Scalextric (in one form or other) have been producing Scalextric cars since the late 1950s and over this time several different methods have been used to provide their models with lights. Head lights, tail lights, brake lights, Turbo Flash, lights for Marshal’s cars and roof lights for Police cars.
This article gives a potted history of the lighting methods used throughout the years.
Introduction
Scalextric realised long ago that their Scalextric cars can look more realistic if the cars were fitted with lights, both headlights and rear tail lights. The methods used by Scalextric very much follow the technologies available at the time; bulbs, LEDs and electronics have all played their role as time has passed.
Bulbs
The first Scalextric cars to be fitted with lights were the E range of cars (E1 to E5) produced from 1962. These used one small bulb for each headlight and one small bulb to illuminate the rear tail lights.
Bulbs were also used for the Marshal’s car, Aston Martin DB4 (E5) which remained permanently illuminated just like a headlight. The Rover 3500 range of Police cars were fitted with flashing roof lights which used electrics to switch the bulb on and off. Quite realistic too.
Bulbs were used right up to the introduction of LEDs in the early 2000s as this was the only sensible way to produce white light. In the mid 1990s some cost cutting starts to kick in and a change takes place to the method of providing the lights. The new system has one bulb located in the chassis towards the centre of the car and light guides illuminate the headlights and tail lights. This solution was both reliable and more readily serviceable too.
LEDs
As time progressed the method of providing lights in Scalextric cars remained unchanged until the introduction of brake lights and Turbo Flash for the Formula 1 models in 1988. The brake lights and Turbo Flash lights operate in the same way. A small electric circuit senses that power has been removed from the car (braking) and then switches an internal power store on, thereby providing power to the rear lights. For brake lights this was 2 red LEDs and for Turbo Flash this was 1 yellow LED.
Several different Scalextric cars during the early 1990s continued to use bulbs for headlights, LED for tail lights and LEDs for brake lights.
The next change was in the early 2000s where Scalextric replaced the bulbs to LEDs front and rear. Initially the front LEDs were orange which was not too realistic at all and looked terrible. That was not a good idea. Soon after the front lights were changed to white LEDs. So this is where Scalextric are today. White LEDs for headlights and red LEDs for tail lights.
Once blue LEDs became cost effective in the mid 2000s they were also used in the Police range of Scalextric cars replacing bulbs for the flashing roof lights.
The solution that got away
One lighting solution Scalextric never implemented was to combine the rear LEDs to be both tail lights and brake lighst in one red LED. Scalextric Car Restorations have achieved this.
While the car is under power on the track each LED emits a moderate brightness red light ideal for the tail lamps of Scalextric cars. When the power is released and the car slows down, both the LEDs become much brighter just like real car brake lights. This is accomplished with a small electronic module that senses when the car is slowing or stopping. The module then significantly increases the brightness of the LEDs for a short period of time.
This LED kit connects to the car with only two wires connected directly to the car motor making the fitting simplicity itself. The kit is protected against improper electrical fitting.
General
On the whole Scalextric has used lighting to good effect over the years. They basically did the best they could do with the technologies around them. The only real flaw was the use of orange LEDs as head lights and the missed opportunity to add combined brake lights and tail lights.
About the author:
Gary Harding has been working with Scalextric cars for over 35 years and now operates Scalextric Car Restorations in the UK. Scalextric Car Restorations is a Worldwide internet based business that offers for sale high quality Scalextric cars and Scalextric parts from the 1960s to the present day. All the restoration work is carried out to the highest standards with the highest quality parts available. Only the best cars are selected and the final result is a car that is genuinely like new.
Further help and advice relating to this article or Scalextric cars in general can be found at:
http://www.scalextric-car.co.uk
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