This may be a stupid question but the more I think about it the less it makes sense…
I was given a Peco 12’’ turntable and a 3 stall Roundhouse (not sure of the make.) I’m trying to figure how far back I should set the turntable and have the deck line up to each stall correctly. I’ve been playing with it for a few day now and it always seems to be slightly out of wack in some way or another.
What would be the proper way to set back the table from the roundhouse correctly? Is there a calculation of some sort or do I just have to keep eyeballing it until I get it right?
Hi, Gordon Highlander!
The easiest way to do it is to get a big board and put the roundhouse on it. Mark the track centerlines and project them to where they all meet, which will be the center of the turntable. They should all meet at the same point!
If you can’t get a centerline easily, mark the middles of the back walls and the front walls and join them up.
I’m not sure, but you might be able to put a yardstick along both outside walls and work from that.
Andrew, the only stupid question is the one not asked.
By the way I see you are new to Forum, so [#welcome] to fourm.
David is on the right track (pun intended). Set the roundhouse down find the center lines of each stall at the front and rear and all the lines will merge in the center.
I would like to add, install the turntable first then the roundhouse base or foundation. Build both structures on the same board (I have mine mounted on 4" X 4" sheet of 2" foam).
That’s what the mathematicians call the “empirical” method. I think we could have had fun if the lines hadn’t matched up, depending on who assembled the roundhouse.
Are the tracks well spaced? I’ve seen pix of turntables where the tracks are so close together that they cross and there are frogs all the way around the turntable. (seriously!)