I like the idea of the pit but the prototype has a very shallow pit so it would not be deep enough to hide the motor. It is a gallows type turntable which is similar to a suspension bridge. There is no motor. The turntable was turned by a man pushing on a wooden beam which extended from the turntable enough to give some leverage. I have no problem with the turntable stopping at every position (to give the poor guy a rest). I think whatever I do will be a compromise. For now I am just painting the structure with a generic beige color. I built the gallows long ago using wooden match sticks. When I look at the prototype the closest structure is an enclosed water tower and there is a fuel storage shed beyond that where they kept the fire wood. But the wood pile idea gave me an idea to try covering the motor with a short mound of dirt which might work because it is hilly terrain. The mound of course would be made of plastic or foam and be easy to remove. Thank you all for your input. More suggestions are always welcome.
Hi Lone Wolf:
This may or may not give you another approach to the problem. I'll apologise in advance if my response is of no use to you.
I came up with a somewhat radical solution to the problem. I converted the Atlas turntable into a pit style instead of a flat deck. It was a bit complicated to do but the end result was that the motor housing disappeared below ground.
Here is a picture of the partially completed project:
I used an Atlas girder bridge and extended it to fit the pit which was also larger than the original flat turntable. The brick floors and walls are from Plastruct. I can't remember the other details of the construction. I never put the turntable to use because I decided to use a Walthers roundhouse and 90' turntable instead. I just didn't like the way the Atlas turntable stopped at every track position when rotating.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Seems to me years back someone came up with a way to turn the motor assembly upside-down, so it was below track level so didn't need the little building. I think it was on this forum, might have been on the old Atlas one(?)
I suspect the V&T was burning wood back then. You could make a fake wood pile as a cover. If it suits you.
Ed
Cover the atlas structure in wood, and shingle the roof. That's what I did.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
I would replace the structure with something else. I do not like the structure that comes with the Atlas turntable.
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Anything bigger than the stock Atlas building should do the trick. It can be biger than the mechanism it is hiding. Something that looks like a tool shed or small machine shop sounds appropriate to me.
My rule of thumb: Paint it beige or olive green and it will look "railroady" to the eye.
Everything was black & white during the late 1800's anyway.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I have an Atlas turntable. The structure which hides the motor is black plastic. I would like to paint it in some realistic colors. I plan on using the turntable on a new layout I am planning based on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. The era is late 1800s. To me the structure looks like corrugated metal but I'm not sure it that is right for the era. Please give me suggestions. Thank you.