Slot Car Collectors Show/Swap Meet

This year is the first time I have had time to make my "own" local slot car show just down the road from us in good old St. Louis. I have to say that I was very impressed as although this show is smaller than others I have been to, it was certainly just as fun. In fact, with the excellent layouts that they have on display and allow people of all ages to race makes it one of the best shows I have been to. Having layouts up and running and allowing folks to discover the fun of our hobby firsthand is the REAL way to grow our hobby.

Here is a few photos of all the cars and tracks!

The folks from the Gateway club along with the Monaco Grand Prix Miniature Racing Club & HO Racing Association of St. Louis sponsored the event.

Above left is "Big Mike" who it was an honor to meet. LocoRacer Tom is on the right. I had to drag someone along with me:) On the right you can see that there are plenty of older sets still waiting for new ownership!

Above you can see one of the great layouts up and running. A tri-oval! That's my kinda action! On the right is a small sample of the hundreds of cars for sale or trade. HO scale usually dominates at these shows (which is fine by me!) but not today. A huge presence of 1/32, 1/24th and Vintage of all scales were in force!

Below you can see the fun having layouts can bring to a show! That small figure 8 on the right is one of the smoothest plastic tracks I have ever driven on in that scale. Those cars just drifted around there like they were on glass!

These guys race on everything. Here is a one lane routed track that really drew people's attention! I raced several cars on it and the quality of it is fantastic. It was built just for shows like this and it shows how committed these racers are at showing others the hobby.

I have said before that if you have never attended a slot car show, try your best to do so in the future. It isn't really all the great cars and tracks, but the folks behind the scenes that make it fun. Getting to meet people who have the same addiction as I do is what makes these shows the fun they are. I want to thank all the members of the Gateway Gang for putting on a great show and taking the time to invite us back for a race. I will certainly take you up on it!

- Harry

Check Out The Website For More About This Great Club!