I just put my turntable in the layout.Can I just run my 20 gauge feeders from the Dcc bus line to my old Reverse center off switch then to the turntable track leads.Thanks Bob
Sure.
Unless you have some system that tells you which end to change the switch for, you will cause a short when running locos on and off it. (Just like in DC.)
I decided for my turntable, to put in an electronic auto reverser unit. Now I don't have to remember anything. It switches on it's own and I don't even know when it is doing it.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Many turntables available commercially reverse themselves, so what you propose to do may not be necessary. The instructions should say if the rails must be reversed in polarity when the bridge swaps ends to let a loco onto or off the bridge. If it must be reversed, then I agree...wire it up as you suggest, and remember to flick the toggle when you rotate the bridge to tracks where the polarity does not match.
-Crandell
This is a old Wathers turntable from mid 90's.I do not have any info on it,Lost years ago.But it has the 2 copper strips that contact the rotating pinon.I sure I had to reverse it on my last layout 14 years ago.Thanks for your all's help.Bob
Bob, yes, that kit, the one with two copper wipers on two brass rings separated by a spacer, will have to be reversed by you. I had that kit.
By the way, before you get the turntable installed, try to figure out a way to keep those wipers oriented so that they are fully against the brass rings over time. Mine were never positive, so I fabricated larger washers/spacers below each of them to ensure that a slipped wiper would be retained high enough to continue to provide continuity by wiping.
If you have a smooth bridge, good for you...several of us had many troubles. The pit is out of round on some of them, or the lower bearing doesn't do a good job of keeping the bridge wobble-free. If yours is smooth, the motor kit should make it a pleasant item on your layout. Any DC power source with controllable voltage will have it operating silently and slowly for prototypical ops if you keep the voltage dialed down.
Those kits are what ulcers and tearing your hair out in clumps are made of. In short a horrid example of a turntable. The actual kit itself isn't all that bad but when you try and motor it thats where all it's short coming come to light. You should contact Walther now and tell them you have a broken ring gear and are requesting another one, why because it's inevitable that this will happen. As Crandell mentioned another Achilles heal of the kt is those two dopey copper strips intended to make contact with the copper rings. I have built more then my share of turntable kits for my own railroads , tow clubs and several friends and I can say without hesitation that particular Walthers kit is the worst one I've ever seen. It's best used as a manual turn table. Regarding the power polarity issue if you want automatic operation you will need to run a reversing unit in conjunction with the wiring. You may want to take a look or even use the switch that is recommended when using an Atlas turntable once you turn the locomotive you need to flip the slide switch to reverse the direction of the engine on the bridge.
https://secure.atlasrr.com/mod1/itemdesc.asp?ic=0220&eq=&Tp=
or this one
The Walthers built-up one with indexing is a 130' table. It's not really the same one as the kit built one. They just re-released it and it now includes a DCC decoder for controlling the rotation as well as the buttons.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Getting back to your original post, Bob, you may not want to use track power from your DCC system to power your TT as you may notice a drop in performance depending on the number of locos running, etc. An alternative is to get small unregulated AC/DC converter and wire a trim potentiometer in series with your motor and direction-reversing switch so you can adjust the speed. And, as mentioned elsewhere, you will need an auto-reversing circuit of some sort for the track polarity (not to be confused with the direction reversing switch).
I am using a old Troller power pack just for the turnable Seaside .Yes this TT does have it's faults but it is working and looks good.I allready have a old panel with reversing switch hook up.I use the littel house as to know what end is north or south polaity.Thanks for all the help guys
CucamongaI'm here for first time and wondering about those Walthers turntables. Sounds like they have a quality problem with the wiper contacts. I'm looking to get my hands on a 130' scale TT (to handle a Big Boy). Does nayone else make that size? Haven't found any. Also, I gather from this thread that a DCC reversing unit is probably the best solution. Any thoughts? Thanks
The OP (original poster) is talking about the old Walthers turntable kit from fifteen years ago, not the newer 'ready to use' turntables. IIRC the original kit cost about $25, with a motorizing kit that was another $20-25. Few people ever seemed to get them motorized and working right for the long haul. AFAIK the newer Walthers ones are fine - although a bit pricey!!