Blasted things take up a lot of real estate. It will just be used for turning engines for a return trip with no storage required. A lot of pictures show a return loop around the facility which is not very prototypical. Railroad base 30" wide in the area. Consideration being given to mount the turntable centerline at the edge with an extension for half to stick out in the aisle. That will keep any adjustments if needed easily accessible. Any other thoughts?
ndbprrA lot of pictures show a return loop around the facility which is not very prototypical
Well, when the Canadian Pacific hit the Pacific ocean the train had to be turned around, oh look a loop around the roundhouse!
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
ndbprrConsideration being given to mount the turntable centerline at the edge with an extension for half to stick out in the aisle. That will keep any adjustments if needed easily accessible. Any other thoughts?
If it leaves enough room in your aisle, there should be no problems.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Yeah railroads did that a few times. Another thing you could do is have it head into a mountain on one side and trees on the other, no one would know it was a loop until a train uses it. I hid a return loop that way (without the turntable).
I have seen a real branch line where at the end of the line they had a passing siding, only with only one turnout and a turntable. Probably an armstrong turntable.
What size engines are you turning?
Have you considered using a wye?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Though the trains were gone long before I came to town (or even was), by the looks of the track diagram, the turntable was at the end of the line. No other tracks off the turntable. There were a couple of sidings to service the local industries.
Good luck,
Richard
SeeYou190 ndbprr Consideration being given to mount the turntable centerline at the edge with an extension for half to stick out in the aisle. That will keep any adjustments if needed easily accessible. Any other thoughts? If it leaves enough room in your aisle, there should be no problems. -Kevin
ndbprr
Consideration being given to mount the turntable centerline at the edge with an extension for half to stick out in the aisle. That will keep any adjustments if needed easily accessible. Any other thoughts?
I considered a wye but when you turn an A and B e7 pair you need 18" minimum on each leg. That is worse then the turntable.
In addition to the one above from Toronto (which is insane because I think it crosses an entire yard's worth of tracks with a different diamond at each!), there is also a famous picture from above Cincinnati Union Station's roundhouse showing a large balloon track circling the roundhouse. So there is *some* precedence for it if you want to do it that way on your layout. I believe Ed has a balloon track around his roundhouse too...
EDIT: oops, misread the post above: I don't know where that picture above on the CP is from (Vancouver?) but I was referring to trackage in Toronto. Can't remember if its the CP or CN there.
Andy
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Milwaukee native modeling the Milwaukee Road in 1950's Milwaukee.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/196857529@N03/
Here is a map showing the Cincinnati balloon track:
http://www.cincinnativiews.net/images-3/Map-right%20half.jpg
The Toronto Railway Historical Association (below) also has some diagrams and pictures showing balloon tracks in at least two locations. The picture I saw last year which I referenced above with the diamonds is proving elusive. If I ever find it again I will send a link.
https://www.trha.ca/trha/
A turntable and roundhouse were on my must have list when I designed my layout. Even having a turntable I also wanted a way to turn around a complete train and the only way to accomplish that is a loop.I didn’t want an obvious loop on my layout so my loop is partially hidden in my mountains. I even worked in a wye that has come in handy many times.This is my small layout.My CMR 135’ turntable will turn a pair of E7s with a lot of overhang, I only do that if a visitor wants to see a E7 on my turntable, all my E7s are drawbar connected so turning one can’t be done. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I have a balloon track as well, nice to pull a passenger train around and send it back to Toronto.
I am planning a small turntable at the end of my branchline for turning the two 4-6-0s that operate on it. I'm toying with the idea of putting in a wye instead with one leg on a flip up section that would extend out in the aisle and then fold down when not in use. It's getting close to decision time if I want to complete the branch this winter. I'm leaning toward the TT with the branch's mainline coming into town behind the TT and enginehouse.
I'm guess your modeling HO scale? And I'm also guessing this is for passenger trains?
If so, 30" isn't enough for a ballon track anyway, so go with your option of putting on the edge.
The other option is the "huge hand of God" , or, if you have any track such as a staging area, that is not actually part of the sceniced lay out, you could run your train there, and do the reversing, so it all happens "off layout".
Other ideas, have another set of locos, on a siding ready to take the return trip, or have a loco on each end.
But I think it all goes back to your option of the turntable on the edge.
Mike.
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