I like automatic.
I cant really answer this one. I’m doing 1/2" (G guage) and they dont even MAKE a turntable in large scale. I would be happy with a good, simple manual one though.
Time to make one, be suprised what a ballbearing set can do under a wooden circle.
Jay
By automatic, do you mean motorized? I use the walthers turntable(motorized) and roundhouse.
Both are fine models.
Turntable?
I use a Transfer Table.
Doug, in Utah[8]
I have 2 Peco turntables (HO) with motor units, and I feel that I might prefer to use finger power with a bit of friction.
thought about that, but using a Lazy Susan, but I couldnt figure out how to make it stay put at each track connection. So I put the idea on the shelf. Lately been thinking if I could modify an HO Atlas turntable mechanism under that Lazay Susan, Humm…???
Hmm…could put little tabes on the edge of the lazy susan, then put ridges on the inside of other edge, that way when the tab goes over the ridge it snaps in place.
Hmm…does that make sense? i can see it in my mind, may not be translating it well.
Jay.
I was actually thinking of leaving the whole turntable intact and mount the large scale table base on top of in, recesssing the Atlas into the bench work. That way I dont have to redo any of the mechanism , tabs, or the like. Track alignment would be based on the pre-existing Atlas mechanism. The only thing I’m really unsure of is whether the Atlas Mechanism could handle the weight of a large scale engine. Mine are small and the turntable would be no longer than 12"-14 " . Maybe some rollers at the largescale turnable base with the atlas “floating” under, tied to the benchwork. Might work?
Well, I don’t think they make a turntable big enough to turn an HO big boy. If they do I’ll get one.
Guyz,
The question was what type would YOU LIKE TO HAVE. NOT, what DO you have, or DON’T have or , what do they MAKE or DON’T make. Stay focused.
I voted Automatic but can only afford manual. Stepper motors and syncronized systems are far to expensive.
Someone must have a schematic available out there!
Anyone?
Fergie
Any 130’ turntable will do for it, Walther’s has one as well as a couple of other Kit places that make varible sized Turntables.
Jay.
I have a motorized Walthers turntable, but I find the electrical contact is intermittent no matter what I try. On my new layout the turntable might be done away with and just use an engine house.
Charles
Hillsburgh Ontario
There are some turntable drive units on ebay that are made by a company called AROS Electronics that look really nice.
Would RATHER have “automatic” - ie motorized. I built a little “gallows” TT w/ Audio Jack center and ARMSTRONG movement. Use a “friction” pad at the end to hold it in place. (see MR’s Carabasset & Dead River RR plans). It works! (Hey! the big ones had to be turned by hand!)
The mechanism will wear out quickly, It is called a “Geneva mechanism”, and in the case of the Atlas turntable it is a plastic pin and a plastic Geneva wheel.
See:
http://em-ntserver.unl.edu/Mechanics-Pages/em373honors-S2001/em373/geneva/geneva.htm
for an explanation.
You could pick one up that would handle your project from WM Berg, see:
http://www.wmberg.com/catalog/viewpart.cfm?part=GM-4A
Another choice is a Bowser unit, see:
http://www.bowser-trains.com/oscale/turntables/turntables.htm
While I’d rather have an automatic one, my layout has a manual one. It, along with the roundhouse in my yard was built for me by my uncle. I generally don’t do much actual making up of trains, etc. so I usually just switch around locomotives in the roundhouse by hand.
It doesn’t have to be very complex, I would Like a system to where an indexing can occure at a preset interval like on the Atlas turntable.
James.
My question is…
Is there a way to use something like this on a walthers transfer table to align the tracks? So when it is operatered, it moves to the first track lines up, then on to the next. As it is it has to be manually done.