1 (edited by ckouba January 16, 2017 10:17 am)

Topic: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

I know a guy who cleaned up his basement and is willing to host an evening of slot car racing, but one which doesn't interfere with the normal ebb and flow of events.  To this end, perhaps an Even Thursday would work?  Maybe next week?

Some pics of the track can be found here:

https://goo.gl/photos/frVPYQRsEFeV93Z46

It's short but flowy, a good lap is in the low 3-second range.  It's painted with non-mag primer, and has copper tape and a Pyramid power supply set to 10v.  Rubber tires work best.

It hasn't been run on in a while, so there may be teething problems but it's all for fun anyway, right?  How about a condensed championship night: run TA, Le Mans, Classics 1?  Perhaps close the night with BRM's and/or 50's?

Normal schedule, doors at 4, racing at 6 (or 6+)?  Oregon City is the location...  I will be happy to post my address later and then take it down after the party's over.  I'm "near" Rivercrest Park though, which is here:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/River … 22.6076418

Who is interested?

Chris

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

Yes, possibly.  OC...  If I leave on Wednesday...

"Big Smooth"

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

I'm in!!!!

New generation gravity racers on display in the Scuderia Kouba Works Shop?

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

This would be a easy drive for me heading home from work. I'm in also. whats the lane spacing.

The secondnidator

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

I might be persuaded

Race cars are neither beautiful nor ugly. They become beautiful when they win.

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

Doc, hold him down, I'll twist his arm.

"Big Smooth"

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

No can do still have a bum leg.

The secondnidator

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

kidvolt wrote:

Doc, hold him down, I'll twist his arm.

Okay, okay I give.

Race cars are neither beautiful nor ugly. They become beautiful when they win.

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

Lane spacing is big enough for the BRM's to pass with reasonable comfort but I forget without actually measuring it.  If it's too narrow or too wide, does that mean you're out?  Too tough to nerf someone?  Too easy?  Is Goose coming?

Sounds like there are enough interested parties to call it an event.  I will plan on it, see you all there- or should I say "here"?

Chris

Monte, I can't believe it'd take you longer to get to the OC than to Bill's on any given evening.  What would a rallyist do?

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

I'll probably be there. Our sixth grandchild is in the process of being born at the moment, so if I mention it to Chris it will fall on deaf ears. I don't really believe we have anything else scheduled that night.

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

no yes maybe might be out of town or might not have to see what the date is ok not ok .see you all Thursday.

The secondnidator

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

The rallier would say to his navigator "Get me out of this traffic". 

Already looking forward to driving over the West Linn bridge.  Or is it the Oregon City bridge.  I had the worst time with that.  I met a girl from Longview when I was maybe 17 or so.  One night she drove to St. Helens and I asked her which way she came.  She replied "over the Rainier Bridge".  I was stunned, I'd never heard of that bridge.  However I was familiar with the Longview Bridge.

Learned about perspective that night.

"Big Smooth"

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

Everyone calls it the Longview bridge, right? 

Yeah- except the people from Longview.  They just call it "the bridge".  Kind of like having Mexican food in Mexico.  They just call it "food".

Here, we (ok, *I*) do refer to it as the Oregon City bridge, but technically, I think it's correctly called the Arch Bridge, or you could generically refer to it as the Route 43 bridge.

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

The Oregon City Bridge is a steel through arch bridge spanning the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1922, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built and is owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) as part of Oregon Route 43 and is the third southernmost Willamette bridge in the Portland metropolitan area, after the Boone Bridge in Wilsonville and the Oregon 219 bridge near Newberg.

The bridge is 745 ft (227 m) in length and 28 ft (8½ m) wide with a 360 ft (110 m) long main span that provides 49 ft (15 m) of vertical clearance at low river levels. The narrow width causes problems for large vehicles that cross it, often requiring traffic going in the other direction to stop. TriMet buses ceased using the bridge in 2009.

This bridge is the only Oregon bridge to be encased in gunite, which protects it from corrosive sulfur dioxide emissions from paper mills south of the bridge. The concrete look was favored by bridge designer Conde McCullough, designer of 500 Oregon bridges. His signature detailing is evident in the obelisk pylons with sconced light fixtures, ornate railings, and Art Deco piers.[2]

The Oregon City Bridge is just downstream from the 40 ft (12 m) tall Willamette Falls and the Willamette Falls Locks, the oldest navigational locks in the United States. Downstream from this bridge is the George Abernethy Bridge, which carries Interstate 205.

The secondnidator

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

HISTORY
The bridge was built to replace an 1888 pedestrian suspension bridge; workers used the old bridge to begin construction of the present bridge's box steel ribs.[3] Construction was made difficult by the great depth of the river at the bridge site and by the water traffic during construction. Construction workers used the cables of the old bridge to support the arch prior to completion by running cables from the arch, over the cables to an anchor on the far side. Once the new arch was completed, the old suspension bridge was dismantled.[4] The present bridge was opened for public use on December 28, 1922; the cost of construction was published as $300,000.[5]

The piers were designed to accommodate public restrooms. The deck widens at the piers to provide room for the stairways – one on each side of the deck – that once descended to the restrooms. Repeated vandalism led to the closure of the restrooms in 1937, and the stairway entrances were covered over with concrete. Windows for "observation balconies" that were originally included in the piers, at the tops on both sides, were also sealed in concrete after closure.[6]

The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places (as the Willamette River (Oregon City) Bridge (No. 357)) on July 1, 2005.[1][7]

In March 2009, ODOT imposed new weight limits for vehicles crossing the bridge, after inspections revealed damage to some of the structure's floor beams. Large commercial vehicles, or any vehicle weighing more than 14 tons, were banned from using the bridge.[8] Among other impacts, the restriction meant the rerouting of all TriMet buses. The two routes using the bridge at that time, 35-Macadam and 154-Willamette, were rerouted across the Abernethy Bridge (I-205 bridge).[8][9]

In 2010–2012, the Oregon City Bridge was given an extensive rehabilitation, overseen by ODOT. Work began in July 2010,[10] and the bridge was temporarily closed to all traffic starting in January 2011.[11][12] The bridge reopened on October 15, 2012,[13] with the $15 million restoration project nearly completed. The final items of work were completed in early 2013.[10] According to ODOT, one of the "intentions" of the project was to "restore [the bridge's] original load-carrying capacity",[14] which would permit TriMet buses to resume using the bridge. However, as of September 2013 TriMet service had not returned to the bridge, and it is unknown whether the transit agency is planning to restore the former routings, or whether ODOT actually has restored the old (higher) load limits.

The secondnidator

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

I feel satisfactorily edified.

"Big Smooth"

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

Very informative! Thanks Doc!

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

I stayed in a Holiday inn last night

The secondnidator

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

I believe the restrooms were also closed because they emptied straight into the river. When I was a teenager there were still old concrete restrooms in Waterfront park in Portland they didn't flush, there was just a pipe leading out of the bottom, like a fancy outhouse. One morning a couple of friends and I were wandering around the park when one of them picked up an empty bottle and dropped it into the toilet tube a couple of seconds later we heard a splash, when we looked over the rail there was the bottle floating in the river. They were all removed soon after as part of the Willamette clean up program.

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

I had a friend that lived on Crystal Lane off of northeast 47 avenue when we were kids. The houses on the north side of the street bordered the slew. The sewer piping in those houses dumped directly into the slew. We would go fishing behind his house and the other houses along that slew. When we heard a toilet flush and water running into the slew we would cast our bait there. The carp fishing behind those houses was always really good!

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

wb0s wrote:

I had a friend that lived on Crystal Lane off of northeast 47 avenue when we were kids. The houses on the north side of the street bordered the slew. The sewer piping in those houses dumped directly into the slew. We would go fishing behind his house and the other houses along that slew. When we heard a toilet flush and water running into the slew we would cast our bait there. The carp fishing behind those houses was always really good!

But let me guess...  They tasted like $#iT!

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

They say; "you are what you eat"!

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

Remind to never eat fish at Bills

The secondnidator

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

Slot cars, men, slot cars.

Let's save the restaurant reviews for live time.  hmm

"Big Smooth"

Re: Anyone interested in an EVEN Thurs?

kidvolt wrote:

Slot cars, men, slot cars.

Let's save the restaurant reviews for live time.  hmm

Oh come on: Like it's the first time we have conversed about food instead of slot cars on this forum.  Besides slot cars, it's our 2nd favorite topic. big_smile

Race cars are neither beautiful nor ugly. They become beautiful when they win.