between rail sections in the digital track pieces. There are places where the leading edge of the rails is raised to the point that it causes the oncoming guide to literally bounce up and out of the slot. An example of this is shown in the photo below of an N-Digital double lane change curve track piece, highlighted by the red arrows.

These sections cause cars from certain manufacturers such as Revell/Monogram, MRRC and especially Scalextric to de-slot even at very low speed. The rails can be depressed to a certain extent but not enough to eliminate the problem. I have also tried to fabricate a tiny ramp in front of the leading rail edge but this was also ineffectual.

Now I run cars almost exclusively without magnets. So getting cars from manufacturers such as those previously mentioned to perform well is already a challenge because their cars are designed to run with the magnet in place. Truing wheels and/or tires does not seem to help this particular problem, nor did adding weight to keep the nose down. And I prefer to maintain all cars as close to stock condition as possible. Plus I just don't have the time, skill or equipment to perform some of the innovative modifications that you see elsewhere in these forums. Therefore, I must either forego these manufacturers' cars or find a solution that is simple, requiring no modification to the car, yet is able to overcome this problem.

Interestingly, the Ninco cars -- or more specifically -- the Ninco guides, are not affected by these gaps and bumps at all. This is true of all Ninco guides: standard, suspension and ProRace guides. I can only surmise that there is something subtle about the geometry of the Ninco guide that makes it perfectly suited to the relative bumpiness of Ninco track in general and the N-Digital sections specifically.

My experience is that cars with a fixed (non-suspension) guide and fixed front bushings instead of an axle "slot" have the most problems on Ninco track. Based on my own self-imposed restrictions I can't do anything about the bushings but I can replace the guide. And based on the performance of the Ninco guides they would be the obvious choice.

I recently converted a Revell/Monogram Corvette Grand Sport and a MRRC Ford MKIV to N-Digital. After removing the magnet, lubricating all the usual friction points and installing the N-Digital decoder chip, these cars could not complete a single lap at even medium speed without de-slotting, most often on the lane change curve shown above. So, I decided to replace their stock guides with Ninco guides. This was not inherently difficult, however, because of certain characteristics of the two cars, some modification to the Ninco guides was required.

The following photo depicts a comparison between the stock guides and the Ninco guides that replaced them:

First lets look at the swap of the MRRC guide. In its stock form the MRRC guide had some vertical play because the guide post holder is relatively short. This did not help performance in stock condition but could be put to good use with a Ninco guide. Also, the low profile nose section of the Ford MKIV required a short guide post. This meant that the only Ninco guide that would fit would be the standard type. And the retaining "knob" on the top of the guide post had to be filed down in order to fit under the nose (see the following two photos below). But there was still enough vertical play to allow a spring from the suspension type guide to be employed with the Ninco #80104 standard guide which achieved the goal of having a suspension type guide installed. It turned out to be ideal.

As can be seen below, the front end of the Ford can pop up by approximately 6 mm before the guide flag loses contact with the slot.

While at the same time the car's stance seems very good with the guide being well planted. This is aided by the use of Ninco ProRace braids, which are quite flexible while still maintaining excellent electrical contact.

Next is the Revell/Monogram Corvette Grand Sport. The R/M Classics are a real challenge. They have a front-mounted motor chassis design, fixed guide and fixed front bushings that allow absolutely no vertical movement of the front axle. On top of all that is the R/M braid that has a metal clip that presents a hard ridge where the leading edge of the guide housing meets the track rail. Without some modification this car just can't be driven on an N-Digital track!

The good news is that there is plenty of room in the Corvette's nose for the "true" Ninco #80106 suspension guide. However, the diameter of the Ninco guide post is slightly too wide for the R/M guide post holder. It was not difficult to narrow the Ninco guide post's diameter by gently pulling a narrow band of high grit sand paper back and forth all around the post as shown below. Sanding, checking, sanding, checking... Only a small reduction was necessary before the guide post fit perfectly, snug but with easy vertical movement by the spring.

It is apparent in the following photo that the Ninco suspension guide has significant vertical movement in this car. Because of the fixed front bushings, I feel that the car benefits greatly from this high range of movement, but for those who tend to frown upon this sort of set up the guide post can be easily shimmed with one or more nylon washers/spacers.

Once again, in spite of the larger vertical range of movement, the car's stance looks correct and the guide is well planted. Ninco ProRace braids are also used here.

Following the installation of the Ninco guides in both cars the effect on handling was dramatic. Both cars had no problem negotiating the lane change curve section at pretty high speed and handling improved markedly all around the track. They will never achieve fastest lap times for the track but they are now fun to drive as opposed to being just frustrating before the guide swap. Can other things be done to improve performance? Of course. If you have the time and wherewithal these cars can be transformed into respectable no-mag runners on any type of track. But if you have an N-Digital track and you would like to include cars from these other manufacturers, a simple guide change is the single most effective tuning trick that can be employed. I believe that this simple guide swap alone could be the difference that allows certain cars that were previously unsuitable for N-Digital to be real candidates. It could open up a whole class of cars that were previously avoided by N-Digital users.

By Michael Ashton

To download a PDF version of this article click here

Update...
Since this article was first published, I went back and replaced the Ninco ProRace guide that was originally installed in the Revell-Monogram Corvette Grand Sport with the Hobby Slot Racing (HSR) suspension guide. My experience with the HSR guide has been quite good. It displays the same ability to effectively navigate the bumps, gaps and other anomalies of the Ninco track in general, and the N-Digital track sections in particular. The advantage of this guide is that its guide post diameter is slightly narrower than that of the Ninco guides. So for cars that would normally require the sanding of the Ninco guide post to reduce its diameter (such as RM), the HSR guide is the perfect replacement with no additional work required.

Below is the HSR Suspension guide installed in the Corvette Grand Sport. Guide flag geometry looks similar to the Ninco ProRace guides. The HSR guide post is slightly shorter than the Ninco which allows vertical travel to be restricted a little more. The screw and washer allow the guide to accomodate a fairly wide range of guide holder height.

There are a number of tuning tricks that can help turn non-Ninco cars into respectable performers on an N-Digital track. I believe the one that virtually always results in an immediate measurable imrovment in performance and handling is the guide/braid change.

by Michael Ashton

NINCO News July 2011

*** Estimated Availability is August/September 2011 ***

NINCO #50588 CITROËN C4 WRC TOTAL LIGHTNING
The king of Rallyslot. NINCO LIGHTNING version with 3/32” slot racing parts fitted as standard. Out of the box, high performance mechanical equipment including ProShock suspension, double race bushings, ProRace V.03 wheels, 27T crown gear, 9T pinion gear, transparent Lexan chassis with machined engine mount, NC-12 “Crusher+” 23,500 RPM motor, ProRace 2.38mm stainless steel axles and ProRace body screws.

NINCO #50587 JAGUAR XK-120 DONINGTON
New replica of an historic model for the NINCO Classic collector. Excellent reproduction of the car with maximum attention to detail, chrome wheels, etc. In-line NC-5 power.

NINCO #50580 RENAULT MEGANE TROPHY N4 LIGHTNING
The ideal slot car for Club racing. LIGHTNING version with 3/32” racing material as standard equipment. Ready to race out of the box, a good choice for any driver. Longer, deeper slot guide, 23,500-RPM NC-12 “Crusher+” motor and silicone cables. ProRace chassis with frame, Lexan interior, anglewinder 32z/12z gearset, 17-inch wheels with ultra low profile tires in front and 20x10 at the rear.

NINCO 1 #55041 RENAULT MEGANE TROPHY N4 N-DIGITAL
NINCO 1 version of the Megane Trophy N4 with installed Digital “chip” as standard for NINCO N-DIGITAL slot racing. Usual NINCO 1 slot car mechanics.

NINCO 1 #55033 FORD MUSTANG GREEN
Striking and colorful decoration of the iconic Ford Mustang. Usual mechanical set up for NINCO 1, ideal handling for the home and casual racer. NC-11 motor.

NINCO 1 #55038 FORD MUSTANG GREEN N-DIGITAL
NINCO 1 digital version with installed N-Digital “chip” as standard for NINCO N-DIGITAL slot racing.

NINCO 1 #55032 FORD MUSTANG OHIO
Another unique decoration of the iconic Ford Mustang. Usual mechanical set up for NINCO 1, ideal handling for the home and casual racer. NC-11 motor.

NINCO 1 #55037 FORD MUSTANG OHIO N-DIGITAL
NINCO 1 digital version with installed N-Digital “chip” as standard for NINCO N-DIGITAL slot racing.

NINCO 1 #55039 RENAULT MEGANE TROPHY V6
Official Renault Megane Trophy Decoration. This slot  car will be included in the NINCO Eurocup Megane Circuit race set, available individually as well. Usual NINCO 1 mechanics, ideal for the home and casual racer. NC-11 motor.

NINCO 1 #55040 RENAULT MEGANE TROPHY V6 N-DIGITAL
NINCO 1 digital version with installed N-Digital “chip” as standard for NINCO N-DIGITAL slot racing.

NINCO #80889 ProRace Motor Mount
Replaces previous model (black): better performance, new design, new material and reinforced with ribs. Includes 2 screws to prevent motor torque.

NINCO #80432 4 x DOUBLE BRONZE PRORACE EVO BUSHINGS 3/32”

NINCO XLOT #60008 BMW M3 E30 PONCE METAL
NINCO 1/28 scale XLOT expands its range of models with the BMW M3 from the mid 80's. A reference in the history of motor racing. This decoration is the unmistakable car of driver José María Ponce Canary, with the 7UP livery. With its all metal chassis, belt driven XL-1 motor, the well known mechanical set up of XLOT is ready compete anywhere, and with plenty of settings available to customize the set up according to each driver.

NINCO XLOT #60013 BMW M3 E30 PONCE FLEX
NINCO 1/28 scale XLOT - The big news in 2011 is the new plastic chassis in all new cars. The M3 7UP is part of the new FLEX chassis family, with its unique chassis with fullly adjustable motor position, drop arm guide adjustability, plus belt driven sidewinder, aluminum hubs, hubcaps and 25,750 RPM XL-1 motor.

Auto World Chevy Bowtie Raceway HO Scale Race Set

Auto World Chevy Centennial Race Set

*** Estimated Availability is October 2011 ***

NEW KATO HO GE AC4400CW Locomotives

Long awaited, Kato announces the return of its sound friendly HO AC4400CW locomotive series with three different available paint schemes, coming this November.

KATO HO GE AC4400CW Union Pacific Building America

KATO HO GE AC4400CW BNSF Heritage II

KATO HO GE AC4400CW Canadian Pacific Golden Beaver

   Model Features:

• Sound friendly mechanism with a fuel-tank mounted 1.1” diameter speaker housing built into the frame and a standard 8-pin plug for easy to install DCC and Sound.
• Directional Headlight, illuminated ditch lights, and preprinted number boards.
• Kato’s powerful 5-pole motor and brass flywheel drive.
• Comes with a number of consumer applied detail parts such as individually molded windshield wipers, MU hoses, and grab irons.

Units will also be available with DCC and Sound pre-installed as part of Kato’s “Kobo” line.

NINCO Ford GT Slot Car Tuning

My fastest no mag slot car is the NINCO Ford GT Bel slot car.

The car is basically stock with the following changes -

1) The main chassis had a slight twist so I straightened the chassis using the procedure found on the Slot It website - The Fine Art of Straightening a Slot Car Chassis.

2) I changed the stock guide and braid to the NINCO #80112 Suspension guide with ProRace braid.

3) The longest straight on my track is about 12 feet long so I switched to 32/12 gearing using ProRace gears.

4) I have an N-Digital track with an over pass, so my cars seem to run the best using the ride height that comes on the regular NINCO slot cars. For this reason, I switched to NINCO #80754 17” ProRace V.03 wheels in the front using the front tires that came on the car. On the rear, I switched to the NINCO #80520 20.5 x 11.5 Laprene tires.

5) I then tightened the motor pod screws and set the rolling chassis on a NINCO XLOT set up board. The rear bushings fit kind of loose in the motor pod, so I turned each rear axle bushings so the oil hole is straight up. I noticed that as I turned the bushings, the front axle holders of the chassis wouldn’t have equal pressure on the front axle. I continued to turn each rear bushing (making sure the oil hole is accessible), until the front axle was just touching both front axle holders. I then glued the rear axle bushings in place using a small amount of super glue.

6) I loosened the body screws about a ½ turn so the body has a small amount of float on the chassis.

I tried running the car with the motor pod screws loose about a ¼ to a ½ turn but noticed some chatter under hard braking. I then tried the car with the pod screws tight, the car runs great and is easily the fastest car on my track.

I am hoping this information will help others with tuning a NINCO slot car. It’s amazing how much better my car runs with some tuning and a few aftermarket parts compared to how the car ran out of the box.

by Brian of BRS Hobbies

Converting Slot.it Inline Cars to N-Digital

I really appreciate Slot.it cars. Their performance is smooth and powerful with great handling. And their appearance is among the best in the industry. But everyone knows that. So what self respecting N-Digital user wouldn't want at least one of these great cars in the stable? But, as just about every N-Digital user knows, there are two problems that, unfortunately, make running Slot.it cars in N-Digital a serious challenge:

1.) The orange end-bell motor that comes stock in the majority of these cars overheats significantly when running connected to the N-Digital decoder chip. To a point where the motor mount can be seriously damaged.

2.) This same motor is, IMHO, too powerful for the average N-Digital home track. Although this is somewhat moot because of the overheating problem.

This is really a shame because, apart from these problems, the Slot.it motor actually performs very well in the N-Digital system. Nevertheless, the only solution is to replace the motor with one that affords good performance with N-Digital and, most importantly, does not overheat.

A number of N-Digital users have installed the Ninco NC-5. This is a tried and true performer and definitely yields a great performing car in N-Digital, running in the 'amateur' throttle profile. However it is a relatively expensive modification because not only must the motor be replaced, but also the motor pod because the NC-5 is a long can (FK-180) format motor, while the orange end-bell is a short can Mabuchi type (FC-130). This also necessitates either the transfer of the rear axle assembly to the new pod or an entire new drive train for the modified car.

It would be far simpler and less expensive to replace the orange end-bell with an FC-130 type motor. The trick is to find one that yields the desired performance and does not overheat.

The BWNC1 motor turned out to fit the bill very well. Very reasonably priced and in 'professional' throttle profile it provided smooth performance and ample power on a short twisty track. Unfortunately the BWNC1 is no longer available. Another promising candidate was the H&R Hawk motor which performed very well in 'amateur' throttle profile and is also priced attractively. Not quite the performance of the NC-5 but very respectable. But the H&R Hawk also suffered from the overheating problem.

Enter the 18 K RPM Pioneer Typhoon motor. It's an FC-130 type with performance that seems well suited to N-Digital home tracks and the hectic requirements of digital slot racing. It is also priced affordably and -- most importantly -- it does not overheat in N-Digital. The only drawback is that the armature shaft(s) are shorter than all the other motors mentioned above. This means that the drive shaft does not reach the alignment groove of the crown gear, so an alternate method of maintaining optimum gear mesh must be implemented. This can be accomplished quite effectively by installing axle collars on each side of the rear axle just outside the bushings.

So, pictured above is the Slot.it Porsche 956 Warsteiner. The inset photo depicts the parts list that will allow this car to be a very competent and reliable N-Digital technical track performer:

- The aforementioned Pioneer Typhoon 18 K RPM motor.

- Hobby Slot Racing (that's HSR) axle collars. I chose this collar because it is slightly narrower than most other brands, allowing it to fit in the limited space between the wheel hub and motor pod bushing housings (see below).

- A Ninco 10 tooth pinion to replace the stock 9 tooth. This seems to provide a little more top end performance with the Typhoon motor. The Ninco pinions mesh very well with the Slot.it crown. Naturally the Slot.it pinion works just as well. I just happened to use the Ninco.

The photos below show everything, including the N-Digital decoder chip, in place. Note especially the virtually perfect spacing of he HSR axle collars between the wheel hubs and bushing housings on the Slot.it axle, highlighted by the red arrows. Also note the N-Digital decoder chip (wrapped in electrical tape). The Slot.it Group C cars have plenty of room on either side of the chassis for the relatively compact chip, which allows for a simple, straight forward chip installation.

The results are quite acceptable. The car still runs like a Slot.it: ample, smooth, exceptionally quiet power for the application at hand, and excellent handling on the Ninco track. Lap times are now faster than those with the stock orange end-bell. The Typhoon motor gets mildly warm after long runs but this diminishes with proper lubrication and as the motor breaks in.

So now I can run those wonderful Slot.its on my N-Digital track. I have modified five Slot.its this way, including the Alfa 33 sidewinder, and they are among the best N-Digital performers in my stable (as they were before, just not for very many laps).

In summary:

- The required parts were less than half the cost of an NC-5 / motor pod swap, with comparable performance. Also, you can sell the Slot.it orange end-bell motor literally making this a no-cost conversion. High quality motors listed in the slot forums at a reasonable price tend to sell very quickly.

- If you opt to hold on to the Slot.it motor and you get the urge to head for the Blue King at the local slot car venue, all that's required is to pop the orange end-bell back in and connect it directly to the guide.

- No modifications to the car were required. In other words, if I can do it...

- This modification also applies to the Racer Sideways cars and any car that uses the in-line Slot.it drive train.

- If your N-Digital circuit has long straights and wide, sweeping turns, you can run in 'professional' throttle profile. The car will handle quite well with significantly faster top end and better control through wide turns. There is also a 21 K RPM Typhoon motor which I suspect would provide good performance in 'amateur' profile on larger layouts.

If you are an N-Digital user and you have reluctantly avoided Slot.it cars because of the overheating problem I hope that you will try this modification. It's quite economical, relatively simple, completely reversible, and will open up your N-Digital track to one of the best slot car companies in the hobby.

by Michael Ashton