The Walthers turntable has a plain rim that looks out of place. Would it be OK to have it covered in grass or weeds, or?????
Or just paint it and let it go at that?
73
Bruce in the Peg
The turntables at two roundhouses in the days of steam when I was growing up, (1940's to 1960), were very weathered, bare concrete. Everything around the outside of the concrete rim was cinders, as was all the area around the entire complex.
I don't recall seeing any grass, trees, or weeds close to them.
Yes, generally clear flat area with good footing underneath. I have seen examples, though, in the mountains where the scenery runs right up to the edge at times. That's most old timey stuff, but it can be done.
For "Armstrong" turntables, there needs to be a clear path for those pushing on the pole to turn it, as well as to accomodate the reach of the pole's swing.
Finally, in a few cases, I have noted a "toe board" of some kind at the lip of the pit. It's just something low (~6" or so high) and solid, hoping you'll bump into it and be reminded you have a fall coming up if you don't adjust course. One I saw recently in a pic was painted white, but the paint may have been fresh. It wouldn't stay white very long around a steam terminal.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I agree with the others. Leave it alone.
Most importantly, think carefully before placing any little workers on the rim.
One of my little workers nearly got decapitated by an overhanging coupler.
Rich
Alton Junction
This is kind of an extreme option. I did this because I wanted to. There are remnants of old, small turntables built with stone walls like this one. I don't think it would do for a more modern-era turntable.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
The Walthers TT represents a concrete-lined pit in a modern turntable. It would be rare to see one in reasonably frequent use come to the point where its lip was allowed to have dirt blown over it in sufficient depth that grasses and shrubs began to grow from it. The pit wall would be at least 18" thick, but probably more so that it could be both reinforced with rebar properly for two reasons: first, so that the wall acts as a retaining wall to all that is behind it, including rails and standing locomotives bearing down on the soils behind the wall, and so that it could withstand the weight of heavy locomotives transitioning across the gap between leads/radials and the bridge rails.
Letting much get into the pit would increase the maintenance work required to keep the bridge rollers and their supporting curved rails free from clutter and fouling. Not that the pits didn't need periodic cleaning, but it would be desired to be kept to a minimum.
-Crandell
Until it was torn out in the mid 1990s, the Soo turntable in Ashland, WI had a bare dirt pit bottom and the pit walls were stacked ties.
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
This is what I did with the turntable and surrounding area
Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j372/curtwbb/