Turntable pit floor material

[olequa]

What was the most common floor material for turntable pits in the 20th century? I'm thinking just rock or cinders? Was concrete or asphalt ever used?

 Thanks

George

[arkansasrailfan]

It was concrete, and rock for some, and dirt for others

[tomikawaTT]

It was concrete, and rock for some, and dirt for others

One pit that I saw was a concrete cistern that acted as a flood control containment structure!  The pit was deep, and a concrete-lined drainage ditch ran through it, off center.  The center pier was quite tall and the table was of normal height, but of deck girder design.  The outflow culvert (which ran under several tracks to the far side of the ROW) was much smaller than the inflow culvert (which passed under an adjacent road.)

Other, shallow, pits, under through girder turntables, were nicely mowed lawns.  The center pier (pad?) and pit rim were poured concrete.

I also saw a few turntable pits on seldom-used branch lines which were pretty well weed-choked.  That might be an interesting effect to model.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[colvinbackshop]

Keeping in mind that everything needs a footing (rim rail and a center pivoting) which would be concrete; I've seen both a concrete floor and a dirt floor, of the tables I have seen with my own eyes.

No matter, they are most always dirty and may even have some vegetation growing!

Have fun with it!

[Flashwave]

Weeds. I suspect concrete is your best bet, unless youyr doing a backwoods logging area, with something like a 65ft Turntable. But I'd do some woodland scenics grass, some mud, maybe a few magic water puddles. Depending on the age of your turntable, the concrete is probably gonna have cracks. MAybe even a little debris. Of the turntables I've heard of, almost all of them have had an engine in the pit. so you may see some nonfatal damage to the ground from that.

Fortuneatly, my plans call for a new turntable installed in the later 70s and 80s by RR lore, and one that's enclosed.

[marknewton]

Of the turntables I have used the majority, which were in loco depots, had concrete pits. But I have also seen brick and ashphalt. Out in the bush, at the end of branch lines, pits were typically earth-floored, with either grass or weeds growing in them.

Cheers,

Mark.

[fsm1000]

Some of the turntables balanced i the middle and so had no need for a 'bottom' per se and so just used the ground itself.

Examples are the a-frame and gallows turntables made of wood for narrow gauge railways. Many did not have a floor to the pits. 

 

Hope that helps you out. 

[Flashwave]

Some of the turntables balanced i the middle and so had no need for a 'bottom' per se and so just used the ground itself.

Examples are the a-frame and gallows turntables made of wood for narrow gauge railways. Many did not have a floor to the pits. 

 

Hope that helps you out. 

 

Issue with those, is if you didn't get the engine balanced, it di a teeter-totter impression.

Kanlmbach put out a guide on engine facilities, with an interesting section on turntables. Not really worth the book for that one section, but if your intrested on the other parts of a shop, I'd suggest picking it up.