Tiny Electric Car Runs 12 m.p.h. on Track (Feb, 1934)

Tiny Electric Car Runs 12 m.p.h. on Track

THIS tiny electric car constructed by Woodrow McCrate of Black, Texas, spins merrily around on its 65 foot concrete race track at speeds of up to twelve miles per hour. It has made a decided hit with the little tots of this Texas town.

Power from the regular house lighting circuit is used to run the car. An ordinary 1/4- h.p., 110 volt a.c. motor is mounted in the rear of the toy automobile, and connected to the rear axle through speed-reducing gears.

An iron pipe pivoted about the center of the track keeps the car running on its circular course, and also serves as a means for bringing the electric power wires to the car. Brushes mounted on a piece of wood fastened to the pipe make contact with two circular brass strips, springs being used to keep the brushes in contact with the stationary rings. The brass strips are mounted on a wood block which is in turn set in concrete. Power wires are run underground in a 3-4″ pipe from the power source to the brush rings.

The tracks on which the car runs are made of concrete, and are 6″ wide by 6″ thick. The two circular tracks of concrete are 18″ apart center to center, and 20′ 6″ in diameter.

The track was made by pouring cement in a trench of the correct size, the finished track being level with the surrounding ground.

Although this car was made for a two year old child, it will easily pull children up to five years of age at speeds of up to 12 m.p.h. This is sufficiently fast for a circle of this size.