Garden rail turntable

[Anonymous]

Has anyone tried to build a waterproof garden rail turntable in guage 1 (45mm)or does anyone know where to buy one. I am in the UK

[Anonymous]

I built a turntable from a Northeast Narrow Gauge kit. It was a fun project and the turntable works pretty well. It is only about 2 ft. long and totally manual, but it does allow you to turn your engines if they are short enough.

You can visit their website www.nemodel.com

[Anonymous]

I built a turntable from plans in Garden Railways Magazine. I modified the plans to 1:20.3 scale. It is 28" long, but I should have made it 30". My Bachmann consolidation will just fit, with the pilot and tender back hanging over. The table deck is 6" wide, so it is a tight fit. The table and base was a fairly easy build. I cut my own lumber from Western Yellow Cedar, sized to 1:20.3. I have a conversion calculater, and took it to round numbers. Being made from cedar, it is somewhat waterproof. Try scratch building one, it's a real challenge.

[Rene Schweitzer]

You can order the GR turntable plan here: http://www.sidestreet.info/railways/plans.html
It's plan #47.

[Anonymous]

I incorporated a yard into my garden railway and left room for a turntable of 3 foot diameter that would lead to a 5 track roundhouse as I love roundhouses and turntables. Any ideas on how to scratch build one as I figured that that is what I would do from the beginning. I am guessing that you would make a form of concrete with a drain at the pivot point and have the deck removable with electrical connection plugs so that the wires wouldn't get twisted around after a bit of use. That was my plan that I developed a year ago but have yet to begin construction on it. Would that work???

[DannyS]

It is my intention to scratch build a Gallows type turntable using Miranti Timber (a Malasian Plantation timber), readily available from Hardware Stores in Australia. As regards weatherproofing I will paint it with Creosote , as I have done with all my Bridges and culverts.( I do believe that Creosote is now banned in USA.)
Danny Sheehan, C.E.O. Rookwood Central Railway.

[Anonymous]

Teran5
For electrical connections use a set of wipers on the bottom of your bridge and a matching set in the pit, then you shouldn't have any twisting problems with the wires.

OLD DAD

[Anonymous]

What sort of "mechinism" can I use to turn the turntable, by this I mean what swivel(?) can I use to allow the table to turn...

ah...sorry, I can't seem to articulate what i desire to say,,,but maybe oyu answers and responses will rectify this...

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Capt Carrales

What sort of "mechinism" can I use to turn the turntable, by this I mean what swivel(?) can I use to allow the table to turn...

ah...sorry, I can't seem to articulate what i desire to say,,,but maybe oyu answers and responses will rectify this...

Capt, I have pondered over this myself, I had a good one figured out for an indoor shelf layout that involed using one of those old hand crank drills and a small ball catch used for cabinet doors, I emailed Vic this idea back when i first saw his layout drawing.

First are you looking to be able to remove the turntable or at least the bridge from the pit?
Second Do you plan on powering it or manual operation?
I'm useaully pretty good of thinking up working parts for such things.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by carpenter matt

QUOTE: Originally posted by Capt Carrales

What sort of "mechinism" can I use to turn the turntable, by this I mean what swivel(?) can I use to allow the table to turn...

ah...sorry, I can't seem to articulate what i desire to say,,,but maybe oyu answers and responses will rectify this...

Capt, I have pondered over this myself, I had a good one figured out for an indoor shelf layout that involed using one of those old hand crank drills and a small ball catch used for cabinet doors, I emailed Vic this idea back when i first saw his layout drawing.

First are you looking to be able to remove the turntable or at least the bridge from the pit?
Second Do you plan on powering it or manual operation?
I'm useaully pretty good of thinking up working parts for such things.

I would like it to be made, the pit at least, of some ceramics, to insure that it retains its shape against the elements. This could be done by working with a large cermaic pot that can be sunk into the layout. Then a piviot could be placed in its center for the bridge to rotate.

[Anonymous]

Capt, for the center pivit I would use a pipe of copper, brass or PVC just a little smaller then the width of the bridge for stability. Then take another pipe that would be larger that would slide over it for more of a bushing fitting. Find pipe that may have a flange for the op and bottom pipes for easy attcahment to the base and bridge. I would make sure the fit between the two pipes has a little play, maybe enough for some white lithioum grease. This setup would be for manual operation. Use a ballcatch found in the door hardware section of home depot and such places, they are used on the top of a double set of doors to keep them closed.
There is a product called scratch coat found at stucco supply houses they use for covering styrofoam with using a fiberglass me***hat builders use to simulate limestone window sills and such. Around here a 60lb bag is $24.00. I Always thought this would be a good product for garden structures.

I'm interested in your feedback of my idea!

[grandpopswalt]

Cappy,

Although I've never built one, I've always thought that using a plastic Lazy Susan device would be the ideal way to build a model turntable. As for indexing, I'd use some sort of spring loaded barrel-bolt that would engage a hole centered below the desired track. Unless you're prepared to take on a complicated engineering task, I'd use the "armstrong" method to move the bridge around.

Building a reliable and easy to use powered outdoor turntable is no easy task, what with sliprings, weatherproof motor, indexing pins, etc. it's no wonder that a good quality manufactured unit costs upwards of $2500. I've considered all the possible beartraps and concluded that I'm going to stay away from this one for a while. When I find that golf no longer gives me all the pain I deserve, I may tackle designing and building one of these.

Walt

[Anonymous]

Matt and Walt,

Thanks fellas, over the Christmas Holidays I may try to build one based on the methods you mention. Should I fail, their is always Spring Break!

Capt Carrales

[Anonymous]

Would love to here your results, please keep us posted.

[Anonymous]

I have a turntable made totally out of pvc. I build them completely out of PVC. It has a steel looking girder no gallows. At this time it's completely manual

[Anonymous]

I used to have a turntable on my RAGS (rough as guts) railway in Sydney, but the only motor I had was 1 hp electric motor that was too fast really, so i put a governer on it. Things went ok for a while but one day the governer failed and it started to spin, I made a sprint for the switch which was inside the garage.

In the meantime it was spinning faster and faster and finally one of my locos flew right off it, narrowly missing my old dog, over the fence and into next doors yard where it narrowly missed my next door neighbour. It cost me about a dozen cans of beer to calm himn down.


So I don't think I will bother with a turtable again


Regards

Ian

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Rocky47

I have a turntable made totally out of pvc. I build them completely out of PVC. It has a steel looking girder no gallows. At this time it's completely manual

Rocky, here your photo

And here's the bullit catch availible at www.rockler.com I think it would work well for indexing.

[grandpopswalt]

Ian,

To avoid embarassment, you could have told your neighbor that you'd been testing a new type of top secret centifuge. The test was a complete success, and thank you very much for your patriotic participation, although I'm not sure the dog would buy that story.

Walt

[Anonymous]

No mate he was a South African and they are not easy to convince of anything. The upshot of it was old Beau my dog got the shts and went in to stay with our neighbour for a couple of days. I miss them both, we had to have Beau put down a few months after that he just lost interest in life and wouldn't eat wouldn't do nothing.


Regards ian

[grandpopswalt]

Ian,

Your story is a sad one indeed. It just goes to show once again that when technology is not properly used, the results can be disastrous. you have my sympathy. Neighbors come and go but a good dog is hard to lose, especially under these circumstances.

Walt

[Anonymous]

Can anyone tell me how to put pictures up here.

[Anonymous]

Rocky47, First you have to have a web page or somewhere on the web to store your pics, like I have web space at MyLargeScale. com then you simply link it to here. I took the pic you emailed me and uploaded to my MLS.COM web space then linked it here. All you need to do is in the post the new reply window here and click on the picture icon and you get this
[img*]picture address here[/img*] without the asterous, I only put that there for them to show up, with out the asterous you would see in my post a picture frame with a red X in the corner like this

Then you simply put the pics address, to find the picture address I find it easiest to right click on the picture, then select properties and look for http and highlight it with your mouse from http:// through jpg then right click again and click copy. then when you come back here you can select the picture icon and then put your cursor in between img]cursor here [/img and right click and click on paste.

Any Questions? You could of course write down the address and type it between[:D]

[Anonymous]

Well you blokes can well see that my wifes son Frank is visiting us again, and my pictures are up, but I have no idea how to do it.

What i did was copy the conversations between several blokes on this forum and gave it to Frank and he was able to work it out from there.

Did you see the gravestanes I make them myself for virtually nothing; i would like to give you blokes some but I fear the cost of the freight may be more than their worth.

Regards

Ian

[Anonymous]

I am trying to come up with a specification for a perfect garden railway turntable.
What would the best options in a perfect world .
* Robust enough to leave in the garden all year.
* supports the heaviest of engines, would 30lbs should be sufficient.
* Option to have for steam only, no track power.
* no bigger than 2'-0"sq
* accommodate engine wheel bases up to 450mm (1'-6")
* Tracks to be self Aligning
* Power switching

Is there a real need for a garden rail turntable?
Would auto turn be a necessity?
Would remote operation be a necessity?
Would the option of alternative angled exits be a requirement? ie 30 & 90 degrees.
How and why would you need a turn table?

remember this is if money was no object , a perfect world .

best option first, least last

any comments thanks

[Anonymous]

I am trying to come up with a specification for a perfect garden railway turntable.
What would the best options in a perfect world .
* Robust enough to leave in the garden all year.
* supports the heaviest of engines, would 30lbs should be sufficient.
* Option to have for steam only, no track power.
* no bigger than 2'-0"sq
* accommodate engine wheel bases up to 450mm (1'-6")
* Tracks to be self Aligning
* Power switching

Is there a real need for a garden rail turntable?
Would auto turn be a necessity?
Would remote operation be a necessity?
Would the option of alternative angled exits be a requirement? ie 30 & 90 degrees.
How and why would you need a turn table?

remember this is if money was no object , a perfect world .

best option first, least last

any comments thanks

[Anonymous]

Ron,
I've seen a few turntables on garden railways. I've never ever seen one used though!
I guess they were put in because they look nice, and there is nothing wrong with that.

If you had a long run point - point and a turntable each end I guess you would use it. All the railways I've seen them on have been continuous loops, so they are not really necessary, which is probably why I've never seen them used.

In fact the only time I have seen one used is when our club set up a display at the local train show. Instead of a circle we set up a point - point with a yard in diagonal corners of the hall and a turntable at each end. The line weaved between the other layouts and we had level crossings (Grade crossing I think they are called in America), and foot bridges for the public to cross in places. The public loved seeing the engines getting turned on the turntable and then coupling up and taking the train back down the line. It was great, but all the smaller scale layouts moaned about how much room we took up, so we went back to building circles again the next year.

Glen Anthony.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by RockyCreekNZ
It was great, but all the smaller scale layouts moaned about how much room we took up, so we went back to building circles again the next year.

Glen Anthony.

I HATE WINER's[|(], They were just jealous!