Operating Turntables ?

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I’ve been considering adding a turntable in our layout, everyone I’ve seen has been non operational, do they really work?

My findings have been…

  1. Actual Operating ones are scratch built
  2. Browser are very difficult and best for club applications
  3. The $150 range aren’t working in applications I’ve seen

Any comments

2

I’ve replied to this one a few times already. Personaly, I can’t praise the Atlas O turntable enough. It fits all our engines (including our MTH Railking Challenger), is self-indexing, and looks great. To run it electricaly, you will need a low voltage source (10 V is too much, and most AC transformers start at 7 V). Or if it’s close to the edge of your layout, just set it up for manual ops. and give any kids you might have handy a chance to do more than just watch. My only complaint is that the Atlas roundhouse is too big for our layout. Hope this helps.

3

I found this web site a while ago. I am thinking of getting one for our planned
layout.
It’s price is not to bad if you opt to build it from kit form.

http://www.metalsmith.co.uk/model-railway-products.htm

Regards
Nick

4

Don, depends on what you mean by operating. [;)] I enjoyed building mine and it works fine - with five-fingered power. I’ve heard mixed things about the Atlas one - though if I needed something bigger, I’d buy one in an instant because it sits atop the layout, is far more affordable than the Bowser and custom-made ones out there - and could be easily placed on mine. Notice Mt. Seaman in the background - honoring csx30

5

Don,
I don’t want to give the room for a turntable on the layout as it takes too much realestate. I saw a transfere table that was scratch built in the “Animations” book that I am going to try to copy. Even though they did not include plans for it, they did say that he used a variable speed drill motor to operate it. They way he did it on the layout, the engine stalls were under a city scene, so you just had the footprint for the actuall transfere table and the destination track, plus a little trackage in front of the stalls. I am not sure how to work out the indexing issue, but hey, that is the fun of it.
Dennis

6

And she’s a real beauty of a mountain Doug !! Thanks, I like that !! [:D][:D]
You know a lot of the guys in HO used to always give their friends a car with their home RR name on it for their layout, think I might name a whistle stop or something in your honor now !!
Thanks,

7

Once upon a time, I was in HO and had a round house with some track, switches and a cross over that allowed locos to be stored. I did not have the funds for the turntable so I did without. After I switched to O scale, I had the idea to have a round house and turn table and even had the place on my layout identified. As I was progressing on scenic ideas, I did some calculations and measurements and the space required was too much. So I opted to do this instead. I turn locos and trains on a reversing loop on another part of my layout.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dd37b3127cce979333dba79700000016100Kct3LRmxY2

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dd37b3127cce979333c426b800000016100Kct3LRmxY2

8

Another way to do a turntable is like on the Lionel Visitor Center Layout. A partial table that indexes to a smaller amount of tracks. This way you aren’t taking up a big footprint on your layout. I also think that manual is good. Use a handcrank, with a gear assembly or pulleys and cable. Use a wye to turn your engines around.

9

My 32" turntable scratchbuilt , powered by a DC geared motor…

Did away with the building when I rebuilt layout last winter.

Close up

Also scratchbuilt transfer table

Hope this gives you some ideas…Tim

10

pigseyes/Tim: Neat layout. Lots of track there. Looks like you run more than one main track. I only run one main, and a large loop inside which might be a main or not depending on your point of view. [:)]

11

I have had an operating scratch $10 turntable for 28 years on my portable layout. It is only 18 inches long (two sections of 027) due to space. It was easy to build and was designed in the original layout… It is simple and powered with a hand crank and a clothes dryer belt and eyeball indexed just like the real ones.

I would never build a layout without a turntable. It adds so much operation action. A transfer table takes about as much space, can not reverse engines and can not serve as many tracks and store as many engines.

Charlie

12

Looks great Charlie.

13

I’m impressed! That looks great Charlie !!

14

Well done Charlie. Could you give us a few more details about the construction? Did you use an HO rail in the pit where the table rides?

Thanks in advance

George