Turntables

[Anonymous]

I am thinking of adding a turntable to my layout and would like to know what is the best kind to buy. Some are in a pit and another one is flat on the surface. Which one is the best to buy and use.Do they index well using a drive motor? Also do modern railroads still use turntables?

[thirdrail1]

Virtually all turntables that were used by regular railroads were of the pit type. The only ones I have ever seen of the flat or deck type were in the B&O Museum in Baltimore, where the turntable is inside the true roundhouse and the ones to turn cable cars in San Francisco. Yes, modern railroads still do use turntables, but far, far, fewer than once was the case. CSXT actually installed a new one a couple of years ago in a rebuild of one of its shops. All model turntables can be made to index but the only one with integral indexing is the deck one made by Atlas.

[Anonymous]

Hi Tim, not real sure about modern railroads using turntales any more, though I'm sure a very few remain. Most modern railroads use "Wyes" to turn a train around if needed, But I wouldn't think that this is a real common thing to do since most consists are made up of engines facing opposite directions. Someone who knows more may correct me. But I'msure they would need to turn them for certian types of maintance. That's the best I can tell you...........Jamie

[Anonymous]

The Atlas turntable is not recommended because it is too short for standard steam locos with tenders, and is generally unprototypical.
Walthers makes a good turntable and matching roundhouse, which I am working on now. Indexing is not offered, but it IS motorized. Korber made a turntable and a roundhouse, Walthers used to make a motorizing kit, but that has been discontinued. Otherwise, that would have been a good option. Bowser and Custom Model Railroads make large turntables to fit 4-8-4 and maybe even mallets and Big Boys. These are expensive ($135 for the non-motorized CMR, one person's experience
http://www.mindspring.com/~mdodd/turntable.html
and the indexing kit can run $350. OUCH! I guess I'll have to line it up by eye.
I'm still working on my turntable, contact me off list if you want an update. I think Walthers is the only viable option right now, unless you run larger than a Mikado 2-8-2 or Pacific 4-6-2.
Dean

[BR60103]

Timothy:
Most prototype turntables were in pits but I think there were some flat ones. Your decision may be based on how difficult it is to cut your pit hole.
If you can get by with only a 12 inch table, the English firm Peco make a nice plastic kit with the track wiring built in. It doesn't come with a motor and they suggest you can make something from Meccano (Erector). I think it works nicely by hand.
As for indexing, I remember watching the Railroad Museum in Chattanooga turning a loco and moving the table back and forth a few times to line it up with the track; I haven't felt bad about my efforts since.
-David

[Anonymous]

As I see it, here are the pros and cons of Atlas vs. other turntables:

Atlas pros --
1. can be purchased for about $35 fully motorized
2. indexing is included
3. rail polarity is also automatically done

Atlas cons --
1. noisy (I know, I own one. But I'm still happy with it)
2. short (only 7.5 inches track length)
3. "unprototypical" (though one or more prototypes in addition to the one at B&O's Montclair Station actually do exist, I've read on another forum) because the floor of it isn't recessed into a pit.

Other manufacturer pros --
1. "prototypical" (most turntables used pits)
2. Quiet? (I have no information here)
3. longer bridges than 7.5 inches are available

Other manufacturer cons --
1. expensive at $100+
2. no built-in indexing, rail power or (sometimes) motor

Now, a potential compromise suggestion, which I won't try myself because I'm happy with my Atlas turntable installed as it is. Would there be a problem mounting the Atlas unit in a pit, with a bridge mounted above its rails. This could be longer than 7.5 inches, governed only by the diameter of the pit the Atlas unit sits in. A wire from each Atlas rail soldered to the trackon the bridge would take care of power and track polarity automatically. The Atlas unit would take care of rotating the bridge, powering its rails and indexing.

The bridge could be as long as a bit over 9 inches without interfering with the Atlas motor enclosure.

My layout is based on extruded foam, so for me a pit would be a breeze to excavate. Might be more of a problem for plywood layouts.

Anyway, just a suggestion.

[Anonymous]

Your idea osunds good - good it also be used to convert the Atlas HO turntable to N scale? (Yes, I know they make an N scale one too, I was just asking.)
Bill K

[Anonymous]

The problem with modifying the Atlas TT is that the tracks radiate out every X degrees, and if you have a (non-Atlas) roundhouse, these will not line up at all. I thought about it, gave it up. However, if you want a short TT in a pit, your idea would work great.
Spent a bit more time working on assembling my Walthers TT earlier today. The instructions contain quite a few misspellings, and leave out a few details, one which caused me to have to re-do some stuff. (For the track wires, put the 2nd wire INSIDE the first brass ring before soldering it, otherwise the wire runs over the ring, which would interfere with the wiper contact.)
The Walthers motorized TT is now down to $40.00 list, as is the matching roundhouse. Bowser and CRD (?) are more...

[BR60103]

You've just ben scooped by Model Railroader.
The Feb. 2002 issue has just such a modification.

David the Platelayer

[Anonymous]

Hi my name is Mike a few months ago I bought one of those atlas turntables you are talking about. I want too know why the little belt keeps coming of when I turn it on. It don't seem too too do it counterclockwise. I have not used it much because i was disappointed it did not work. My email [e-mail]