This is not your usual turntable

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Pictures from the Panama canal.

Mark

2

THAT, is messed up! I had to do a double take. It’s like a turnout-turntable all in one.

3

All you doubters who shout, “No prototype for that,” take heed! If a model railroader did something like that and photos appeared in MR (before you found these photos), the letters to the editor would never stop coming! (I remember seeing photos of an old steam loco with all its “innards” removed, replaced by a big internal combustion engine and a chain drive: the prototype for all those amusement park “steam locomotives” that go putt-putt instead of chuff-chuff…)

4

We were at Turtleback Zoo yesterday. One of their “steam” engines had it’s non-functional drivers removed. They run on diesel and driven through the lead and trailing trucks. At least in our models the drivers are actually still the drivers and the pistons are moved by them. These “amusement” train’s drivers didn’t even support the loco’s weight. Don’t get me wrong, we all had a great time. The twins loved the train ride, three times.

5

Looks like it’s made to get them onto the refueling track so they don’t fowl the main.
Pretty cool!

6

Those Panama Canal tugs are electrically driven and run on a cog railway, so it’s not likely that it is a refueling stop. Probably just a location to store a spare in case one has a mechanical problem and has to be removed from service.

7

I saw a steam engine in a tourist line video once that had the drivers still on the loco and supporting the locos weight, the drive rods and pistons still moved but the loco was moved by a diesel engine in the tender.

8

If I remember correctly, those diesel locomotives in the picture are called “mules”.

Tom

9

This website has a short description of operations of these mules as well as photos of them in action:

http://www.pwrr.org/prototype/panamacanal/

Mark

10

there we go … the perfect prototype for a shelf layout !

11

When I first saw the photos, I thought it WAS a shelf layout. [:)]

12

So, the strange turntable was, then most likly, a way to avoid having to install a turntable, a double crossover using those complex cog rack turnouts and a complex cog rack crossing.

Skyline Swich–the only manual switch left has nine moving parts.

http://picasaweb.google.com/margiemarie/89NEWHAMPSHIREMountWashingtonCogRailroad/photo#5120293071103226418

http://www.polar.sunynassau.edu/~fanellis/cog2.html

I have still yet to see a prototype for that Nscale combo trasfer/turntable a manufacturer produced some years back.

13

That really is a beautiful thing.

Dave

14

More turntable info.

http://www.macton.com/rail_equipment/locomotive-turntables.htm

http://www.col-ed.org/family/joan_ralph_photos/Caribbean%20&%20Canal%20%20April%202007/daily_diary/panama_canal2/panama_canal_page.htm

Rich

15

If I remember correctly, there was a History Channel special about the canal not too long ago. I think they said the mules were “one-way” engines & needed to be turned for the trip back. I guess you could turn two at a time on that contraption!!

16

Same here!!!