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Creating a Turntable Yard

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  • Member since
    May 2008
  • From: Miles City, Montana
  • 2,289 posts
Creating a Turntable Yard
Posted by FRRYKid on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 11:58 PM

Got yet another odd ball for my forum friends. This is a theoretical and won't be happening anytime soon but I am trying to find out it the idea is even possible.

I currently have an Atlas turntable with a Pikestuff Shops Building with the middle track being a straight line from the lead-in track on the opposite side of the turntable and the tracks pass throught the doors of the building. The thought I had last weekend when I was working on the layout is either taking the ends of the tracks after they leave the doors and take them parallel to the main line or else realign all three tracks so that the shop building is also parallel to the main line. Either option would then eventually connect to turnouts that would create a yard ladder that connects back to the main line.

My questions are these:  Given I use common rail DC wiring and the shop tracks are turntable tracks and wired as such, how would I wire something like this? Would it be simpler to take the tracks in question off the turntable wiring and treat them as part of the new yard ladder or leave them and have the ladder on its own from the turntable tracks?

As usual, any ideas on this slightly oddball project would be welcomed.

"The only stupid question is the unasked question."
Brain waves can power an electric train. RealFact #832 from Snapple.
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 9:51 AM

The Atlas turntable has "A" and "B" tracks, where the A tracks are on one side of the turntable and the B tracks are on the other.  This defines where the turntable flips the polarity, so if you are re-joining the tracks you should make sure that all the tracks you are going to bring back together are the same.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 3:15 PM

Keep all Your tracks set up for the common rail wiring and install a DPDT center off toggle/slide switch for the turntable bridge track only. When You transverse the turntable from A to B You change the switch to match polarity of existing track.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

  • Member since
    May 2008
  • From: Miles City, Montana
  • 2,289 posts
Posted by FRRYKid on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 10:01 PM

MisterBeasley

The Atlas turntable has "A" and "B" tracks, where the A tracks are on one side of the turntable and the B tracks are on the other.  This defines where the turntable flips the polarity, so if you are re-joining the tracks you should make sure that all the tracks you are going to bring back together are the same.

The shop tracks are all on the same side of the turntable.

zstripe

Keep all Your tracks set up for the common rail wiring and install a DPDT center off toggle/slide switch for the turntable bridge track only. When You transverse the turntable from A to B You change the switch to match polarity of existing track.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

Per the wiring diagram listed in both the instructions for the turntable and as listed in the Atlas wiring, all the turntable tracks are hooked up using Atlas Twins (and changed around for the A to B sides.).

"The only stupid question is the unasked question."
Brain waves can power an electric train. RealFact #832 from Snapple.
  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Thursday, March 10, 2016 6:49 AM

Well there You go......You should be all set for wiring, should You decide to go that route....Atlas 210 twin is a DPDT slide switch....I used those back in the 50's, on My common rail, hand laid Brass track code 100 layout.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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