After two failed attempts at purchasing a turntable off of ebay, my better half says that maybe I should just get a new one. So where should I go to get a turntable is of good quality? Atlas being bottom and Diamond Scale being top, is there something inbetween? How about a good source?
I think I read that Bowser makes (made?) one. One or two fellows have posted over the past five months saying that they had used them and that they were good. Hopefully someone will chime in and correct me.
How about Walthers? They sell indexed ones, and they probably show up on e-bay for a reasonable price.
And, for the courgeous, they build their own!!
Selector has it, go with Walthers NEW 130 ft, I have on my shelf, 90 ft walthers kit, 98 ft Heljan Kit and still in the box the new 130FT. From other posts the 90ft and 98 ft are a pain to make work, the 130ft is out of the box and ready. You will spend more trying to make a cheapr TT work than the $299.00 for the Walthers. Watch the on line stores, Train World had them for arounf $250.00 I think. I got mine from a LHS that was going to retire so he cut us a deal.
Take Care
George P.
An operating turntable is like a sewer. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it.
Try to use the best you can afford, it will serve you well for a long time.
Darrell, quiet…for now
Roy,
Bowser does indeed make a turntable. Here’s the direct link:
http://www.bowser-trains.com/ho_turntables.php
There’s another company that makes one out of plexiglas (acrylic) that is supposed to be good, also. I’ll see if I can’t scrounge up the link for that, too. (See “Update” below)
Both of these will probably fall in the $200 - $300 range, including motoring. It depends on the size of the turntable that you want to get and the type of motor. The Walthers NEW 130’ motorized turntable is supposed to be much better designed and work better than their older and less expensive 90’ turntable.
Tom
Update: FOUND IT!
Custom Model Railroads. Looks like a nice product:
http://www.cmrtrain.com/turntable.html
(I really like the fact that you can get the HO turntable in 4 different sizes!)
IMHO, the motor attachment from Berkshire Junction (link at bottom of CMR page) looks like it would do the trick quite well - and at a 1/3 the cost of the other one.
Hope that helps…
Don’t get a Heljan one!! Geeze what a pain, crap bearing, plastic outer wheels, slip rings that don’t work properly. It’s had a full rebuild and turns nicely now but still not motorised.
I’ve seen the Walthers in MR mag that’s what I’g get. RTR and indexed!! NICE
Ken.
If you plan on having a roundhouse, the indexing angle (angle between stall tracks) is important. I think Walthers’ TT and roundhouse are at 10 degrees.
GOSH!!! Why not scratch one up? Then your not stuck with poor quality, or
not the right size, or indexing, or whatever. No doubt there are some great
turntables out there. The Wathers 130 footer is great, I’ve seen it in action.
Building by scratch would be building as the real railroads would, situated
on economics, space, and loco size. I’m about half way on mine, so far it’s
working out. I plan to post pictures and text on how I did (done) it. It’s been
a absolute blast, for me any way. It’s not as difficult as it looks.[8D][8D][8D]
my favorite article on building an inexpensive turntable …
http://www.2guyzandsumtrains.com/Content/pa=showpage/pid=11.html
[2c] I was looking for a good, reliable turntable that gave me all the advantages of a turntable without the problems. Diamond Scale was very appealing, but it was all kit, with add-on optional kits, and I didn’t want to risk misaligning the indexing parts, or screwing something else up–like the main motor shaft.
If I were buying one today, I’d probably go with the Walthers and the matching roundhouse, as other folks have suggested. However, at the time I bought a Fleischmann–rather expensive at the time, but very reliable, indexed, and with a control that will allow the table to turn and stop where directed. All you really have to do is weather the turntable appropriately and supply a roundhouse with 7.5 or 15 degree stalls (I got the Vollmer roundhouse).
Good luck, whatever your decision. [8D]
I can’t give you any sort of recommendation on these (see link below) since I have not tried them. My future calls for a turntable, and I’m also looking at this one, Diamond Scale and Custom Model Railroads. Bowser is only out because I am working in N-scale.
“This one” is: http://www.aaaturntables.com/aaa_001.htm
The new Wathers 130’ HO Turntable sells for $299.00 at Wathers.
But check out http://www.internethobbies.com
They sell the new 130’ Wathers HO Indexed Turntable for less than $250.00
Ready to go from the box.
I had the Diamond scale 130’ turntable and can honestly say, I hated it. For the money you pay, you get a piece of particle board with a cast plaster pit wall, a package of stripwood and some soft pot metal detail parts. Oh, You better hope the pit wall is true circular or you’ll never get things aligned right. The motor kit (extra) is weak at best and then if you want to index it, more $$$$… I know people have used them with great success but for the cash, I would suggest the Bowser. Built like a brick house and the motor will tow your car (on a flat frictionless level surface [:D] ). If you want to view the construction of the turntable (DS) check this out…
http://www.rolleiman.com/trains/roundhouse.html
[banghead]
The motor shaft is the least of the problems, it’s a piece of 5/16" steel rod which can be purchased at any hardware or home center in 3’ lengths. The bronze bearings that go through the wooden base can be purchased at the same time. I’m with the previous poster… Scratch one… For about $50 you’ll have a much better unit that is guaranteed to fit your needs. Plenty of articles in past issues of MR explaining how to do it. The epilog to this story is a bosch sabre saw and ebay and about $125 worth of experience (the loss I took on it)… I hope it survived Katrina…
My 2 ¢ …
Jeff
The model railroad club I belong to (Paper Valley Model Railroad Club) installed the 130’ Walthers RTR turntable. It works like a charm. I plan on getting the RTR 90’ Walthers turntable when it comes out in March, 2006.
That link doesn’t work.
To reach Bowser, click here … http://www.bowser-trains.com ; or to go to their turntables’ page directly … http://www.bowser-trains.com/hoother/ttables/ttables.htm
The New Ready to install Walthers 130’ Turntable looks real nice and includes the motor and is indexed. However, it’s pretty large and unless you have the real-estate on your layout dedicated for a large engine facility it may not be suitable for many layouts, especially when you include the roundhouse to go with it. There is a 90’ version of this model with the same features, which is supposed to be released shortly which should accommodate most layouts.
I model European prototypes so I opted for the Fleischmann ready to install turntable which is also motorized and indexed and comes with a panel mounted position control knob. Although this model is European, it can easily be incorporated onto a North American layout.
http://213.239.212.34/images/products/big/6152c.jpg
Stephan
I have a diamond scale TT 135’
I was going to do the indexing but it was too loose on the gears to be dependable so I just rotate it by hand using a rod and handle on the facia of my layout. I am going to rebuild the bridge to match the location I am modeling, I originally tried to order the walthers TT but it was n back order for over two years at the time.
What’s with all these 135’ turntables? Are we all running UP 4000 class? (Even the UP had to wheel-jack Challengers that got into short-turntable country in eastern Nebraska.)
Does anyone make a good 100’ turntable. (That humongous rear overhang on the tenders of the New York Central’s Niagaras was to permit them to use the NYC’s existing 100’ tables) Most US steam (including everything USRA except the 2-8-8-2) would fit on a 100’ turntable, although the pilot and tender couplers might overhang by a couple of feet.
For that matter, how hard can it be to scratchbuild a turntable? I intend to start with an old bicycle hub for a center bearing and go from there. (My prototype had a very deep pit with an odd shaped bottom, totally unlike any commercial product I’ve ever seen.)