Released in 1964, Lionel’s Pike’s Peak Hill Climb brought a new twist to HO-scale racing with a four-car relay format designed for two teams. Sold through Sears for $19.99, the set was promoted as “the first racing set of its kind,” letting four people race and play at the same time while each driver controlled their own car.
In tag-team mode, one driver raced the mountain course before tagging a teammate’s car from behind. The impact flipped up a flag, signalling the next driver to take off on a lap of the “treacherous course.” Automatic lap counters tracked each team’s progress as drivers alternated between racing and waiting at the starting line.
The set packed 22 feet of HO track into a 3 1/2 × 5 1/2-foot layout and included a scenic mountain course, four electrically controlled cars, individual grip-type controls, two changeover lanes, guard rails, a flag, tower track, and wiring for either tag-team or conventional racing.
