Kitbash an Atlas Turntable

[MisterBeasley]

Butlerhawk

Can't you overcome the 15 degree indexing problem by simply stopping the turntable when it lines up with the roundhouse tracks? This would seem easier than gearing it down on a 1.5 to 1 basis.

Yes, you could do that.  But, the whole idea of using the Atlas mechanism is to get a turntable with indexing for a low price.  The turntable moves quickly between positions, and then stops for quite a while at each slot.  It would be tricky to align it properly on a non-indexed slot.  (Mine ended up just a bit off at some orientations, and I have to do just that.)  If you're not going to use the Atlas-supplied indexing, I think you'd be better off with a small motor.

[Butlerhawk]

Can't you overcome the 15 degree indexing problem by simply stopping the turntable when it lines up with the roundhouse tracks? This would seem easier than gearing it down on a 1.5 to 1 basis.

[MisterBeasley]

Allegheny2-6-6-6

  Having built several turntables and round houses for the club and for friends I have found that unless your just one who love to kit-bash for the sake of kit bashing, all the work involved just isn't worth it.

I confess.  I'm one of those people.  This project was, in fact, a labor of love.  Also, I only had a very small space for this turntable and roundhouse, and the Atlas has a very small footprint for the combination.  It also only accepts relatively small locomotives.

tbdanny

But the issue for me with most 'pit bashes' I've seen is that there's an overhang from the lead tracks, as can be seen in the photo you posted.  Do you think it would be possible to lengthen the bridge of the turntable slightly and reduce the length of the lead tracks to compensate?

Yes, I think that's very possible.  You have to watch out for where the motor is, though.  Also, remember that the Atlas roundhouse itself, if you're using that one, is very shallow and barely holds a 9-inch locomotive that would fit on the turntable.

Allegheny2-6-6-6

Not to mention those things are as noisy as an old coffee grinder.

Again, guilty as charged.  One advantage of the pit-bash, though, is that the turntable drive is moved down below the surface of the layout, which muffles the sound a lot.  Still, I see no reason that this mechanism has to be so noisy.

[alco_fan]

Interesting juxtaposition

Butlerhawk

How many locomotives do we need? I have 21 - 10 steam, 11 diesel and I still look around to see if I should buy more - I try to keep the price under $125. I am running out of track to run and store the locos.

Butlerhawk

(I don't want to spend $250 +/- for a Walthers built up).

Maybe sell a couple of locomotives (or save what you what have spent on acquiring more excess power) and you'll be able to afford a better turntable thats not limited to herky-jerky 15 degree spacing.

[pcarrell]

I didn't check out the links already given, but I do know of a link to 2guyzandsumtrains where they showed something like this: http://2guyzandsumtrains.com/Content/pa=showpage/pid=11.html

[Geared Steam]

Allegheny2-6-6-6

Not to mention those things are as noisy as an old coffee grinder.

Yes they are, at 12v, which is at full speed. like an old Ford F-250 with a 300 six in granny gear. Most people use a cheap powerpack to power the Atlas, and then they only send 3-5v to it, which is much slower, quieter and more realistic speed. 

[hminky]

Allegheny2-6-6-6

 The one very important element that is being left out is that the Atlas turntable is pre indexed to 15 degrees where the Walthers can be set to any number of different settings. Not to mention those things are as noisy as an old coffee grinder. Having built several turntables and round houses for the club and for friends I have found that unless your just one who love to kit-bash for the sake f kit bashing All the work involved just isn't worth it. A long time a go in MR there was an article where a guy scratch built a small turntable using a large race or phono jack for a centering pin and for electrical pick up. If your familiar with what it looks like here is a links to both connectors. It made for a nice positive connection and it stabilized the bridge nicely. The Walther 90's kit T/T is a piece of junk and I have known more then one guy who has tried what your looking to do, but hey more power to ya if your willing to take it on and make it work.

 

 

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=092-140

 http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=090-269

 

 

Amen, the obsession with this awful beast is unbelievable. You forgot to point out it "lurches" from position to position. 

 Thanks for the links.

Harold

[Allegheny2-6-6-6]

 The one very important element that is being left out is that the Atlas turntable is pre indexed to 15 degrees where the Walthers can be set to any number of different settings. Not to mention those things are as noisy as an old coffee grinder. Having built several turntables and round houses for the club and for friends I have found that unless your just one who love to kit-bash for the sake f kit bashing All the work involved just isn't worth it. A long time a go in MR there was an article where a guy scratch built a small turntable using a large race or phono jack for a centering pin and for electrical pick up. If your familiar with what it looks like here is a links to both connectors. It made for a nice positive connection and it stabilized the bridge nicely. The Walther 90's kit T/T is a piece of junk and I have known more then one guy who has tried what your looking to do, but hey more power to ya if your willing to take it on and make it work.

 

 

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=092-140

 http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=090-269

 

[richg1998]

 I just found the below link in a Google search. One guy says he did this and used some brass fittings. It might be his photos I have. Just a guess.

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/163710/1802273.aspx

Rich

[richg1998]

 Here are some links to look through.

http://www.google.com/search?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=ho+turntable+project&btnmeta%3Dsearch%3Dsearch=Search+the+Web

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ho+turntable+bash+project&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

Rich

[richg1998]

 Centering everything will be the major challenge. I remember he used some small brass fittings that are common at Home Depot and Lowe's. There is quite a variety in those small sizes and can be threaded together.

I saved those photos back in 2000 according to the file properties. I have since learned to save a complete site as a HTML and I can open the HTML and the complete site opens again. Nice if some guys site ever goes away. I then have everything. Some sites have gone away and I have good data now.

Here is one more photo.

 

[Butlerhawk]

richg1998 - thanks for the photos - this is what I have in mind and certainly looks workable and something I can do (with some more expert help).

[richg1998]

 Do you mean something like the below? I found this on the 'Net maybe five or six years ago. Don't remember where. Never bookmarked the site.

Rich

[tbdanny]

MisterBeasly,

Excellent work on the turntable - after seeing how well yours has turned out, I'm tempted to try one of my own.  But the issue for me with most 'pit bashes' I've seen is that there's an overhang from the lead tracks, as can be seen in the photo you posted.  Do you think it would be possible to lengthen the bridge of the turntable slightly and reduce the length of the lead tracks to compensate?

Cheers,

tbdanny

[MisterBeasley]

This is the way mine turned out:

The original photo-essay thread is here:

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/t/99558.aspx?PageIndex=1

I maintained the original 9-inch length of the bridge, about 66 feet.  I didn't have room for a larger turntable, and I already had the Atlas roundhouse, which is built for the 15-degree indexing of this turntable.  The Atlas roundhouse, by the way, is also built for the same short engines that would fit on the turntable.

My goal was to get around the "rotating pit floor" problem of the typical Atlas pit-bash.  I did it with a false floor.  But, that means that you need to support the bridge at the ends.  The project is a lot easier if you are willing to live with the rotating floor.  With a 90-foot bridge, you're going to have to figure how to deal with the motor mount, which is pretty close to the edge of the rotating deck.

You would still be stuck with the 15-degree indexing.  That's not so bad, but it doesn't match up with most other roundhouse kits.

 

[richg1998]

I also have seen that done but right now cannot remember where. Magazine or Internet, just don't remember where. I will look around.

Rich

[tbdanny]

I think this has been done before - have you done a search for kitbashing Atlas turntables on the forum?

[Butlerhawk]

Will this idea work to kitbash an Atlas to a 90" TT? Place the Atlas TT below the top of the layout to provide for the Atlas motor; affix a riser to the center of the Atlas TT; attach a piece of oak (1//2" by length of 90' TT) - for stability - to riser; install tracks to oak; wire 90' TT by connecting track from Atlas to the new 90' TT. I realize this is extremely basic and perhaps too simple, but is the idea workable? Your comments please. (I don't want to spend $250 +/- for a Walthers built up).