Hey everyone,
i am trying to scratchbuild a turntable for my n scale layout, but i really don’t know where to begin. The best size for it would probably be about a 4 inch radius. Any help with parts that i would need, or any advice would be great.
thatnks
Hi. I model in HO, but I am positive 4" is way too small for N scale. You will need closer to 7" if you ever get a big steamer…that is, something larger than a NYC J1 Hudson. My HO Hudson tender is nearly 5" long, so tender and loco divided by 2 to convert to N scale will be a min of 7".
Page 42 in The Model Railroader’ Guide to LOCOMOTIVE SERVICING TERMINALS, by Marty McGuirk
Having had a homemade turntable that could handle a Big Boy I am going to make some controversial remarks. In my opinion a turntable is a mistake. The amount of real estate needed is not offset by the convenience or lack thereof. Making sure polarity is correct for the turning of the bridge seems easy until you use one and then it happens more times then you think. If you look at any engine terminal most of the engines are not in the roundhouse they are on parallel tracks like a diesel facility waiting for assignments. Roundhouses were used for repairs only - not storage. I personally would never have another engine terminal because of the elimination of more useful operating areas. That being said, a good engine terminal (and they are hard to make so they look like the prototype) is an asset.
Norm, you points are well taken. It is just that, when considering time shortening, scales, economies, etc, and if the space can be spared, an engine servicing and turning facility looks great, provides variety in moving locos, and can serve as a convenient storage facility off the mains and yard when one has a large number of locos and does not want to handle them or to store them off the layout.
Yes, the question should always be, “What is my layout to model, and what is it to do in the available space?” Many more advanced and experienced than I warn the itinerant modeler to think hard about keeping the layout useful and interesting. That means economy of space, and you are quite correct. But, if a person can fit it in, and is modeling steam, even John Armstrong said we should get it in. If placed well, constructed well, and if it is reliable, a turntable and roundhouse add a whole dimension to a steam era layout that later periods cannot legitimately use, since there is no purpose. There is a purpose for steam locomotives, they take time to use, are an added operation unrelated to switching or hi-balling, and they obviate the necessity to handle locos when storage track is otherwise at a premium.
My [2c]
Probably the easiest way that I know of to add a turntable (TT) to a layout is the Atlas one. It has it’s drawbacks, but there are some pluses too.
Drawbacks;
it’s not real pretty. It’s a covered top TT, not a pit. It can be converted to a pit and you just use the mechanism, but it takes some work. Speaking of the mechanism, it also has pluses and minuses. First, motorize it! Trust me. Your arm will thank you in the end because if you don’t you’ll be cranking FOREVER to get that thing around. That being said, the motorizing kit makes some noise. I got mine quieted down with some soundproofing, but it was a noisy thing out of the box. Also, because of the way the mechanism is set up, it stops at every track and theres nothing you can do to change that.
So,…why on earth would anyone want this thing anyways?
Well, it is DCC friendly right out of the box. That’s a goot start. It also doesn’t need a reverser unit for DCC as it automatically reverses the polarity for you. It’s built into the design. Speaking of built in, remember how I said that it stops at every track and you couldn’t change that? Well the plus of that is that this thing is self indexing and stops “on the money” at every track. Lastly, it’s cheap. It costs WAY less then any other TT that can do the same things.
There are definately some WAY nicer TT’s on the market, and you could also make one. I’m just passing along some stuff I’ve learned about the low buck TT on the block.
Just some food for thought…
I too tried my best to eliminate turntables, I was sucessfull except in one instance, at the end of a branch which will serve as a yard to reassemble switch jobs bound for branch B. I have no use for the massive engine complex, so mine will have only a oil and watertank. From this point select trains will have to proceed through a junction that connects with a second branch (branch B, across the room and 35 feet from said turntable), trains must then return with the power facing tender first (I only operate steam), turn on a wye to return to stagging…
Dave
Walthers just listed a new “N” scale turntable. Take a look at it.
If you want to turn your locos, you will need either a turntable, a wye, or a loop and all of these are space hogs. A loop can be part of a hidden staging yard but it still requires valuable real estate. The question comes down to the era and location you are modeling and whether a turntable is appropriate. I have spent the better part of this winter building my TT and round house area and am close to completion and it looks outstanding. I haven’t regretted it for a minute.
The biggest drawback to an Atlas TT is it’s size. 9 inches in HO and I am guessing an equivalent size in N. Since a TT is a steam era feature, a TT that size can only turn very short steamers. Fine if you are modeling early 20th century but not if you are modeling the latter days of steam.
True enough. The bridge is 7.5 inches long in N scale, but that comfortably fits my Bmann 4-8-2 (6.5 inches) with some room to spare. You’re right, Challengers and Big Boy’s are out, but, our original poster (woodyjp) didn’t say what he was planning on turning. I was just offering that this was easiest and cheapest, not necessarily best.
PECO makes a nice easy to assemble turntable kit. It is manual, but is easy to motorize with a 1 RPM motor (Hankscraft or comparable). I got mine from Chuck at Feather River Trains. Nice and under $20!
Here’s a link to the turntable: http://www.featherrivertrains.com/cgi-local/surfshop/shop.cgi?ud=AAgKBwkFAgAJAxQUFhMcEAkNDAQGAQMGCQUVEQAA&storeid=1&cols=1&categories=09009-06066&&c=detail.htm&t=main.detail.htm&itemid=PECO-NB-55
It is compact, but I can just fit my Kato Mikado on it. That’s all I need.
Eric
Eric,
How long is the bridge on that Peco in N scale?
I’m sorry, I don’t know the exact length off the top of my head, but I believe it is about 7 inches. An N scale Kato Mikado just fits on the turntable bridge. That the biggest steamer I have for excursion trains. I would have to measure it at home. I’ve had it set up on a test board, pending placement on my layout. With a slow speed (1 RPM) motor and a momentary contact, center off sprung toggle switch, aligning the rails is easy!
Eric
I just realized that I misread the first post. I read 4" in diameter, but 4" in radius was clearly spelled out.
My apologies, woodyjp. Now, I would want the diameter, if using big steam, to be about 8-9".
Sorry for the confusion.
-Crandell