I seem to have found a really nice spot to put a turntable on my layout. Most of my non-model railroad friends ask me if I have a roundhouse and turntable and I’ve always said no, not interested.
That lack of interest has been centered around fear that they (turntables) were complicated and therefore probably not very reliable. So, I thought I’d ask what your opinion is about them, I’ll want one large enough to turn a Mallet or a big boy so what do you think about them? Which brand is your recommendation. Do’s, Don’ts.
TA save yourself its a nice kit but it doesnt run right or atleast the old one doesnt. I dont know if the newer version of the kit is any better. I went with the 90’ RTR because of the old kit and the fact its indexed. I would say save up for the 90’ RTR unless you got skill sto get the kit to turn right.
I have only built that kit once, and it was enough. If you are a determined tinkerer, go ahead, fill your boots. Otherwise, I agree that the built-up indexed ones are the way to go. I have had the 90’ TT installed for 9 months now, and it has worked well. A couple of electrical glitches, but I get it to work by making it reset to its zero point, and then it indexes properly again without having to reprogramme all my stop points. The mechanism, itself, has been flawless. Good looking model, too. I’d rate it an A-, while the kit is a C-.
The Walthers 90’ turntable kit, catalog number 933-3171, is nothing but trouble. They can’t seem to import one that doesn’t have a warped base and the bridge itself has too much free play in it. I don’t know if the assembled version would be any better at all, but doubt it.
It is fully an improved order of magnitude better, Chuck. Waaay better. If you are kind of interested in one, but feel bitten or abused by an earlier experience with the kit, take it from me, you will be very happy with the built-up model. They actually got this one right!
Have one sitting on the shelf AND a 98ft Heljan along with the motor to make them work from Walthers. That is WHY I bought (2) 130 ft tables. The kits will be used for parts.
Hmmmm… it may be the case, but with my 90’er it lines up. I programmed the bridge for the start position, aligned for the approach track, and made darned sure the middle track in the roundhouse on the opposite side was lined up with the other end of the bridge at the same time. To this day, perfection.
At Nanticoke
At Ashley.
