September 19, 2003
SLOT CARS
A Nostalgia™ entry. What the Hell happened to slot cars? They were big deals when I was a kid. At one point they had slot car hangouts, like pool halls, where you could go run your cars on huge layouts.
My guess is Hot Wheels killed off slot cars in the late sixties. They were cheaper, and would do whorish tricks like loops without having to deal with transformers and wires. Plus they had great vehicles. Hot Wheels. Those bastards!
I have a model train set (naturally) that I set up once and boxed away. Takes up too much space. Plus, if you can't derail them, blow them up, and otherwise destroy them like Gomez Addams what's the point?
Update: Apparently slot cars are still around. The fans are now in their late forties and still live with Mother.
i had several model train setups when i was growing up. my family was way too poor to be able to afford to build me a complete table top thingy so i actually laid out my track on the floor all the way around the living room and down the hallway and back again. it was a helluva setup although you had to be real careful where you placed your feet when going down the hallway.
i didnt blow anything up...i just laid there and watched my train go by...i loved my trains...it was probably a phallic thing or something, eh?
heh heh heh
Posted by: mr. helpful at September 19, 2003 9:21 PMOf course it was phallic. That's why you always had a tunnel. And why we still call it "pulling a train".
Posted by: Kim at September 19, 2003 9:28 PMSlot cars turned into video games. Same thrill, less effort.
Posted by: Acidman at September 20, 2003 12:53 AMSlot cars were cool! My older brother had them. And we both had Lionel, but he got into the smaller trains and stayed obsessed by all things train from there on out.
Posted by: Jay Solo at September 20, 2003 11:36 AM