I’m particularly interested in whether or not the parts fit together properly, and if the instructions are clear. I’d also like to know if the kit comes with a pit, or if it’s up to the builder to dig his own grave hole (the on-line pictures would lead me to believe that a pit is not included).
The Scale Structures site indicates that the table can be motorized, but I’d like to know if that’s reasonably plausable or wishful thinking.
I have never built that kit, but I did run a tain department in a hobby shop and we carried that whole line of structures. If I recall, that kit is just the turntable bridge and instructions on how to do the pit/wall yourself.
Also, it is an “old school” craftsman kit with pewter castings. All their kits require good to excellent craftsman kit skills. These are not like “modern” lasar kits. There will be filing, triming, sanding, adjusting, etc, etc.
As for a motor, that is also not likely a “drop in” operation, but I’m sure it can be done.
Okay, thanks for responding. I was hoping that there would have been someone that actually built the kit, but any input is welcome. I don’t mind the filing, trimming, etc stuff. but some kits have such crappy instructions and ill-fitting parts that there is more frustration than enjoyment.
Just an idea, I used a round 1" deep cake pan for my first turntable I built in 1966, it was about 15" in diameter and was still in usage when the layout was dismantled in 1999 and still worked just fine. Basically I built everything myself but it wasn’t really an enormous job.
Thank you for this idea. However, I really don’t want to get into a scratchbuilding project. Kit building is one thing if everything fits as designed and the instructions are adequate. But I don’t have the time, energy, or skill to get into structure design.
What I was looking for was a small gallows type turntable for HOn3, so that seemed to rule out one of the smaller Walthers models. The Scale Structures model looked like it would fit the bill, but not if I can’t get information on the pivot bearings and so forth.
I looked through the forum search and saw that there were a couple of folks that have modified the Atlas turntable into a gallows type, and the results look great. But they appear to be standard gage, and the deck of the TT does not look ameanable to ripping out the standard gage track and installing narrow. Perhaps I will have to explore this further.
I remember some years ago a small gallows turntable being offered but I don’t remember who it was, Grandt Line maybe? If you could round up an old Walthers catalog, from the 70s or early 80s it might provide more information.
I’ll check with a good friend of mine, he’s been “narrow” minded for many years now…
Check with the Yahoo Early Rail group. I use to belong there and I know some build turntables. Cannot remember if any had built this particular one. There are two related groups with that group.
I’ve build Sequoia # 135-4008 Laws Turntable for my narrow gauge module Salina. It was fun. The instruction let the motorizing to the builder. Well, I decided to operate this turntable manually from under the modul. The prototype had also no motor.
I think you need already some experience for such a kit.
