I'd almost bet you're on your own for monorail turnouts.
Now a turntable seems pretty straightforward. If you don't mind the noise, converting an Atlas HO turntable would be a good base to build one on. Narrowgaugers have been adding a track on top of those for years, but a raised monorail wouldn't be much different than doing that.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
am1960I have a couple of these, but I was wondering if anyone knew if they made switches for these monorails? I was planning on making a monorail turn-table.
Why a turntable? They look to be a double-ended unit train.
Ed
Ed,
True, not usually needed for turning on the monorails I've seen. A turntable would work well for the same reasons they work well for maintaining steam locos. It lets you concentrate a lot of service tracks and stuff in one spot, yet still make it easy to access.
From article in December 1964 Model Railroader:
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
I've seen several designs for high speed Alweg-type monorail turnouts. One had the alternate-route rails mounted side by side on a lateral slide like a transfer table. Another had the alternate-route rails mounted on a rotating structure that would align one or the other with the running 'rail' at both ends. Either would be an interesting geometry problem.
Still another had the moving rail 'bend' in short segments, sort of like a model snake.
IMHO, the turnout situation is one big minus to monorails.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
tomikawaTT IMHO, the turnout situation is one big minus to monorails. Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
They also don't work very well if you need two lines to cross at the same elevation , don't work well at ground level ( they form a solid barrier - design a grade crossing with a highway), and are rediculous in subways.
This link, while not really helping with model kits is neat anyway.
images?advprop=image&fr=moz35&va=monorail+switching+system
Ken G Price My N-Scale Layout
Digitrax Super Empire Builder Radio System. South Valley Texas Railroad. SVTRR
N-Scale out west. 1996-1998 or so! UP, SP, Missouri Pacific, C&NW.
Thanks but that first picture is where I got the idea from but just didn't know how to make it into model form. And was just seeing if there were any prefab kits instead of trying to construct it from scratch.
Disney has used switches for years on their monorail systems. Just gogle earth and look.
jms92371 Disney has used switches for years on their monorail systems. Just gogle earth and look.
They also have two cab units for each end of the train, and the "main lines" are loops, the only areas that the visitors see switches is by the "main stations", and where it turns off for maintance. I think they are only used at night after the park is closed
Just had another idea for making a turnout. Again, uses the Atlas turntable. Set it up with a circuit that has limit switches so that it cycles between one of two adjacent positions.
The pivot would be in the center and the bridge would have to be extended to hold a train, so bears only limited resembalnce to the real mechnism, but may work for a model in the absence of other alternatives and based on easy availability of the parts at low cost.