And now the history slot

Scalextric by Roger Gillham, a comprehensive book described rightly as ‘the definitive guide’ to slot-cars, has been published by Haynes in a sixth edition (ISBN 1 84425 034 2, £25.00). Every kind of miniature car, racing car and commercial, the rail and slot tracks, the clockwork miniatures, the trackside buildings and engines — the list is almost endless. As for the colour pictures, they are too numerous to count!

I had a modest set-up once, but it was borrowed for a party and never returned. But that was a long time ago; I’d never realised how vast this hobby has become since.

And it’s all here in this 256-page study, with pages of tables about the products and lists of the world’s clubs. Stupendous!

I have wondered whether a layout with banked corners, an Indy or a Brooklands, perhaps, has been tried, for that seems to be the only missing aspect of this miniature game.