I thought you’d like this unique engineering marvel. A turntable that can accommodate all of my 7/8n18 (32mm gauge, 1:13.7) cars and critters, as their wheelbase isn’t that far apart.
Numerous turntables like this are in use throughout the world and mine is prototypical. To turn the locomotives, workers would simply turn them by hand, pushing on the car to spin it around. Some of the turntables don’t even have rails!
To produce this work of beauty, I took a large empty roll of tape and using it as a form, filled it with concrete, into which is embedded a bolt running thru a steel plate. One steel plate rests on the concrete and a second steel plate sits atop the first using the same bolt. Rails were epoxied to the upper steel plate. Since I wanted the tops of the rails flush with the surface of the turntable, I also epoxied a layer of house siding (some type of thick plastic they use to side houses) between the rails and on the outsides.
Now I can turn my critters and cars around (esp. the side dump cars that only dump on one side). In the future, I might install a small critter shed and add a track or two.
Watch the short YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfxGQk3dSUk
Prototypes:
This first prototype, I believe in Luxembourg, doesn’t use rails. Mine, of course, is much more elaborate b/c it has rails.
This turntable in Leeds, UK, has rails embedded into the turntable, ala trolley style. This is the turntable I modeled.
[IMG]http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4
Hey, that is very spiffy, Dave! Good for you. Are you still turning your attention to the outdoors? How are you doing…apart from the turntable, natch?
-Crandell
And who says there isn’t a prototype for just about everything somewhere ![:)]
Saw lots of prototypes at the mine workings in Fukuoka-Ken, Japan, in the late '50’s. There would be one in the “main stem” minecar track in front of each workshop that might need a car switched to it. Most of them had crossing rails (90 degree crossing) welded to the steel disc, presumably so they wouldn’t have to reposition the disc for through movements, and then again when the car had to leave the shop.
Track gauge on these was 450 -600 mm, and the cars could easily be moved by a single worker. The shops were used for maintaining in-mine equipment (pumps, winches etc) or preparing special-design props that would then be taken underground for installation.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
heh, rides up on flanges, turn, then its a prototype rerailer
I think your first prototype photo is from Wales, UK not Luxembourg. The wagon on the turntable appears to be a Dinorwic Quarry wooden bodied slate wagon from the extensive 2ft guage system used there up to the 1950s.
There are examples of this type of turntable in the Penrhyn Quarry museum at Penrhyn Castle , Bangor, Gwynedd http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penrhyn - and also at the Welsh Slate Museum in Llanberis, Gwynedd http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Slate_Museum .
Check out this site for some additional ideas, see the AAA Molasses Works
http://www.carendt.com/microplans/index.html
Turn Tables can be used to replace turnouts, Crossings, Yard ladders, Wyes (T junctions), and even 90 degree curves on tramway type lines. Very useful little critters at times.
Have fun