Installing Walther's 130' Turntable

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have noticed a lot of posts asking about how to install a turntable in a pit/hole and how to line up tracks and I read them with the hopes of finding some info I could use when I install mine. Well, I started the task today and realized I should take some photos of the areas in question by many modelers.

I used HO cork roadbed to line the edge of the hole in my plywood as shown in the first photo. I place the taper facing the hole and the straight side on the outside diameter. I use latex caulk to glue it down. I then placed the TT pit in the hole and lined up the ‘No Track’ positions where I had marked them, then I pressed down on each of the mounting bosses under the TT lip, so they would leave an impression in the cork. I also marked each boss’ location on the cork with a Sharpie. I then used a chisel blade knife to cut a notch at each boss, removing the cork so the boss would sit down on the plywood surface. This system works out perfectly, with the TT lip or flange sitting on top of the cork and the bosses sitting on the plywood.

To place the radial tracks around the TT, I removed about 2-3 ties from the end of a piece of Code 83 flex track so the rails would sit on the TT lip/flange. The flange is the same thickness as the Atlas track I am using. I then use a straight track gage/guide that is used to keep flex track straight when laying it. I don’t remember who makes the one I have, but there are a couple of mfg’s that do. I just place the guid

2

Cool, thanks for the info man! [Y]

3

Instead of filing a taper into the rails, I used a thin grinding stone on my handheld electric tool to grind two parallel shallow grooves in the plastic of the lip of the pit. It took about 30 seconds. Into those grooves I glued the Code 100 rails. They match the height of the Code 83 rails on the bridge.

Crandell

4

I pushed my TT into foam but didn’t check these bosses. Don’t really know what they are. Should I remove the TT to see what the bosses are and do or can you tell me. Thanks Ron

5

The bosses are for the mounting screws if you mount it to plywood. I didn’t use them, I just put 4 blobs of silicone sealant around the underside between the plywood cutout and the pit wall. It works and if I ever need to remove the pit I can cut the silicone with a knife; but, you also have to break the glue joiint on every radial track rail where it overlaps the pit flange.

Bob