Yesterday, I was operating my turntable, the non-DCC version, and I noticed that the bridge track was not rotating smoothly. As it rotated, it would move slightly upward and then down again as if there were something in the tooth gear around the outside perimeter of the pit.
I tried to vacuum the entire pit with a Shop Vac, but some up and down movement was still observed after I had vacuumed the pit. When I examined the gears at the end of the bridge track, there were several small grains of debris lodged in the gears. The debris was some grains of Woodland Scenics Medium Ballast that had strayed from the surrounding yard area.
This was not the first time that this has happened to me. This time around, I had to remove the cover from the gear box to release some grains of debris that were keeping the gears from rotating smoothly.
My advice to others is to keep that pit clean at all times. Cleaning debris out of the gears on the bridge track is no easy task.
Rich
Alton Junction
I find that the Craftsman 50cc leafblower (with the funnel tip) will quickly remove any debris!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
mobilman44 I find that the Craftsman 50cc leafblower (with the funnel tip) will quickly remove any debris!
LOL I assume you are joking.
Blowing will only make matters worse. You need to vacuum the pit or, better yet, keep debris out in the first place.
On my next layout, ballast and yard cinders will not get within three feet of that pit.
Is that 3 scale feet ????
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
HaroldAI have had the same problem from time to time and have used sharp pointed toothpicks to gently remove debris from the gears. I usually keep the pit covered especially when I am doing anything around it.
Covering the pit makes sense, but my fear it that just removing it and then replacing it may cause debris to enter the pit.
I am determined to adopt a new practice, beginning now, to remove the bridge track and vacuum the pit before each operating session to ensure complete removal of debris.
The biggest problem is that the small grains of ballast get wedged between the gear teeth and then cannot be removed without disassembly of the gear box. If the gears won't turn, damage to the bridge track could easily result.
richhotrain Covering the pit makes sense, but my fear it that just removing it and then replacing it may cause debris to enter the pit. Rich
I have not tried this, but at parties, retirement celebrations, and other such food events I have seen rather large party trays with a nice clear round plastic "dome" sort of cover that looks like it would fit over a large turntable. They appear to be six or mor inches tall. I have seen them for sale at party goods stores.
EDITED POST: Bob's photo, below, is exactly what I was thinking about -- his looks like it might be glass and the ones I am thinking about are plastic, but otherwise, that is the idea. A refinement might be adhesive felt or insulating material around the bottom edge to make a good seal and treat the scenery gently.
I suspect restaurant supply shops have them in bulk which of course you do not need.
Your best bet is to get invited to lots of parties and beg for the tray covers!
This website shows them in 12, 16, and 18"
http://www.mikethebagman.com/PartyTrays.html
Dave Nelson
In a similar thread about three or four years ago, I mentioned the same thing about the 90' TT which was the newest and only digital one from Walthers at the time. Mine had been in service for a bit over a year, and I decided to find out why it seemed to be occasionally intermittent. I had taken to heart the advice to keep the pit scrupulously clean, and did so. Yet, when I removed the gear housing cover on the end of the bridge, I was greatly surprised, and rather unhappy, to see all the crud accumulated in there. I guess I would have to blame myself for poor technique at vacuuming....but be warned yet again that the device must be carefully cleaned BEFORE each operating session. Even if it is the next day. C'mon...it takes 40 seconds out of your session.
Crandell
I just posted this turntable cover a few weeks ago but this looks like a good time for a rerun. This is a party cake cover with a modified snack container for a handle/dome at the center (needed to clear the tt bridge arch).
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
farrellaa I just posted this turntable cover a few weeks ago but this looks like a good time for a rerun. This is a party cake cover with a modified snack container for a handle/dome at the center (needed to clear the tt bridge arch). -Bob
Bob,
I followed that earlier thread and you did a great job with that cover.
My issue though is not so much a dust cover between sessions but, rather, debris like ballast that gets in the pit during the session.
Even if you cover the pit between sessions, I think you need to vacuum the pit before the start of each session.
Why is ballast/cinders falling into the t.t. pit? Doesn't the (white?) glue hold things in place well enough? Is it coming from the surrounding yard/flat areas or from the pit's "weathering ballast" itself?
I haven't installed my 130 ft.er yet, probably this winter. Is the loosened ballast in the t.t. itself? Would you and Rich recommend NO ballast/cinders in the turntable pit at all, just painted weathering?
I like Mr. F's cake cover dust cover from his previous thread and will use something similar.
Anyone come up with a gear cover of their own design or is this impossible? I can't get to mine in (in storage) to look at the manual and t.t. assembly.
Thanks
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Capt. Grimek Why is ballast/cinders falling into the t.t. pit? Doesn't the (white?) glue hold things in place well enough? Is it coming from the surrounding yard/flat areas or from the pit's "weathering ballast" itself? I haven't installed my 130 ft.er yet, probably this winter. Is the loosened ballast in the t.t. itself? Would you and Rich recommend NO ballast/cinders in the turntable pit at all, just painted weathering?
The ballast comes from the surrounding area outside the pit. I added some ballast recently as cinders in the yard area and did not thoroughly glue it down. That was the big mistake.
Absolutely do not put ballast in the pit., just painted weathering. That pit needs to be kept immaculate.
If I had it to do over, I would use the Woodland Scenics foam sheet around the pit. It is black and textured so it looks like cinders. I used the Woodland Scenics Medium Cinders Ballast and that is what gets into the tooth gear around the perimeter of the pit and then picked up by the bridge track gear assembly.
I used WS cinders and Fine Ballast in my surrounding yard and it is all glued down and then vacuumed to make sure none are going to wander into an open pit. My only concern was with dust getting into the gear track, which it does. I still vacuum the pit once in a while when I spot any kind of 'foreign matter' down there. The dust cover has been working fine for what it was intended; keeping dust out of the pit when not in use.