OK, here’s the deal.
I built a 6 stall roundhouse from a Wather’s Cornerstone series kit. It has 10 degree indexing on the track.
My question is,
“What type of turntable matches the roundhouse???”
I like the Wather’s 130’ turntable but it’s not in production yet, when will it be available?
I’ve looked at the diamond scale turntable, I like it but I think it involves a skilled builder to assemble. I’ve also looked at the Bowser turntable and that looks complicated too.
Please inform me as to which turntables you have, the manufacturer, and if you are happy with them.
The Bowser turntable is considered simple to assemble and it is rugged. If it looks too complicated to you, look for a fully assembled unit. Waiting for the Walthers’ 130’ model is probably your most economical path.
Don’t bother with a Heljan TT. I Built one and it is a bear to get it to run smooth. The plastic pit flexes a bit so the bridge drops slightly when driving a loco on it.
If you want indexing, that’s something you have to buy from someone for a ton of cash or make it yourself and loose your mind in the process.
If I had known years ago Walthers would make a fully indexed TT, I would have waited for it.
I wanted a Diamond scale TT but they were long out of production at the time and way too expensive if you could find one. Now they’re back. http://www.diamond-scale.com/Products/products__turntables.htm
Consider diamond scale the “Top End” of turntables, they’re built ruggely tough and do require a patient hand to put together.
Walther’s had had problems with their turntables in the past, i’m not sure if the newest one will fix the problems yet, i’m on a wait and see with them.
Atlas has a good economical Turntable that can easily be kitbashed to look better.
Bowsers are good tables as well, but are considered near the “top end” in terms of reliability and costs.
The indexing on the Atlas turntable is 15 degrees, while the original post was looking for 10. The Atlas also stops at every index and “idles” for a while. I think the rotating diameter is only 9 inches, which is generally too small for a steam engine and tender.
I’ve still go an ancient one of these, but it only indexes to 30 degrees, so I’ll probably replace it. For the price, I might as well. The old one ran reliably and never gave me a problem. I parked my only long engine directly across from the feeder track, so I didn’t need to rotate it.
Like everything else the hardest part of scratchbuilding one is starting. I built one with an 18" pit years ago and it really was simple. I used a piece of 3/4" plywood for the bottom and drilled a hole with a drill press in the center. the drill press is important so it is vertical. I press fit a brass tube in the hole. Then I used a piece of tubing = to the I.D of the piece in the bottom and added a styrene form to cast the pit in plaster. I added a ledge for the pit rail and just kept adding soupy plaster and turning it in a circle until it was done. It only took about 15 minutes. I had my Dad cut me an absolutely square block for the bridge and glued styrene onto it to form the sides. With another hole drilled vertically in the center of the bridge I added a long brass tube with a washer outside it. then I cut down the original brass tube until the bridge was at the right height and the washer acted as a bearing. I added a 90 degree gear box to it under the layout and ran a crank through the fascia and it was basically done. Now I am of the opinion that turntables and roundhouses are space stealers and don’t have one. Still have the pit in about a 6’ section of layout if anybody in the chicago area wants it.