I bought an original Walthers 90 ft turntable on Amazon for 40 bucks. It is quirky but I found it works well but you need a reversing switch to change polarity. I'm going to use an Atlas controller because I have it already.
bgood Rich: do you happen to know the difference between kit #933-2840 and the newer #933-2489? and is it related to the DCC conversion kit #922-2852?
Rich: do you happen to know the difference between kit #933-2840 and the newer #933-2489? and is it related to the DCC conversion kit #922-2852?
#933-2840 was the original non-DCC motorized version of the Walthers 90' turntable.
When Walthers developed the DCC motorized version of the 90' turntable (#933-2489), it also began to offer a conversion kit (#922-2852) to operate the original non-DCC motorized turntable (#933-2840) in DCC mode.
Here is the Walthers explanation of the conversion kit and its uses:
This kit is designed ONLY for use with Walthers Built-ups Turntables #933-2840 (HO 90'), #933-2829 (HO 130'), and #933-2613 (N 130') as noted. PLEASE NOTE: This conversion will NOT fit Walthers #933-3135 or #933-3171 (HO 90' Kits), #933-3203 (N 120' Kit), or turntables produced by other manufacturers. The kit includes the control box with electronics, the appropriate printed circuit board for the bridge of the turntable, and complete instructions. The box measures 4-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 1" 11.4 x 8.9 x 2.5cm; the circuit board is he same size as the original. IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ: this conversion is for the experienced modeler. The installation requires electronic knowledge and soldering skills. Do not attempt installation if you feel unsure about performing this conversion. Contact a qualified person to do the conversion. At this point, Walthers is not able to provide a conversion service. In addition, any consumer damage will not be covered by any type of warranty. Should a problem arise we will be asking that you send us the product. No warranty claim will be accepted until inspection is complete and cause of problem is determined.
Rich
Alton Junction
If you want a good TT, use the Walthers INDEXED 90´or 130´ TT´s. Sure, a bit expensive, but very good in my opinion.
If you want a good TT to motorize yourself, use the Peco manual HO/OO TT. I had one before and it is SMOOTH!
I don´t know of a US importer of them however. They are very often on eBay, so it´s a matter of searching a bit!
EBAY
There is even a very good motor available for it, also of British origin.
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jrbernier wdcrvr: I am the originator of this thread and I have to make a correction to my original post. I am not looking at using the ATLAS turntable. I am planning to use the Walthers 90 foot turntable 933-3171 and the motor unit 933-1050. That would be great if I don't need to install an AR1. Does anyone have any comments on the quality of this turntable or any installation/operating tips that would be of use for me? Thanks wdcrvr If you are talking about the Walther 90' 'Kit' turntable - Forget it. It is a piece of junk. Most of the production has an warped TT pit that is 'out of round'. The 'bearing' is plastic - Every once in a while someone reports that they got one to work reliably. Before Walthers released the $300 90' turntable, I did have one of the 'kits'. It was as bad as others described. My 'fix' was to use the Atlas TT under it with a plumbing nipple as the connection and a $3 bearing from Ace Hardware. It was mounted on a two level platform using 1/2" plywood. It worked great, but still was noisy(the Atlas part). I finally found a new Walthers $300 one on eBay for $200(including shipping) - Much better product. TT's are expensive! Jim
wdcrvr: I am the originator of this thread and I have to make a correction to my original post. I am not looking at using the ATLAS turntable. I am planning to use the Walthers 90 foot turntable 933-3171 and the motor unit 933-1050. That would be great if I don't need to install an AR1. Does anyone have any comments on the quality of this turntable or any installation/operating tips that would be of use for me? Thanks wdcrvr
I am the originator of this thread and I have to make a correction to my original post. I am not looking at using the ATLAS turntable. I am planning to use the Walthers 90 foot turntable 933-3171 and the motor unit 933-1050. That would be great if I don't need to install an AR1.
Does anyone have any comments on the quality of this turntable or any installation/operating tips that would be of use for me?
Thanks
wdcrvr
If you are talking about the Walther 90' 'Kit' turntable - Forget it. It is a piece of junk. Most of the production has an warped TT pit that is 'out of round'. The 'bearing' is plastic - Every once in a while someone reports that they got one to work reliably.
Before Walthers released the $300 90' turntable, I did have one of the 'kits'. It was as bad as others described. My 'fix' was to use the Atlas TT under it with a plumbing nipple as the connection and a $3 bearing from Ace Hardware. It was mounted on a two level platform using 1/2" plywood. It worked great, but still was noisy(the Atlas part). I finally found a new Walthers $300 one on eBay for $200(including shipping) - Much better product. TT's are expensive!
Jim
Oops, I told you I wasn't a genius. I should have looked up that item number.
I was referring to the newer Walthers 90' turntable, item number 933-2840 which has now been replaced by the even newer 933-2849.
I did purchase the older version 933-3171 way back when, and I agree with Jim that the motorizing kit was junk. I wound up spinning it manually to turn locomotives. I eventually removed it from the layout and installed the Walthers 130' motorized turntable. My old 90' turntable now sits in a box under the layout. A check of the Walthers web site indicates that the 933-3171 will once again become available on March 15, 2011 and is priced at $45.98.
I appreciate everyones input. However, your reply interests me the most. I really cannot afford to spend $250 plus for a turntable. And I felt that even if there were some problems with the Walther 90 foot kit, It should still be worth it if I could tweak it to get it to work reasonably. My layout will be for the enjoyment of myself and my as yet very young four grandsons. Any turntables I install will not be getting really heavy use. So I think I better get ahold of my first Walther 90 foot kit so I can start learning what I need to do to get it to work well enough. So far, I really have not been able to find any. Walthers is out of them and no one is selling them on EBAY. So, I will keep searching. My LHS does not have any either. If you know of someone who wants to get rid of one. let me know. Eventually I plan to have at least two on my layout, maybe even three. I am persistant and I have a lot more time than money.
Any other tips you can give me in this venture I would really appreciate.
The Walters kit 90 foot turntable is truly a product that should be avoided by all but the most persistent, which I am. If the cost of the newer built-up ones is simply too much to consider, see if you can find the kit version, built or un-built. They can be had for peanuts because nobody wants to deal with the beast. I found two for a total cost of $15 and was able to eventually work them into a smooth running reliable unit which has been operating on my layout for nearly three years, and I run an operating session at least once a week all Winter. You do need patience and the willingness to study how it works and a little mechanical aptitude to make the necessary adjustments. I had to shim and alter various component attachments, but if you are able to get the gears aligned well and keep them lubricated, and keep the pickup wipers clean, they can be made to work. Not everyone wants to deal with all that and I don't blame them. But, I do have a well-functioning turntable for a fraction of the cost of others.
If you have the kit, to which you must add the motorizing kit, and it is the 90' Walthers version, run away.
And it will need a DPDT or an auto-reverser. No split ring.
If you are willing to pay upwards of $270 for a newer Walthers Built-Up Indexed version, it is like night and day. I have had an indexed one on my layout for five years now and I love it.
Crandell
wdcrvr I am the originator of this thread and I have to make a correction to my original post. I am not looking at using the ATLAS turntable. I am planning to use the Walthers 90 foot turntable 933-3171 and the motor unit 933-1050. That would be great if I don't need to install an AR1. Does anyone have any comments on the quality of this turntable or any installation/operating tips that would be of use for me? Thanks wdcrvr
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
wdcrvr,
I wondered that when I read your thread. I would have looked like a genius had I asked you that but, alas, I didn't so I am not a genius.
In any event, I have the Walthers 130' turntable and it is excellent. Others who have the 90' version have also indicated that it is excellent.
Both the 90' and the 130' versions are split ring and do not require a separate auto-reversing unit.
The Atlas turntable does have a split-ring to control the polarity of the rotating track section, so you don't need an auto-reverser for it. You will need to watch how you wire the stall tracks and the approach leads, but it's easy enough to follow the directions. The polarity of each of the indexed stop positions is marked on the turntable base with an A or a B, so it's easy to get it right.
And yes, it is a 65-foot turntable. It indexes at a fixed 15-degree angle. For that reason, if you want a roundhouse, you might want to look at the Atlas model that is designed to work with this turntable. It's not a deep roundhouse, but any engine that will fit on the turntable will fit in the roundhouse stalls. My Transition Era 4-axle diesels (RSC-3, GP9, F7) all fit easily. I've got a Proto 0-6-0 which just barely makes it.
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wdcrvr I am building my HO DCC layout. I want to put in a 90 foot turntable. I don't want to spend a large amount of money. I am looking to have this turntable motorized but NOT controlled by a DCC decoder. So I would assume that I could run this off the accessory line of my old DC controller which I am using to run my switch motors.Does this make sense? Could I just use the simple 90 foot turnatble that ATLAS makes and add the motor kit to it? I realize that I would also be installing an AR1 reverse control in the wiring of the turntable platform. Is this a complicated thing to do? Is there someplace that I can get more detailed info on just how to do this? wdcrvr
I am building my HO DCC layout. I want to put in a 90 foot turntable. I don't want to spend a large amount of money. I am looking to have this turntable motorized but NOT controlled by a DCC decoder. So I would assume that I could run this off the accessory line of my old DC controller which I am using to run my switch motors.Does this make sense? Could I just use the simple 90 foot turnatble that ATLAS makes and add the motor kit to it? I realize that I would also be installing an AR1 reverse control in the wiring of the turntable platform. Is this a complicated thing to do? Is there someplace that I can get more detailed info on just how to do this?
First, the Atlas is not a 90ft turntable. The Atlas turntable is 9" long, which scales to 65ft in HO. A true 90ft turntable bridge is about 12.5" in diameter. A 120ft turntable is not quite 17" in diameter. What size turntable do you need/want?
Second, the Walthers and the Atlas turntables (I think on the Atlas) are set up with split ring wiring, which means they don't need an autoreverser. You may decide to use one, anyway.
Fred W
I agree with Crandell that you could it even more inexpensively with a DPDT switch rather than an auto reverse unit such as the AR-1.
The way to do it is to set up a reversing section of track adjacent to the turntable by gapping both ends of the reversing section. Power the DPDT switch by placing feeders from the bus wires to the contacts on one end of the DPDT switch. Then run a set of feeders from the center contacts of the DPDT switch to the rails of the reversing section of track.
If, instead, you want to use the AR-1, run feeders from the bus wires to the input side of the AR-1 and a pair of feeders from the output side of the AR-1 to the rails of the reversing section of track.
You could also consider purchasing the Walthers 90' turntable which has an auto- reversing feature built into the mechanism. The Walthers turntable is more expensive than the Atlas turntable but the motor is more reliable, the turntable is indexed, and you don't need to install any devices to reverse polarity manually.
You seem to have the right idea, although you could save yourself the cost of the AR-1 and just use a DPDT. Just have to remember to use it. But you have the right idea....DC control of the DC drive motor, some way to reverse polarity when the table turns past 90 degrees if the bay tracks or outdoor radial tracks are oriented the same way as the lead to the TT.
Any help out there?