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Turntable with Extruded Foam and Hollow Core Door

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  • Member since
    February 2020
  • 27 posts
Turntable with Extruded Foam and Hollow Core Door
Posted by Late4Dinner on Friday, November 3, 2023 1:03 PM

I am in the early stages of building my first model railroad. Benchwork will be extruded foam over a hollow core door. I am wondering about the feasibility of a turntable. I know I can't cut a big hole into the door, but can a turntable be installed in the foam? Has anyone done this? How thick would the foam have to be?

It's a druther, not a given, so if it can't be done, that's okay.

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,481 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, November 3, 2023 1:49 PM

Well, sure.  A turntable is pretty light, even with an engine on it.  I took an Atlas turntable, designed as a surface-mount accessory.   I cut a round hole in my 2-inch foam subroadbed, cut a thin piece of plywood and mounted the turntable on the plywood, which I then mounted using long bolts beneath the foam.  The turntable mechanism is completely below-ground.  I added a turntable bridge glued to the turntable base to bring the track level up.

This was a more difficult installation than most, but I never had any structural issues even with just a foam subroadbed, no layer of wood below that.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    February 2020
  • 27 posts
Posted by Late4Dinner on Friday, November 3, 2023 3:20 PM

Great news. Thank you. 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
  • 7,655 posts
Posted by rrebell on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 7:48 AM

My layout is only foam of 2" on a wood frame, got a turntable, no problems.

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