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Turntable Help

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  • Member since
    August 2010
  • 115 posts
Turntable Help
Posted by UPTeen23 on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 6:55 PM

Hello everyone, i have purchased a Walthers HO scale 90ft turnrable (non-DCC) I use Digitrax and want to know if i just need to hook up an AR1 or a section of a PM42 to get it to work. I dont want detection or transponding or anything, i just want to run in DCC. Is this all i need to do?Confused

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Knoxville, TN
  • 2,055 posts
Posted by farrellaa on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 7:04 PM

I just got mine running (130' but otherwise the same non-DCC) and I don't use any AR device, it is built to automatically reverse polarity on the bridge. Works great. I am using Digitrax Zypher.

Bob

Life is what happens while you are making other plans!

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: SE Minnesota
  • 6,845 posts
Posted by jrbernier on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 7:09 PM

  Depends on which Walthers 90' TT you have.  If it is the 'kit', you might have to use something like an AR1.  Check to see if the sleeve contacts are continuous.  If it has split-sleeve contacts, you should be good to go.  I had one, but convereted it to use an Atlas drive underneath it and scrapped the original wiring.  Most of these TT's have a warped pit, and plastic bearings that are pretty bad.

  The 90'  powered on(RTR) does not need anything - it will auto reverse on it's own.  They have also introduced a DCC powered one in the 130' size, and I suspect it will be available in the 90' as well.

Jim

Modeling BNSF  and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 7:30 PM

 Note that the "DCC Version" just means that you can control the rotation from your DCC throttle and not just the pushbutton controller. The "non" DCC version of the turntable works just fine with DCC power on the rails.

                        --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    August 2010
  • 115 posts
Posted by UPTeen23 on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 7:38 PM

jrbernier

  Depends on which Walthers 90' TT you have.  If it is the 'kit', you might have to use something like an AR1.  Check to see if the sleeve contacts are continuous.  If it has split-sleeve contacts, you should be good to go.  I had one, but convereted it to use an Atlas drive underneath it and scrapped the original wiring.  Most of these TT's have a warped pit, and plastic bearings that are pretty bad.

  The 90'  powered on(RTR) does not need anything - it will auto reverse on it's own.  They have also introduced a DCC powered one in the 130' size, and I suspect it will be available in the 90' as well.

Jim

I have somewhat of a kit. It has the controller box built, the wired but i need to put on the table is this the kit or RTR

  • Member since
    December 2009
  • From: Mt Pleasant, Utah
  • 93 posts
Posted by Dave Merrill on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 8:36 PM

What you have is ready to run.  Does not need an AR1.  Just hook up the track power and a power supply to run the motor and you are in business.

BTW The polarity of the TT needs to match the approach track polarity so if you get a short the first time you drive a loco on the bridge just reverse the track wires to the control box and you will be in business.

Also be sure to install it so that there are no powered tracks is the places marked. 

Enjoy your new addition.

From Mt Pleasant, Utah, the home of the Hill Valley and Thistle Railroad where the Buffalo still roam and a Droid runs the trains

  • Member since
    August 2010
  • 115 posts
Posted by UPTeen23 on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 8:39 PM

Thank you all! I couldnt have figured this out without messing something upWhistling. Thank you again!SmileCool

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,280 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 5:59 AM

As others have noted, there is no need to install an AR-1, or any other auto-reversing unit for that matter, on the Walthers motorized turntable.

Here are some other recent related threads that are worth reading.  The last link is interesting to me because I installed a Walthers 130' turntable, and I wound up installing an AR-1.

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/181586.aspx

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/181386.aspx

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/181396.aspx

Rich

Alton Junction

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