The heart of the AC2Car system is a simple AC2Car electrical circuit that you can put together at home to run two cars in a common slot with independent control. It is very inexpensive and easy to do. But, you must follow the two circuit schematics carefully in regard to the positioning of the diodes in both the circuit for the controllers and the cars. This page contains the technical information you will need to wire a track and set up cars for running two cars in one slot with indepenant control. Below you will find a component list, transformer suggestions, and controller information. Below that are both the controller wiring schematic, and the car wiring schematic that you will need to set up an AC2Car circuit.
Any track can be used to experiment with the benefits of AC2Car electrics. Although they will not be able to pass, you can even use plastic snap together track to test two cars running in the same slot with independent control. Hook up the track with two controllers and diodes closely following both the Controller Wiring Schematic and the Car wiring Schematic below. However, a home routed wood track designed using the AC2Car pattern of slots, will give you all the many benifits of the AC2Car system of racing. With two cars racing in a common slot, there must be a way to pass cars ahead. This unique pattern of cutting slots should be used in the design of any AC2Car track, because a track with lane changing features for passing and blocking is required to get the full benefits of the AC2Car system. See Lane Changing page for details. A custom routed track using the slot pattern shown on the Track Building page, will allow all the cars racing to change lanes into a second slot cut for it around the track.
Any common non digital slot car can be used to get two cars running in one slot with independent control. Add a diode to each car as shown in the car wiring diagram to run two cars independently controlled sharing a common slot. Note that any car without a diode can run perfectly on an AC2Car track. That means that any friends visiting can put their box stock cars on your track and race. However, if two cars share the same slot as Car A and Car B then inexpensive diodes must be installed in each car. It is important to note that the polarity of the B car must be reversed at the shoe.
Any old AC toy train transformer will work to power the AC2Car system. Note that many modern trains use DC power supplies. Modern pulse width modulating transformers do not work. The old fashioned style of variable speed train transformers from the 40’s to the 70’s work best. After much testing we found that a transformer rated to run higher than 18 Volts is best. You can find Lionel transformers on Ebay for around $35. The inexpensive AC train transformers that work well are from the old style “O Gauge” and “O-27” type trains, such as Lionel, American Flyer, and Marx. Choosing the Wattage level of a transformer depends on how many race cars you are going to run. Follow the guidelines below.
Any slot car controller will work with AC2car electronics. However it’s important to note that with any controller, when running two cars in one slot with AC2car electronics, brakes must be disabled. Never connect the red lead of the controllers to the track terminal unless that line is disconnected beneath the layout. This is because on conventional DC tracks the controller is designed to short the circuit upon release of the trigger. This short is built into modern controllers to resist the spinning of the coasting car’s armature to simulate braking. But in the AC2Car circuit it shorts both A car and B car in that lane. Again, unhook the red lead from the controller, or disconnect the red line between the terminal and the track in the wiring beneath the layout to negate shorting out a car’s current flow when the controller trigger is fully released. Also note, that modern controllers like the excellent Professor Motor models need to have their polarity easily reversed to be able to be used to control the B car in the lane. Since they do not use wire wound resistors, these positive polarity controllers do not allow current to flow backwards through them unless the black and white leads are switched. This is important for the AC2Car circuit, because car B has it’s polarity reversed and current cannot flow backwards through this type of controller. To use a non wire wound resitor type controller as your B controller, simply connect the black controller lead to the white terminal and the white lead onto the black terminal to reverse the current flow. To simplify things, this can be done in the track wiring beneath the layout at each B controller.
Nearly any diode will work in an AC2car circuit. The diode easiest to find is the 1N4004. Note that the diode has a gray band that signifies the direction of current flow. The current flows toward the silver band. You can think of the diode as a check valve. It allows current to flow in one direction, but not the other. The Controller Wiring Schematic, and Car Wiring Schematic below clearly show in what direction the diode should be soldered for the controllers and the cars to work correctly. The sequence of the diodes is most important. Building this circuit is very simple unless you place the diode in wrong. If so the cars will run in the wrong direction or not at all. You must follow the diagram for AC2Car electronics exactly, noting the direction of the gray band on each diode carefully. Once you do it, you will see how easy it was to do. Each controller will need a diode in either it’s black or white line.(see Controller schematic) Note that cars racing with no diodes will run well. But when a second car is introduced to the same lane a diode must be installed in both cars. But if you want to add a second controller, (controller B) to run a second car (car B) in the same slot, you must put one diode in both Car A and Car B sharing that lane, and reverse the polarity at car B’s guide shoe.
You can view the track and car wiring schematics online in a jpeg format, or if you would like to print them out, we suggest downloading the pdf. The pdf files are formatted to fit the schematic onto one page. All wiring diagrams are set up for POSITIVE polarity connection.
Use this schematic to wire your track. This wiring diagram will work for both traditional wire wound resistor controllers and diode style controllers. We have not tested with any transistor type controllers, but are confident that they will NOT work.
Track Wiring Schematic (view )(download pdf )
Use this schematic to wire your cars. Both A and B car wiring diagrams are contained in the pdf.
Car Wiring Schematic (download pdf )
Use this schematic to wire your track for lap timing. This timing circuit hooks to the parallel port and lets you use your favorite program to time laps. This version is for 4 cars. If you need more than 4 cars, use two.
Lap Timing Wiring Schematic (download pdf )
