Walthers 90' Turntable-Fixed it! New pix per DigitalGriffin's request

[selector]

There have been a number of posts about the ideosyncracies of the various turntables, especially when motorized. I have finally got mine to do what it should!

First, apart from the inherently poor functioning, this kit looks good and went together as directed. It is just in the electronic execution that it falls well short of expectations. When mated it to the correct motor, the large black ring-gear wobbles, but added to that is the fact that the pivot for the bridge is not securely seated on a cone bearing to keep it from wobbling under power.

So what did I do? I took an unused conveyor shaft wall that was about 3/32" thick, left over from a model kit, and cut two (2) pieces that were about 1.5" long. The wall was only 5/8" high, so I did not cut it down. Next, I glued a piece of clear package plastic to the molded outside of the conveyor wall to render it flat and smooth so that I could glue it to the flat center underside of the turntable basin. My thought was to place the smooth inner wall of the conveyor pieces against the metal washer that is placed first on the pivot after it is put through the basin from the top.

I forced the bridge down onto the pivot as far as reasonable, and made sure the washer was also pushed down nearest to the black ring-gear. That left a sizeable space between the metal washer and the basin. It was into this space, on either side of the pivot, parallel to each other, that I glued these newly fashioned shims, clear plastic side to the basin. Once dried, the pivot was not able to wobble, and when I placed the whole assembly into its recess, and put power to it.....WAHOOO!!! No more wobbles, gear grinding, jerking bridge, etc.

If anyone wants more details, please e-mail me as you wish, or ask here, and I will do my best to talk you through it.

-Crandell

[tstage]

Good for you, Crandell! [tup][tup][tup] It's posts like this that make this forum what it is. Congratulaions on getting one of these working - like it should have been in the first place. [:)]

Tom

[DigitalGriffin]

Put the thinga ma bobit in the what ja ma jig?

Oh heck! Picture please!

[selector]

Okay, I'll have to take it out of the layout and take a picture of the finished 'fix'. It'll take me a couple of days to do that and get a CD of the roll of film, post picture(s) to railimages.com, and let you know that the pix are available. Please bear with me.

-Crandell

(Note to self: Why the heck didn't you take pix when it was still out of the layout....twit!?)

[rrinker]

haha I did the same thing - last 3 DCC decoder installs I did, I planned to take pictures every step of the way. Set up the tripod and camera next to the workbench and had everything ready to go. But once I got working, I'd do 2-3 steps and then remember I wanted to take pictures. OOPS.

--Randy

[tstage]

That's why it's sometimes better to have someone else there who can take pictures "while you are working". (Or, at least remind you that it's "time to click the shutter"...again!)

Tom

[rrinker]

Except that never happens, I'm aways alone when working on that stuff. My father-in-law doesn't even want to look while I'm working on decoders (they're his locos - I did all mine a long time ago, except my 2 new FA's that should be here any day now). He just tells me which ones he want me to work on, I order the decoders and install them. He just wants to run them. Missed the boat for this month, Litchfield is on vacation. Maybe now we can order the Super Empire Builder and the extra throttle and get on with some actual walkaround operation.

--Randy

[selector]

I love it when you talk dirty, Randy.[:D]

[selector]

http://www.railimages.com/gallery/crandelloverton

Digital Griffin, and others, please find my pix at the above link. Scroll down the page and see the upended pit, and note the two blue arrows pointing to the shims. The image quality is partly due to my using an ISO 800 film so that the low basement light would not impede the imaging. I hope this helps those who could use it.

-Crandell

[DigitalGriffin]

*light bulb goes off*

Now I get it. Clever. That actually helped a lot.

Thanks Crandell,
~D

Personal Note to Self: Write Santa, tell him to get Crandell a a digital camera for Christmas. [(-D]