Slot Car Magazine – MARCH 2023, issue 72

Welcome to another issue, with the usual mixed bag of slotty things that we hope you’ll find interesting. We were dismayed that the Thunderslot Mustang just missed our publication date last time, but at least it gave Marc some more time with the car for the review this time around. To make up for it, the Policar Ferrari 126C came running through the gates just as they were closing, so Marc again swung into action as this magazine’s, if not the world’s, leading classic F1 authority. I have been watching the new television series about Hornby with great interest and, as doubtless everybody at Hornby hoped, I was very impressed by the care they take over producing a new locomotive. There have been visits to museums and preserved railways to make sure the colours are exactly right, countless photographs and measurements taken, all propelled by this fear that the rail enthusiasts will spot any mistake and not be happy about it. When one such enthusiast wrote to say that the wheel spacing on a prototype model of the Class 9F locomotive wasn’t quite correct, they changed it. In the same episode, we were given the series’ first insight into the workings of Scalextric. But not for us the scale engineering beauty of the magnificent 9F; we were presented with Mr Bean on top of a Mini. When this top-heavy piece of pointlessness wouldn’t even go round the test track properly, they made a note that it needed a stronger magnet… Oh well, at least we know where we stand. While I’m having such an uncharacteristic moan about things, I’ve noticed that out of the five new cars we test this month, four had quality control (i.e. assembly) problems when it came to having all four wheels squarely on, or even near, the track. That’s not very good, is it? Well done, Carrera; the cheapest car of the lot was the best built. I’m off for a lie down now, enjoy the magazine!