Welcome back, Space! I was wondering what had happened to you...
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
SpaceMouse Hey Brakie! Crandell, what are the major differences in your designs this time?
Hey Brakie!
Crandell, what are the major differences in your designs this time?
Due to the shape of the space, I went back to the one I constructed in 2006, the folded loop. I have kept tunnels to a minimum this time, leaving the trains more visible and enjoyable. My big challenges this time were below-layout staging with access via a no-lix, and a switchback serving two industries with a very challenging waterfall over a substantial rockface. I have that old curved trestle rescued and just in front of the waterfall. I hope to post pix by the spring.
-Crandell
Hello, Chip !
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Hey Garry.
Good to see you Marlon. I saw your pic and layout. What do you model your structures seem to be from a couple eras?
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
selector I have that old curved trestle rescued and just in front of the waterfall.
Can't wait to see it. I liked that trestle.
I have one of those type of Atlas TT. What I ended up doing to quiet it down is to purchase two sound deading tiles used to insulate for sound. (Think auto detailing shops or car stereo shops. An article was in an MR on using them to kill track noise.) I designed a pattern 1" bigger than the deck of the TT to cut the tiles and mark the area on the table. I used a router with a straight cut bit to cut the hole in the table to fit the tiles in. It doesn't cut the noise completely but it is a lot quieter than it was. As once was said (on an MR forum post IIRC), turntables weren't meant to be completely silent.
FRRYKid As once was said (on an MR forum post IIRC), turntables weren't meant to be completely silent.
I heard the noise when I tested it.
The more I imagine it running the more I see the jerking of the turntable. I know why they did it. It's a fine a job of idiot proofing as I've seen. It's just that I can't picture an 1890's turntable using a Geneva drive to reverse a train. Maybe I can put ox horns on a tarantula and train him to pull the bridge around.
Seriously, I have this really cool motor drive assembly that was realy engineered for powering a model turntable--a 7V motor turns a 5/8" stainless steel shaft that is quieter than a ninja in space. I'll try to post a picture.
I figure I could waltz down to Wally World and pick up a cheap 9" cake pan. Heck I gotta scratch a bridge anyway, and I'll bet my $50 micrometer that I can drill a hole in a piece of oak so tight it won't move when you slide it on that shaft. that will make a solid foundation for old-timey cosmetic work.
The part I can't figure out is how to wire the track.
I went through a phase where I thought it was a good idea to buy "lots" of train stuff on eBay and I have an AR1 just sitting around doing nothing. What I'm saying is I don't even have to worry about polarity. Every cool idea I've seen people use so far to wire their track doesn't seem to work with my set-up.
Maybe I can train the tarantula to attach alligator clips after he turns it.
Anyway, I open to new or old ideas.
Never mind. I think I figured it out. I can use the rail aroung the bottom and either get power through the wheels or use wipers. It will be auto reversing because it will correctly be wired no matter how the track is faced.
CHIP! Welcome back. There's a few of us old regulars here still. How's the vitamin biz going?
Any way, that Atlas turntable was notorious for being unreliable (as you found out). The biggest problem was gear mesh. You'll have to take her apart and work the problem.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
DigitalGriffin How's the vitamin biz going?
Don't know. I sold the main part of the biz in 2000, then the rest dried up in 2008 when the economy went south and Walmart moved iin. But thanks for asking. I asked you some stuff on your post on bridges.
Wow, SpaceMouse is back. Now there's a name I figured was gone for good. Welcome back.
For your Atlas table, why not turn it into an Armstrong? Pull the gears out and attach an arm at each end, and viola! Instant 1800's turntable.
I pulled the gears out of mine because I hated the motor and I hated the turn-pause-turn-pause nature of the Atlas gearing (all while cranking furiously). No table turns like that in real life. But Armstrong tables are real enough, right through the end of steam at the ends of branchlines.
RR_MelI tried several scratch built TTs over the years but they always failed because of the drive system. I didn’t keep track of how many drive systems I tried but it would take more than counting on my fingers.
This is what I plan to use. It's pretty hefty.
RR_MelThat drive system could possibly be very powerful, I would use a slip coupling to the bridge incase something hangs.
You mean if a toothpick gets stuck between the bridge and the pit, I might tweak my benchwork and the garage wall it attaches to?
I'll have to thnk about how I'd do that.
In the meantime, I'm about to start construction on the layout. I have my jig set up and I'm about to start ripping the benchwork out of 3/4" plywood.
I'm actually nervous about this.
The Atlas TT is just fine, and isnt noisy unless you apply 12 volts, use a powerpack (duh) and spent a dollar on a new belt for the motor.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
At my club, we had a powered turntable that operated reliably for 45 years. It used a 3/4" plywood disc suspended from the turntable's center shaft and a spring loaded 12v DC motor (supposedly the windshield wiper motor from a '48 Ford) that had a stack of rubber donuts on a pulley (like the ones used on sink faucets) attached to the motor shaft. The spring kept the motor against the plywood edge giving it traction. The motor control was simple: a DPDT toggle and a 12VDC power supply through an old rheostat. It worked great.
For track power, the pit rail was split 180 degrees apart from each other (for example, think of a clock face and the cuts were at 12 and 6) with small dead section between them. One pit rail was one polarity, while the other was the opposite. The bridge had two wipers, one under each end. When the turntable was turned to any position other than 12 to 6, the table rails were powered by the pit rails. At 12 and 6, the table rails were dead. It wasn't a problem for us because we only had an 10-stall roundhouse and only a half dozen radial tracks on the other side.