Hello everyone! I am new here. I found this hobby, model railroad, fantastic and fun since 1999 (when I was 15). I didn’t know that there are so many people who enjoying with model railroad as I do because where I used to live only have 56k modem. Yes, I used to live in very small town with around 400 population. I don’t have any patient with kind of internet speed until I moved to south Florida as my 2nd home, now I am able to research everything about model railroad, layout, and some new accessories that I didn’t know it’s existed.
I have a few O and HO locomotives, but I prefer to have N scale because it save more space around here. I am thinking about to do coal mine layout or a layout that is similar to Pennsylvania Railroad yard in Harrisburg. The only new accessory that I didn’t know that is existed - turntable… I am behind! I want to have that turntable, but I don’t want to buy Bachmann turntable because it doesn’t looking “too” detail or too real. Pretty most of my tracks are Bachmann EZ tracks, so I want to know which brand of turntable can fit with EZ tracks? I really like KATO’s turntable, but I don’t think it would fit with EZ tracks. Anyone knows if Atlas, Walthers, or other brand will fit with EZ tracks? If anyone has other recommending, I will be happy to read your comments.
PS: Please excuse my grammer, English is my second language.
LION speaks funny English too! And it is only language of him. Him also lives in town of about 600 people (and even more (tasty) sheep and cows). Him has had optic fiber for years, and DSL before that. Remember, him does, of dial up 56K and that was serving a network of about 15 computers here in our august establishment. Now him has five servers and 30 workstations on the network of him.
Him also has a train layout in a room 24’ x 27’. HO scale, smaller than that and him could not see them and his big furry paws could not hold them. Besides, him runs SUBWAY TRAINS, and these are only available in O or HO, and the O variety are priced much higher than the zookeeper can afford. 14 scale miles of track him has, but you are only around 30 years old, him is 66 years old and has been collecting this stuff since the 1950s. Ewe do not need to buy it all at once, and indeed the equipment that I liked evers since the '60s (commuter/subway equipment) was not available until the mid 2000s or so. So LION was flexible, but still goal oriented. You probably know what tickles your deepest railroad fantasy. A little bit here, and a little bit there and soon enough you wil have 14 miles of track.
Layout of LION is seen on link of LION below. Video link shows trains running from the motorman’s cab. Layout has undergon a lot of improvements since that video was shot. There is still much more to do. The on-board camers sure show where the work is kneaded.
LION has not turn table. Cat ate all of the terns he could find. No such thing on a subway layout, even when the elevated trains were still powered by steamy engines. But LION had given thought to it. Building skill of lion says him cannot build one from scratches. LION says, buy a cheap one, and play with it. See what it will do and how it fits into your layout and your operations. Later on you can tear it out and get a better one, and you will have figured out
I can’t be much help with N scale stuff specifically, but will offer a few thoughts.
Turntable compatibility with the various mfg’s RTR track depends on how they connect with and lock to each. So it’s usually plug and play with their own products, but somewhat more complex with that of others. Someone in N can make specific recommendations, but…
The only interface that’s really required is to get rails leading to the TT level so they match up with rails on the TT’s bridge. This is a place where the thickness of the trackstyle you’re using should match the thickness of the TT, if you laying everything out on top of a flat surface. On the other hand, if they differ, you can reces or raise the TT to match the track’s elevation.
Some TTs also index, or go to specified positions, depending on the spohistication of the drive. You may have to align the tracks leading to the TT to specific points on its edge so they match.
In the end, if you can get the rails lined up level and the TT to stop where the tracks line up, you’re good.
You can also make your own TT really inexpensively. About halfway down the page at the follwinjg linked discussion I show how I built one in HOn3 for a branch I’m adding to the layout. It uses a 1/4" phono plug connecter as the pivot point and could easily be adapted to N scale. It’s not powered, except by your finger, but does what it’s designed to do, tunr you engines.
I have the Bachmann EZ track turntable on my layout and it works great it being DCC ready. I installed a decoder in it and it works like a charm. The only thing I don’t like is that the motor is very loud. That and the shed it has with it faces the wrong way… For the price it’s great though! You can typically get them on eBay for around $100 new.