Slot Cars Used To Have Tiny Diesel Engines That Could Push To 60 MPH

Even though it’s declined in popularity over the decades, slot car racing remains a pastime of adults and children alike. But back in the early years—we’re talking 1930s to 1950s here—the electric slot cars we know today had yet to be popularized. In their place were metal, 1/16th-scale replicas of period race cars powered by smoky little diesel engines, running along a raised central rail. Hard to imagine? Check out a color video from 1950s Britain for the immersive experience here >

Picture this: tiny postwar Grand Prix cars, running four wide, with their tinier engines screaming down the straight at 60 miles an hour. That was the scene at places like this indoor rail car track in Boscombe, England in 1956, with everything from the course to the car’s powertrains to the small tires made by hand by its creators, Alban Adams and Christopher Crocket. It’s a trip to see components like the clutch, driveshaft and rear differential shrunken down to the appropriate size. Of course, that process is a lot easier when you don’t have to incorporate a real driver… read more >