I’m looking for a tranfer table about 120 feet long to model the Pullman car shops in Richmond, Ca. Diamond Scale Models advertised such a model, but there were never any orders from us modelers or even kit completion by the maker… Walthers made a model several years ago, but the bridge was much too short. Anybody know a possible alternative source? (HO scale, of course.)
gonna have to learn to kit bash[:D] its fun really[^] Those walther kits are avaialble on Ebay -not all the time but they show up. Me and my friend got some couple months ago, well he got the table and extension, i just the extension ,still waiting for the table to show up on there. But im sure you could kitbash avery convincing table size that you need (don’t pay any more than 40$ American)
I don’t need a transfer table (yet,) but if I did, I’d scratch build it. On a scale of 1 to 10, a transfer table is about a 2.
The hardest parts, in my estimation, would be the carrier wheels and getting the table to move without slewing. Carrier wheels could be handled by some creative modification to standard trucks, wheels riding on four parallel sets of ordinary rails. As for moving the table, it should be possible to hide a cable under the edge of the pit at each end of the bridge. By criss-crossing the tow cable under the pit (pulleys at all four pit corners), both ends of the bridge would receive an equal pull. Wrapping the cable two turns around a manual crank shaft would remove the 0-5-0 from the scene.
Depending on design, three old BB low-side gons could be kitbashed into a reasonably presentable bridge of appropriate length.
I’m curious to see how others approach the project.
Chuck (who buys kits to kitbash)
Why does it have to be so long? The Walthers table holds a BLI6000 with room to spare, does it have to hold a car and a switcher at the same time for your Pullman shop ?
Thanks for the input. The pulley idea for moving the bridge sounds good for propulsion. I’d use fishing line since it is nearly invisible and strong). The transfer table I’ve seen (at SPs former shops in Sacramento) had the tracks evenly spaced down the width of the pit… I would think that double flanged wheels (pulley parts?) spaced along two axles down the length of the table would be best, with the wheels turning freely on the axles. I don’t know if the Pullman shop used a shop locomotive, but the idea of a shop loco is more appealing compared to my hand to switch the cars. A 120-foot length would allow room for a full-length passenger car and a small tank loco or diesel industrial loco.
Heres a picture of my operating( after correcting Walthers problems) transfer table, I have tracks on both sides so I can position a switcher where I need it
Nice job, Gappleg!