Can anyone tell me what would be the best turntable for a HO layout. without breaking the bank. say 200 to 250 price.?
From your price range, I gather you are looking for a pit model. I personally like the Atlas deck model (way cheaper than $200); it comes with a motorizing and indexing capability, and can be dressed up and weathered so it looks pretty good. Just my opinion, of course - good luck in your search!
But it can’t turn anything longer than an F unit.
Maybe you could provide a bit more info about your layout and rolling stock. How large is the layout? What’s your longest locomotive?
The important things to look for are size and reliability. I’ve got an Atlas myself, but it’s only 9 inches across and won’t handle anything larger than an 0-6-0 in the steam world, or a GP-9 when I switch to diesels. The turntable and motor unit together can be had for under $50, and another $25 or so will get you the matching 3-stall roundhouse. As purchased, it’s a deck turntable, but I made mine into a pit with a bit of work:
Here’s a link to the thread on the “pit-bash” from the original deck unit:
http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1162765/ShowPost.aspx
If you want a larger turntable, I’d look at the Walthers ones. Everyone loves them. A nice turntable and roundhouse are a real showpiece of any layout, and it’s worth putting a bit more into it to get one that you’ll be happy with.
Actually that’s not correct - remember the key is the wheelbase, not the length of the engine’s body and frame. I used an Atlas 9" TT on my last layout (with their roundhouse), and I was able to fit an SD-70 on there. Not much room to spare, but it did fit. My Spectrum 2-10-0 fit on there too. In my case, I just was using it for switchers working a nearby yard so I didn’t need to turn/service larger road engines generally.
Just get a 9" piece of Atlas snaptrack, any engine that whose wheels fit on that will be OK on their turntable.
Mr. Beasley, you or anyone following your concept could have made a longer turntable while using the Atlas. Just make the bridge longer and increase the diameter of the pit. Conversely, one could make a shorter turntable by doing the opposite. The only function the Atlas provides is motorization, indexing, and polarity change. The Atlas turntable does not limit the size of the turntable bridge because the locomotives don’t ride on the Atlas turntable but rather the bridge one places on the Atlas.
Mark
Mark
There’s no rule that says you can’t use Mister Beasley’s method to put a bigger turntable on top of a “buried” atlas unit. Then it just becomes a matter of sizing the table to the loco you want to turn. A 135 foot TT (long enough for Big Boy, overkill for anything else) is just over 18 inches long in HO.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with two scratchbuilt turntables)
There are a couple of problems with making the Atlas pit-bash much larger. First, here’s a reverse-angle shot during construction, showing the motor mounting location:
Here, the motor itself is only an inch or so beyond the pit wall. So, you would need to re-mount the motor if you wanted the turntable bridge to be more than, say, 11 inches across. Given that Atlas designed the whole thing to put the motor there, and only there, moving the motor would be another engineering project in itself.
Also, this turntable indexes at 15 degrees. Most of the larger ones typically index at 12 or even 10 degrees. If the turntable were much bigger, then the roundhouse stall tracks would end up spread quite far apart by the time you got off the bridge.
Yeah, the fixed index points on the Atlas limits its usefulness, but if one uses a thru-girder bridge ala SP, the bridge can pass over the high-point of the motor, or the Atlast turntable can be installed even lower while making precision-construction even more important. Still, a 11-inch turntable can be a lot more useful than a 9-incher.
(Mr. B, I’m impressed with your application. Close to 50 years ago, I installed an A-frame turntable elevated over an Atlas but without the false floor, ala Hank Johnston. Your version is much better because the visible floor doesn’t rotate with the bridge.)
Mark
Good idea!
What some people forget is that a turntable is essentially a bridge; get an appropriate bridge and fit it on top of the Atlas unit!
I bought a craftsman kit on eBay for the bridge, and scratch-built the pit, bearings, etc. Mine turns using a crank (50 turns = 180 degrees). It is indexed by eyeball. The whole thing cost about $50.
HEY GUYS!! LET’S GET BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POST!! In the $250 range (almost) is the Walthers 90’ & 130’ TT’s that everyone raves about!! (Just don’t get the early “kit” version - get the built up version) That should be adequate for his needs without all kinds of kitbashing/engineering!![:)]
Courage8:
I have three turnouts of the WTRR. I certainly didn’t pay that kind of money, although they are not indexed; you do it by eyeball. The first one is a kit, black plastic made made by Kibri. I purchased it some twenty years ago, $30.00
It has a hand crank and you turn it manually, from underneath the table. This first picutre was taken two years ago.
Then a week ago I decided to re do the whole thing.
Painted the pit and table, and it works. I also improved the surrounding yard.
Added details and improved the ground cover.
The second is a Walthers of some years ago, around fifteen. Also fairly cheap $40.00, but it came with a motor kit and it works even today.
The motor is attached underneath and wired to it own controller on the side of the layout. The third is still under construction.
Thanks,
Robert Sylvester, WTRR
Just add a few bucks and it’s on sale right now at Walthers:
Hi Guys
Walthers has two nice pit turntables, one is 90 scale feet, and the other one is 130 ft. everything is auto indexing and you can probably weather them to your taste i just bought a rivarossi turntable which was made in the 70’s, what i’m looking for it is the original indexing controler for it or if anyone out there knows how to wire it to an atlas controler, the turntable is in exilente shape, bought it on ebay for 40.00 bucks, so if anyone out there knows where i can get a controler for my rivarossi turntable please let me know thank you.
Earl [8D]
I have the Walthers 130’ TT on my layout and love it. Its on sale right now for $260 or 1st Place Hobbies has it for $243. There is also a 90’ version for the same price. Walthers number is 933-2829.
atlas also has a pitless turntable for $30