[:D] Hi Guys and Gals. I am thinking of starting a transfer table this fall, after the snow flies. Is anyone working on one now , or completed one in the past? Ideas and pictures would be great…as always…thanks…Tim
Hey Pig, is there a reason that you want to scratch build? The sheer thrill of trying, perhaps? I have the Lionel one with the extention and I think it was $79.
THis is very interesting project. I was considering building a turntable but don’t have much space and a transfer table seems really the way to go. It should be fairly easy to build but first, a question:
I’m modeling the 50s and 60s era. Were transfer tables EVER used for steam locomotives? Or is it: turntable/roundhouse for steam and transfer table for diesels?
Also, are transfer tables only used for locomotive repair shops or have they been used as a similar function to turntables?
Dave Vergun
I think it is pretty safe to say that some steam engines road on transfer tables. Sure the classic steam engine item is the turn table but a transfer table just takes up much less space!
Thing about transfer tables is they don’t turn a train around. But they do let you have a one or two track lead into a servicing facility & then shift the rolling stock to a track that leads to its assigned servicing bay.
Steam engines may or may not have been on them, but surely coaches & freight cars would have on the way into & out of said facility for servicing.
Tony
Tony,
I don’t need to turn a train around. Rather, for storage. If, in fact, these are mainly used for loco repair facilities, the wonderful thought just occurred to me that I can locate the X-fer table near the edge of the layout and put some junk near the tracks that would indicate that a locomotive facility is adjacent to the X-fer table but in fact, cannot be shown because the layout ends.
In effect, it would be a partial structure or the area leading up to the structure.
Now that’s a pretty cool idea I think, and, furthermore, would allow me a place to store my locomotiveis in a way that doesn’t overcrowd the layout!!!
Now, getting back to the original post, reg scratchbuilding, I’d have to look at some photos of real ones. If they work like a turntable works with flanged wheels and rails for guideance, wouldappear to be easier to build than a turntable, since the rails just go straight and the section needs to move sideways only.
As far as the operating device, a very very slow speed step motor might work or manual power using a hand crank or something. I’m not close to doing this yet so I would decide later on.
Dave Vergun
Steam engines and freight and passenger cars all rode the transfer tables. You would have to do some rummaging at your favorite used magazine seller’s shop but if you can find them, the March and April 1959 issues of Model Railroader had a two part series on the construction of a transfer table and the associated buildings.
Hey Jack …What is the length of the transfer table with extension. I need at least 34" to transfer FM Trainmasters(2) and F7 ABA Williams… also I want to transfer between 3 different tracks … one of which is an elevated that goes to the turntable/roundhouse that I already built last winter…Tim
The only trick that I can see is insuring that both sets of wheels at either end move in synchrony. It’d be kinda like a loco power truck, but with a wider gauge.
OR you can put a “drive rail” under the middle & just let the ends roll along for the ride.
By the way, Jim Barrett on the OGR forum had posted something a few months ago about building custom extensions with custom track spacing. You may want to search there for the topic & see if you can use any of that info.
Your detailing idea sounds good to me! Should be real nice when you’re done.
Tony
Model Railroader
March 1959
Has anyone seen the Lionel transfer table for sale anywhere?
I have been looking on the net for awhile and cannot find one.
Well except for the one I seen at suggested retail price.
Any help would be great.
ebay
No maybe this forum will be able to convince Model Railroader to reprint the articles on the web.
Otherwise Ross Custom is “coming out with a version” and I saw another on a web page for a few thousand;
Actually a transfer table would be easy to build. You need a rectangular box for the pit at a size you want; a 1x4 for the transferred track sized to fit in the box; small bogey wheels on the bottom of the transfer-track at each end and in the middle (you can get these from Bowser or Diamond Scale and also obtain a bridge pack that would be used on the turntable. I would use two HO tracks to ride them on place in the pit. at each end in the direction of travel
I would then connect two thin wire loops to the transferred track . Both loops would be strung to penetrate the outside wall of the pit at each end and connected to drive pulleys on one end an simple pulleys at the other end so that by rotating the pulley shaft both pulleys rotate which inturn pulls on the wire, thus the transfer track moves across the box pit.
Then it would be simple to attach a drive motor to the pulley drive shaft; like the one I used for the turntable.
Alan
Here is my scratch built Transfer Table. It is quite easy to build and I used an inexpensive electric screwdriver coupled to a threaded rod to power the table. The October 2009 issue of Classic Toy Trains Magazine has detailed instructions on how I built it.
A back issue is available here: http://ctt.trains.com/sitecore…/October%202009.aspx
A video of the Transfer Table in operation is available here: http://youtu.be/est5JftaW4I
There have been a couple on E-Bay the last month, not the Lionel PW version but the Lionel modern version. Winning bids were around $120.
Very nice!!! The definitive answer (IMNTBHO) to this thread. If I had room for one, I would go with one like yours.
wyomingscout