Ongoing support for 12V Micro system

[Tony57]

Hi

Can anybody advise me as to what ongoing support is going to be provided by the Hornby group of companies for the 12v system in the way of spare parts and new motorised chassis or is it that the new system takes prority and the old system is being allowed to just die and be sent to land fill sites across the country. 

 

[woodcote]

Hi Tony. I would imagine that any of the 'old' 1995-2018 sets still under warranty will be supported. It's always worth contacting the retailer - or Scalextric Customer Services - if you have an issue with a product that's in or out of warranty.

 

For those who choose to stick with the old track and chassis system, there will continue to be a huge amount of sets, track pieces, controllers and cars available at boot fairs, swapmeets, on auction sites and social media groups and marketplaces. A lot of it is nearly new - and I often see new-in-packet stuff dating back to the birth of Micro in 1994 and 1995. I am sure collectors and enthusiasts will continue to keep much of it out of landfill.

Not surprisingly, Hornby seem 100% focused on the new Micro / My First Scalextric system. I think they are right to do so - it's a much, much better system for the target audience. Even though I don't fit into that audience, I am really enjoying the new system - it has been the basis of some socially-distant mail-in drag racing this summer. The smoothness and excellent connections of the new track makes a fabulous 1/64 scale drag strip - a good test of the quality of any track.

[Andy P.]

!warning! Mild snarkischness...

People think nothing of replacing a phone or tablet every two to three years that originally cost several hundreds of your favorite currency and don't seem bothered when these same devices are made obsolete because of lack of software updates yet when a toy manufacturer decides to change something on a product that can be bought for less than a week's worth of groceries people act like they have started spray painting kittens a shade of Norwegian blue....

And this is a good thing!

It shows that these products mean more to us than the throwaway devices that in many cases appear to be permanently attached to us.

It also shows that there is a community and a desire to keep the product alive and well and that they have a place in our heart...

As woodcote said, the other system will be more than serviceable for a very long time.

The Eldon brand track that was only made in the 60's in the US still has communities and there are lots of ways to keep it going so I think the old system is safe.

In fact, unlike in 1/32 and 1/24 scale it shares many more similarities to the other brands so keeping it going is even a bit easier I would argue.

 

[Tony57]

Hi 

In France a new law has come into force that requires manufacturers to support their goods made and sold for at least ten years, with 3D printing this is more possible.for all and every part to be made available as and when required..

What would be the cost to keep making some new working chassis for the old system as well as the new system so the old system can be kept working. The fitting of none servicable motors in the chassis make it harder to keep the old system working once the motor fails

I also run Triang Minic Motorway it stopped being made in 1972, due the home servicable motors and some private companies making tyers and other parts it still runs today,

 

[woodcote]

Hi Tony - as I suggested before, always worth contacting customer services...

 

For as long as there are cars knocking around on eBay, there will be ready supply of parts by breaking down those chassis. It's not too difficult to remove the motor and fit a new one. Some basic soldering is required. Slot Cars Direct in the UK sell a nice 7-ohm Mabuchi motor from the AFX Turbo cars that will give you a quicker than average Micro car. There are an endless supply of these types of motors available worldwide. Replacement tyres (front & rear) are also available from the wider HO scale market place. Thankfully, the Micro gears are excellent and usually outlive the other components!

 

Probably the only part that will be in short supply is the plastic guide plate and guide. I still see plenty on eBay... for the moment. This would be an ideal candidate for 3D printing - either making the file available to print at home or commercially printing and selling the parts. On the whole, the slot car manufacturers have been slow to embrace the possibilities of producing spares this way, but small-scale producers are beginning to tap into the market, usually via shapeways.

I hope that helps.