• wb0s
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Topic: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

Today I made a trip out to Newberg to purchase some items described to me as "possibly slot car chassis." Upon arrival at John's house I was shown a box of old scratchbuilt chassis and miscellaneous pieces. He had picked these items up as scrap. Thankfully he found the Northwest True Scale Facebook Group page and reached out to see if anybody had any interest in them. We as most of you know, I am kind of a geek for this stuff.

In the pictures John initially sent me it looked like some of the chassis may have been built locally. But when I arrived John also had set out a wooden box I immediately recognized as the timer system High Ellsworth had built for Lee Dundas' tracks in Wilsonville! In addition to the original timer system there was an LED readout lap counter. The lap counter was not the original one I remember that was part of the timer system. Here's the stuff all laid out on my bench after I got it all back home:

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6035.jpg

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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

Originally I thought this might be a home-made magnet zapper. After conferring with my resource (Gearloose), who by the way remembers this device, and informed me that it is a de-magnetizer. It was used "back in the day" to demagnetize the "steel" magnets of the early motors used for slot cars (long before permanent ceramic magnets were used for slot car motors). The early motors used mainly for model trains, would substantially lose their magnetic field when disassembled for "tweaking" to become fast slot car motors. After this device was used to de-magnetize the reassembled motors were then remagnetized using a magnet zapper device. My source went on to tell me the magnet zapper they used was stolen.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6009.jpg

Here is a photo example of one of the motor types that would be de-magnetized and then zapped after being rebuilt.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6034.jpg

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  • Mitch58
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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

Great pick Bill, Finds like these are really cool, the fact that much of it is local only adds to the coolness. Also thanks to John for reaching out and making the call. These could have just as easily made it into the weekly trash.

  • wb0s
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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

Very true Mitch, it saddens me to think about how much slot car stuff just ended up in the dump!

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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

Seeing this device as I walked up to all the stuff John had laid out really got me excited! I immediately remembered this as the track timer Hugh Ellsworth built in the mid-eighties for use on Lee Dundas' tracks. As originally built, there was a second piece that was an LED readout lap counter. It was attached to the timer section by two hinges which allowed it to swing up into position atop the timer. The hinge locations can be seen in the top of the timer's box. The latches that held the top lap counter section in place for transporting are still in place.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6001.jpg
http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6002.jpg

Hugh built many devices for the club's use, as well as building some great cars! Hugh helped me wire my first 1/24 routed track, which is now the Pelican Park track in Eugene. Hugh designed the original controller station hook-ups using copper tubing that I still use today! Hugh and I also experimented with rewinding 5 pole armatures when PASER was using 36D motors in the NASCAR class. Sadly Hugh has passed, but many of his devices and cars are still in the club's possession. He is greatly missed!

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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

When I first met the PASER group of guys they were racing at Lee Dundas' in Wilsonville. Lee had two tracks in the upstairs of his barn. One HUGE 3 lane wood (plywood) routed track, and one 4 lane (also routed plywood) tight road course. The 4 lane track was used for racing 1/32 Parma Womp Womp cars primarily, and the 3 lane was the track used for the 1/24 hardbody classes. The main 1/24 hardbody class they were racing when I started was the NASCAR Class. The cars featured flat brass chassis with 36D motors. Of course none of the fast guys were running "stock" 16D motors. A small detail it didn't take long to realize on the 50 some foot long straight! These motors were in this lot of chassis pieces. Even just a quick look to the experienced eye tells you those armatures are NOT stock, but obviously rewound! The possibility is very high that one or even ALL of these motors had passed me with ease!

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6011.jpg

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  • wb0s
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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

I believe this lap counter was built by Hugh Ellsworth to replace his original design that was mounted to the original track timer box. I have yet to verify this as there was a period of time in the late '80s through the early '90s when I had dropped out of the racing scene. If anyone can confirm the details of this lap counter, please let me know! But to the point this is an early design of an LED lap counter.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER5999.jpg
http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6000.jpg

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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

This particular chassis is unique to this lot. I have a similar chassis in my collection of known old PASER club chassis. I am not sure who came up with design but although it is a variation of the "rattle" chassis that was so popular in the PASER club, it is truly different.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6025.jpg

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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

I have a few stainless steel chassis in my collection of old PASER chassis. Larry Cockerham commented that Lee Dundas liked building chassis out of stainless, so I wouldn't doubt if he was the one that started the trend. Here are some examples of stainless chassis and chassis parts using typical PASER design elements.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6019.jpg
http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6021.jpg

One dead give away to a PASER style chassis is the use of brass angle on the outside edges of the side pans for body mounting.
http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6020.jpg

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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

During those years I was away from slot car racing with the PASER guys, there was a time when they were racing some very fast 1/32 scratchbuilt cars. In my collection of Gary "Goose" Gossett's cars, I have quite a few 1/32 scratchbuilt cars featuring chassis with similar designs to the chassis on the right in this picture. These cars were fitted with clear light weight bodies.

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6017.jpg

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Re: Historic PASER Equipment Found in Newberg!

The lower chassis in this picture is interesting to me because of the way the wire motor bracket rails are positioned inside the square tubing. Although this chassis does not have separate side pans, this way of attaching the motor bracket rails to the center section is a design element of the later "Hanna" style chassis. Could this chassis be a forerunner of the "Hanna" style chassis?

http://www.naste.org/members/bill/PASER6016.jpg

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