We are talking about two different horses. Yours is the DC kit that must be motorized…I used one until last year, so I know exactly what you are talking about. And, you are quite right, since this has only brass rings, but complete and not arced, the wipers power the same rails throughout 360 deg, and that means that at 180 deg they will have necessarily reversed polarity. In your case, you will need something to flip polarity.
We are discussing the built-up DCC indexed model that has a split ring design in its hub right below the bridge pivot. It is unlike the one that you and it have used. It works as I describe in my last post.
Selector - thanks for clearing that up for me - I thought I was losing my mind. I was not aware that there was a different kit. So there is a DCC version of both to 90 and 130 footers?
Yes, C&JRR, and I now see why you were misled. The original question does not establish what model unless you actually go to the catalogue and see.
So, the built-up is what you see in my photo, and it is essentially a plug 'n play. For what it is worth, I liked the quiet running of my previous one, the one you have, when I motorized it. But getting the bridge to rotate smoothly was a huge problem until I found I needed to place plastic rectangular shims between the large metal washer and the pit’s nether surface. That steadied it immensely, and the drive was quiet. I never had any difficulty lining the bridge up with the radials. However, the pit, itself, was not perfectly round in its inner vetical surface, and even with all my work, the bridge would never rotate through 180 deg. I had to be content with it swinging only to the extent it needed to meet the radials with a short arc.
I sincerely hope your experience is much better. If you can get yours motorized and turning 180 deg for you, I am sure you will be very happy.
Has anyone had any experience with or heard anything about the N scale version of the 130 ft Walthers turntable? I’m thinking of using one on the new N scale layout I’m about to start. Is it reasonable to assume that Walthers used the same drive and indexing mechanisms on the N scale turntable as they did on the HO version?
Crandell, Thanks. [:)] The first picture was that day that we hooked the TT up. It looked pretty plain out of the box. Larry used the bragdon chalks on it. I am sure that we will add some detail when we get to that area. That baby has been basically error free. Before ordering it, we had lots of stories about indexing problems, etc., but not this one. I put the second picture in to show the relationship to the yard and RH.
Selector - well thanks for the further input and thank you for identifying the potential problem areas. I have installed the motor and the unit does turn a complete 360, however it does not rotate smoothly through the full sweep. I have tried to remove some of the tub wall with sand paper, as it seemed to be binding. I then used some WD40 to lubricate the tub wall and the bridge end, but it has not helped much. I have not glued the tub in place yet as I am not 100% satisfied with the operation. This TT is in a semi-hidden staging yard. I have a main layout that attaches through a tunnel to the semi-hidden staging yard in the garage. I do have plans to add a second TT to the an extension area of the main layout, so the prospect of the DCC built up TT is now in the running.
I will try your shim suggestion, that is if I can get it to fit in place.
Please, wipe up the WD-40 right away! It is solvent based and will slowly destroy your plastic. Please!!!
Did you do it before reading the rest of this post…? [:O]
Okay, I sent my old turntable to someone who had another modeler look at it. That person did a lot more sanding than I did, and darned if he didn’t get it to rotate without any binding. So, maybe widen the band, but keep at it.
I take it that your bridge does not wobble, as mine did? That is why I eventually added the shims under that big washer to tighten it up, using the washer as leverage. It worked very nicely. One of my early successes…and one of the few. [:-^]
This is the five hundred sixty-second thread dealing with the Walthers’ HO Modern 130 foot Turntable (Item #933-2840) - and that’s just in the last 60 days. A more appropriate title to this thread would have been “Anyone DOESN’T own the Walther’s Turntable?”
I don’t; I’m one of those subhumans called an N-Scaler.
Well N scalers have increased greatly in population locally. We might even see the Turn table from walthers in N scale too.
The 300 dollar cost of the TT precludes me from buying one straight away. Then again I blame no one but me who goes out and buys drag engines at a whim.
I recall past TT’s and examine the RTR Walthers TT very closely and appreciate all of those threads.
I think sometimes my Hobby Decisions about a product is formed in the crucible of these forums where one avoids junk and stays with quality whenever possible.
With my (N-Scale) motive power fleet set in the mid-'80s and modeling a very progressive - even if freelanced - railroad, I really have no need for a turntable, especially a 130 footer, eating up valuable real property; I will, however, admit to an ongoing enchantment with the word “transition” and so there may well be an active turntable and roundhouse on my future pike.
Two things about this thread immeldiately attracted my attention:
I noticed that a three hundred iron men figure was bandied about in regard to this item; boy, all you entertainers and professional athletes sure do make a heck of a lot more money than I do. My current Walthers N-Scale catalog is inaccessible at this precise moment so I don’t have any idea just how much it is retailing for but I can tell you this, I would give the old college try to either scratching or bashing a bridge before I would fork over three hundred smackers to Walthers or anybody else.
There is an old saw that despondency is the first time you find you can’t do something the second time, and panic is the second time you find you can’t do something the first time; well I only hit desperation after two failures when three hundred smackers is involved. I’ll fork over three hundred iron men when I get desperate;
I am really naive when it comes to DCC but from what I have read it seems like this is the perfect application; turn the bridge OR move the train. &nb
With my (N-Scale) motive power fleet set in the mid-'80s and modeling a very progressive - even if freelanced - railroad, I really have no need for a turntable, especially a 130 footer, eating up valuable real property; I will, however, admit to an ongoing enchantment with the word “transition” and so there may well be an active turntable and roundhouse on my future pike.
Two things about this thread immeldiately attracted my attention:
I noticed that a three hundred iron men figure was bandied about in regard to this item; boy, all you entertainers and professional athletes sure do make a heck of a lot more money than I do. My current Walthers N-Scale catalog is inaccessible at this precise moment so I don’t have any idea just how much it is retailing for but I can tell you this, I would give the old college try to either scratching or bashing a bridge before I would fork over three hundred smackers to Walthers or anybody else.
There is an old saw that despondency is the first time you find you can’t do something the second time, and panic is the second time you find you can’t do something the first time; well I only hit desperation after two failures when three hundred smackers is involved. I’ll fork over three hundred iron men when I get desperate;
I am really naive when it comes to DCC but from what I have read it seems like this is the perfect application; turn the bridge [i]O
Slector - it has been wiped off - thanks for the info. I actually took the whole thing apart and analyzed what might have been causing the trouble. It appeared that a couple of things were going on. The first thing I noticed, was that the brass rings were not perpendicular to the shaft. So I removed those and cleaned everything. I then fabricated a shim from a piece of styrene and placed it between the tub and the washer. I then - very carefully - reassembled all and was pleased to find that my rebuild with the addition of the shim took care of the problem. I then added some Mig Pigments to weather the bridge and the cat walks. I installed the tub in the perfect table opening and added the lead in tracks. Now I just have to finish wiring up the auto reverser that I purchased from Tony’s Train exchange.
So I will be rotating those engines before We know it. Thanks for all the help!
