I am considering putting a turntable on my layout for turning locomotives. I hear that the Atlas turntable is reliable, and it’s cheap, but my problem is that the Atlas turntable is only 9" long and I need one that is at least 12". Is it possible to adjust it to be 12"? It would be concealed in a mountain, so it doesn’t have to look nice, but I won’t be able to see it, so it would have to be reliable. Any suggestions?
The Atlas TT is factory assembled, so no I don’t know of any way to "adjust " it. Also you
would probably want to be able to see it, if for no other reason than to make sure your on the right track. Dave
There have been articles in the past in MR on building another TT on top of the Atlas unit; so that the Atlas TT basically becomes the bottom of the pit. There is no reason you could not build a 12" brdige on top.
Hiding a turntable in a mountain, where you cannot see which track it is set to, is not a very good idea. How are you going to know which track it is set to if you can’t see it? An Atlas turntable has a raised area between each track index it stops at, so you would not be able to “extend” it by simply adding track, if that’s what you are asking about doing. As nfmisso has pointed out, about two years ago there was an article in Model Railroader on how to put a longer turntable on top of the Atlas, so you might try a search for that article in back issues.
EL PARRo,
To aid you in your search, below are the results of a search at this site’s Index of Magazines using the keyword search term “Atlas turntable.”
Bob
NMRA Life 0543
Making your Atlas turntable automatic, Railroad Model Craftsman, January 1959, page 53, ( ATLAS, AUTOMATIC, “MALLERY, PAUL”, TURNTABLE, RMC )
Turntables, Control Panels and Cabling, Wiring Your Layout (Second Edition), page 32, Roundhouse And Storage Tracks, Requirements, Operation, Identifying Wires, ( ATLAS, CONTROL, “MALLERY, PAUL”, PANEL, TURNTABLE, WIRING )
Converting the Atlas turntable to N scale, Railroad Modeler, March 1977, page 12, ( ATLAS, “AUSTERN, TOM”, TURNTABLE, N, RRM )
Turning the tables - kitbash and hide an Atlas turntable, Model Railroader, November 1978, page 130, ( ATLAS, KITBASH, “LUNDBERG, ERIC”, TURNTABLE, CONSTRUCTION, MR )
A vintage turntable, built on an Atlas turntable, Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette, November/December 1983, page 24, ( ATLAS, DRAWING, “SCHULZ, IRV”, TURNTABLE, PROTOTYPE, NGSL )
Converting An Atlas Turntable into pit operation, NMRA Bulletin, June 1990, page 15, ( ATLAS, “O’BRIEN, ROBERT J.”, TURNTABLE, BL )
Steam locomotive servicing: Modeling turntables,
The Model Railroader’s Guide to Locomotive Servicing Terminals, page 42
( ATLAS, DIAMONDSCALE, “MCGUIRK, MARTY”, SERVICE, STEAM, TURNTABLE, ENGINE, LOCOMOTIVE )