Anyone else been having any issues with walthers cornerstone 130 turntable? My index quit working, had it about a year. I've heard good and bad comments about them. Please express ur comments about them. Thanks
Which version do you have? The older non-DCC or the newer DCC?
Rich
Alton Junction
I have the 90 foot model, works great. I found I had problems with it if i powered it from the track buss but have now put it on a seperate 15 volt supply and it has worked fine since. Also programed each track starting from the #1 position.
Slim
Take the table out of the pit and really clean both ends of the contacts/wipers with track cleaner or alchohol.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I have the original non-DCC version and I never could get the indexing to work reliably so I gave up on it and alligned it by eye. Recently I have been having another problem with mine. The turntable will turn only so far and then it sticks. I suspect there is a piece of debris in one of the cogs on the inside of the motor but I haven't figured out yet how to open it up without breaking the plastic assembly. I'm not sure if it is glued together or just a really tight snap fit so I have been proceeding with caution. Right now I have more pressing maintenance issues to deal with.
jecorbett I have the original non-DCC version and I never could get the indexing to work reliably so I gave up on it and alligned it by eye. Recently I have been having another problem with mine. The turntable will turn only so far and then it sticks. I suspect there is a piece of debris in one of the cogs on the inside of the motor but I haven't figured out yet how to open it up without breaking the plastic assembly. I'm not sure if it is glued together or just a really tight snap fit so I have been proceeding with caution. Right now I have more pressing maintenance issues to deal with.
As far as the bridge track sticking, by all means open it up and clear the gears. About once a year, I have to do that to get loose ballast out of the gears.
richhotrain jecorbett I have the original non-DCC version and I never could get the indexing to work reliably so I gave up on it and alligned it by eye. Recently I have been having another problem with mine. The turntable will turn only so far and then it sticks. I suspect there is a piece of debris in one of the cogs on the inside of the motor but I haven't figured out yet how to open it up without breaking the plastic assembly. I'm not sure if it is glued together or just a really tight snap fit so I have been proceeding with caution. Right now I have more pressing maintenance issues to deal with. I also operate my non-DCC turntable manually because of the indexing problems. As far as the bridge track sticking, by all means open it up and clear the gears. About once a year, I have to do that to get loose ballast out of the gears. Rich
I also operate my non-DCC turntable manually because of the indexing problems.
Thanks, Rich. I take from your comments that the assembly is not glued but snapped together. I started having a problem at the end of model railroading seanson last year which corresponds with the beginning of golf season. Since I was busy with other business, I got a very late start this year in getting back into model railroading and have just glanced at that problem so far. I'm currently in the process of cleaning the grime and oxidation off the rails so I can start running trains again. I'm hoping to at least attempt an operating session by the end of this weekend. Getting that TT fully operational will go a long way in that effort.
jecorbett Thanks, Rich. I take from your comments that the assembly is not glued but snapped together.
Thanks, Rich. I take from your comments that the assembly is not glued but snapped together.
Some folks are using a cake cover (cheapo from Party Time Stores, etc.) to keep the dust and detris out of our tuntables. There is a post or two about that in the archives/search. It helps a LOT!
The Walthers turntables are indexed using an optical sensor. There are (much) more expensive alternatives that use a gear counting chip or mechanisim that is tons more accurate. Unfortunately not everyone can afford a $400-500 controller... I've ended up indexing mine by eye like others. I can usually get most of the positions to hold their indexed position memory but there are usually one or two tracks that play mischief. This would suck if one's turntable is far away from the aisle but I can see from mine so I live with it.
Jim
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Capt. Grimek Some folks are using a cake cover (cheapo from Party Time Stores, etc.) to keep the dust and detris out of our tuntables. There is a post or two about that in the archives/search. It helps a LOT! The Walthers turntables are indexed using an optical sensor. There are (much) more expensive alternatives that use a gear counting chip or mechanisim that is tons more accurate. Unfortunately not everyone can afford a $400-500 controller... I've ended up indexing mine by eye like others. I can usually get most of the positions to hold their indexed position memory but there are usually one or two tracks that play mischief. This would suck if one's turntable is far away from the aisle but I can see from mine so I live with it. Jim
This highlights one of the dumbest decisions I made when designing my layout. Like many plans I've seen, I put the TT/roundhouse on the inside of a corner curve. However in a moment of insanity, I put the TT near the mainline track and the roundhouse between the aisle and the TT. It is both a maintenance and operational nightmare as I can only see into a few of the stalls. I have to use a step stool when lining up the TT. One of these days I am going to tear it up and start over, but right now I have other priorities.
jecorbett This highlights one of the dumbest decisions I made when designing my layout. Like many plans I've seen, I put the TT/roundhouse on the inside of a corner curve. However in a moment of insanity, I put the TT near the mainline track and the roundhouse between the aisle and the TT. It is both a maintenance and operational nightmare as I can only see into a few of the stalls. I have to use a step stool when lining up the TT. One of these days I am going to tear it up and start over, but right now I have other priorities.
richhotrain jecorbett This highlights one of the dumbest decisions I made when designing my layout. Like many plans I've seen, I put the TT/roundhouse on the inside of a corner curve. However in a moment of insanity, I put the TT near the mainline track and the roundhouse between the aisle and the TT. It is both a maintenance and operational nightmare as I can only see into a few of the stalls. I have to use a step stool when lining up the TT. One of these days I am going to tear it up and start over, but right now I have other priorities. Can you place a mirror at an angle above it? Rich
Can you place a mirror at an angle above it?
jecorbett Of course the long term solution is to blow up the engine servicing area and rebuild it the way it should have been done the first time with the TT nearest the aisle. Not only would that be make operations and maintenance easier, it would look so much better that way. I didn't put enough though into the original design. I had the lead track coming from the classification yard and that track was near the aisle. I must have seen that keeping that track going straight to the TT did not allow me enough room to put the roundhouse between the TT and the mainline tracks so I just extended the shelf outward to make room for the roundhouse on the opposite side. In hindsight I should have simply had the lead track bend a little so that the TT could be placed with enough room for the roundhouse on the opposite side. Live and learn I guess.
Of course the long term solution is to blow up the engine servicing area and rebuild it the way it should have been done the first time with the TT nearest the aisle. Not only would that be make operations and maintenance easier, it would look so much better that way. I didn't put enough though into the original design. I had the lead track coming from the classification yard and that track was near the aisle. I must have seen that keeping that track going straight to the TT did not allow me enough room to put the roundhouse between the TT and the mainline tracks so I just extended the shelf outward to make room for the roundhouse on the opposite side. In hindsight I should have simply had the lead track bend a little so that the TT could be placed with enough room for the roundhouse on the opposite side. Live and learn I guess.
richhotrain jecorbett Of course the long term solution is to blow up the engine servicing area and rebuild it the way it should have been done the first time with the TT nearest the aisle. Not only would that be make operations and maintenance easier, it would look so much better that way. I didn't put enough though into the original design. I had the lead track coming from the classification yard and that track was near the aisle. I must have seen that keeping that track going straight to the TT did not allow me enough room to put the roundhouse between the TT and the mainline tracks so I just extended the shelf outward to make room for the roundhouse on the opposite side. In hindsight I should have simply had the lead track bend a little so that the TT could be placed with enough room for the roundhouse on the opposite side. Live and learn I guess. Don't feel too bad. My roundhouse stalls face the aisle and, of course, the turntable is in front of it. But, between the aisle and the turntable sits my freight yard. Poor planning on my part. I can reach the turntable, but not the roundhouse. Rich
Don't feel too bad. My roundhouse stalls face the aisle and, of course, the turntable is in front of it. But, between the aisle and the turntable sits my freight yard. Poor planning on my part. I can reach the turntable, but not the roundhouse.