Trackless Vehicle System
Radiator Springs Trackless Ride Model
This project was inspired by the model town of Radiator Springs at Cars Land. While my brother began collecting the town’s buildings, I wanted to take it a step further: what if the cars themselves could actually move up and down the street, just like in the movie? That question sparked the idea for a custom trackless ride system built into a scale model of the town.
My first approach was to design a chain drive supported by sprockets and powered by a single motor. However, the weight of the chain proved impractical. To solve this, I developed a new concept using custom-designed guide rails that allowed the chain to slide smoothly into place. I modeled the guide rails in Autodesk Inventor, then 3D printed them, incorporating ramps at the ends to ease the chain into alignment.
The final system consists of two levels:
Lower Level: Houses the chain drive system, powered by a motor and sprockets. Magnets mounted on brackets along the chain allow it to “carry” the cars above.
Upper Level: Contains the town, road, and scenery. Cars with magnets on their underside are placed on the road surface, where they are pulled along invisibly by the moving chain below.
The road itself sits on removable foam boards, making the system accessible for maintenance. Once the mechanics were in place, I added the desert theming—sand mats, rocks, and other details—to bring Radiator Springs to life. The result is a functional model where the cars can freely move through town, creating the illusion of a living, breathing Radiator Springs.
