Can anybody point me in the right direction on installing a n scale turntable? I am a true beginner so it has to be easy to follow step by step. I also need to know what would be the best version to buy. Thank you
The Atlas N scale turntable is to my knowledge the simplest in every respect.Supply a straight surface,adjust the height to track level,a few screws and that's all there is to it.Connect your track power to the appropriate terminals and it will deal with polarity automatically.If you wish to power it,then you can add the small motor sold by Atlas (not supplied with the turntable) that goes with it.You can also purchase the roundhouse (three stalls) that is designed to fit with the TT,again an easy job.
The operation is also simple...you hold the power to it until it reaches the track position you want and it will align precisely each time.
The down side is that it doesn't look prototypical and only measures 8 1/4 in. so that it won't rotate the bigger locos like the articulated Challenger,Big Boy and the likes.
Huge help. I decided that non prototype wont bother me at all, Im just going freestyle. I will have a couple of Bigboys only because I like the so they wont go on the table any way.
BTW, I am going to use foam over plywood, how deep is the TT?
we are going with the 130' powered turntable from walthers, so we can turn the big boy and challenger as well. This turntable is $$$ but it goes on sale periodically (like right now). It needs a depth of 2" or so.
walthers has a good set of instructions for it and also has some good articles on building a servicing area:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-2613
You can mount the turntable flat on your tabletop, use a foam carve-out, or even go "full tilt" as in Mister Beasley's Photo Essay with a foam carve-out plus a bridge.
[1] Here's my similar turntable question from 2007...
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/105754/1226580.aspx#1226580
[2] Mister Beasley's Turntable Photo Essay...
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/99558.aspx?PageIndex=1
Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956
I don't have one on hand right now but the Atlas TT is pretty thin,I'd say less than one inch,so depending on the height of your benchwork covering,you probably would have to shim it to match the height of the railheads.
As a beginner, the Atlas table will do just fine. But save your pennies and get the Walther's table when you're ready to run with the big dogs!
It's a work of art. I added the running lights by tapping into the track power (DCC).
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
WOW, that is awsome. I have a question, if Im using plain DC, how does the current flow from the roundhouse tracks, to the turntable tracks, to the main tracks?
On the Walthers TT, You just connect the power feeds to your main bus, and there's a reversing circuit that sets the track polarity of the table automatically. You have to drop feeders from each of the round house tracks to your main power bus. Just make sure the polarity is the same between the lead tracks and the round house tracks.
I'm not sure how the Atlas table is set up. I believe you need to wire in a manual reversing switch. Take a minute and read the instructions, it should be clear.
Ok, I have the Atlas 3 stall roundhouse, that’s all they had. It has a very non descriptive sentence on installing the track and how to add the power. It says there are holes provided. Do ai solder the wires directly to the raid? Where do the other ends go? I am very new at this and would appreciate any help. Thanks
What they probably mean is there are holes in the base of the round house floor that you can slip the feeder wires through. You'll still have to drill holes through the table top. If you're squeamish about soldering, you could use those terminal joiners that Atlas sells... Just make sure you note which wire goes to which track, as all they provide is black wire...
I'll see if I can take a grab shot of my turntable wiring so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about. It'll be tough though, as I'm playing musical bedrooms at my house right now, and there's a pile of stuff in front of that part of the layout!
That would be a great help. Or if it is simple to do a simple line srawing, I just need a diagram of any kind. I really appreciate the help.
The third post down has a diagram. I have an modified Atlas, very reliable, it also changes polarity automatically.
http://forum.atlasrr.com/discussion/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=48890
Edit: It shows an HO turntable, but the N scale version wires the same.
The 2 electrical connections are on each side of the hand crank/motor shed.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Hi!...it's me again...you don't have to worry about wiring your Atlas RH so much.Simply connect your wires the exact same polarity as the tracks that lead to the turntable just as if the turntable wasn't there.You don't have to worry about polarity reversing as far as the RH is concerned.
Now my first tip...DO NOT ASSEMBLE YOUR ROUNDHOUSE RIGHT AWAY!The Atlas roundhouse is fun to assemble and it's most tempting for a beginner to start the assembly BUT if you do so,you'll realize that working in it is next to impossible thereafter.
First,you prepare your floor by installing three lengths of Atlas code 80 track.What I did was soldering two lengths of wires at the inside end of each section that I flowed through the floor (I don't remember if I drilled small holes or if holes were already there) but the end result will be six lengths of wires hanging from underneath(3+and3-) that you will ultimately pass through your benchwork when you install the RH.Let these tracks exceed the floor edge as these will have to overlap on top of the turntable outer ring.It's only then that you'll know where exactly to cut them as they have to match with the TT's track very closely.The turntable mates very snug with the roundhouse floor.BTW,the TT/RH set has been designed with code 80 track so no choice for the RH track.However,you could select code 55 for the layout but then you'll have to shim your tracks at the TT's edge to adjust height.
Once you have your wires ready and your track is cut with an extra inch or so(to be re-cut when you'll have yout TT on hand),you can glue it into their pits.Then,if you wish so,paint your floor any desired color.Be careful not to paint where the walls and other structures will be glue.
Now,my second tip...you may elect to install lighting inside your RH,either LED's or grain-of-wheat lamps or other(avoid high heat though).This is optional,not provided nor designed in but easy to do and delightfully COOL indeed.But...don't repeat my mistake...the Atlas RH walls are made of thin plastic that allow even very low intensity light to flow through.When I turned my lighting on,I found out that my RH was like a big red lamp as the light not only showed through the windows and doors,but also was seen through the wall panels...very unsightly.So if you want to do it,I suggest you paint the interior of your walls a couple coats of high density paint and that's easier before assembly.
Whatever you decide to do however,I strongly recommend that you wait until final installation before completing the assembly of your roundhouse.
Ok, so I have the Atlas roundhouse and the Walthers - 120' Manual Turntable, that Atlas TT looks horrible. I wanted to use all code 100, is that possible and are there any modifications I will have to make since they are from 2 different companies? Also, Im using straight DC, so far, I have the table, the house, the lights I will add, a bunch of switches, the DC Master I will add for my Broadway Limited locomotives I have and whatever else accessories I add. The power pack only has 2 connections, what to I have to buy to hook all this stuff up to? Also, can someone explain what the “polarity” of the TT means? You guys are the biggest help.
Code 100 in N scale? I don't think so... You're probably thinking of good old standard c80.
The Walther's 120' manual tt is adequate, okay for its modest price, but in the long run it will drive you nuts. The power pick up is primitive, and the details are bulky. It does have a motorizing kit available (or at least it did under its Heljan guise) but it's not worth the effort it takes to put on.
What you'll need is some sort of way to control which tracks get power. With DC control (which it sounds like you have, in the form of a simple power pack) you have to be able turn off the power to the tracks you will be storing engines on. Otherwise, they'll all move when you turn up the throttle.
A simple way to wire your round house would be to run a common wire to the left rail of each track, then a switched wire to each right hand rail. You can use either a toggle switch that you flip on or off, or a momentary contact push button switch that you press and hold to supply power for as long as it takes to move the engine out of the stall and onto the turntable.
You have to be able to reverse the polarity of the turntable track because if you roll the engine on with the polarity set + on the left - on the right, when you turn the table 180 degrees, the + will now be on the right, and the engine will short everything out when crosses from the bridge onto the lead. (this is a bad thing!) I believe you can purchase a reversing circuit for about $30 that will do this automatically for you, but a simple double pole double throw will do the same job for under a buck. You'll need to look up a wiring diagram to see exactly how to connect it.
Hope this helps.
collectthem that Atlas TT looks horrible
This may be true, but no "modeler" uses it right out of the box. A "modeler" makes improvements to things, which in my opinion, more than allows them to ...ah hem..run with the "big dogs'.
This is an Atlas.
Well...you're asking for quite a challenge.The Atlas turntable isn't great looking but it still has its qualities.It's moderatly priced,simple to install and operate,and will turn flawlessly for decades as its design is the simplest you can think of.However,it is more of the 90 scale feet size and your roundhouse shares the same circumference to match it.Fitting a 120 scale feet turntable to it will be most challenging if not totally impossible.This leaves you with one option,in my mind,and that is to replace either the roundhouse or the turntable.They don't match dimensionally,whoever the manufacturer may be.
Actually, I have the Walthers - 120' Manual Turntable and the Atlas roundhouse. Will there be any problems with this? With you guys help, Im pretty cool on how to hook it up I think, it will be here in2 days. My only question is now, how do I DC wire all the tracks going into, and along the side of the house and how do I stop continous power to these lines?
Geared Steamcollectthem that Atlas TT looks horrible This may be true, but no "modeler" uses it right out of the box. A "modeler" makes improvements to things, which in my opinion, more than allows them to ...ah hem..run with the "big dogs'. This is an Atlas.
That's a beautiful piece of work... It does indeed take a Big Dog to make the Atlas TT presentable!
Another trick I've seen is to take the sublimely simple Atlas mechanism and bury it under the layout to run a scratch built turntable. I've also seen the Atlas deck recessed into a pit, with a simple bridge built over the track. This is a little awkward because you can see the floor of the pit move with the bridge, but it certainly is a clever way of using the otherwise very good Atlas drive and indexing.