Based on another poster having trouble with his atlas turntable, what is a good brand of turntable without having to make one from scratch?
I asked about heljan a couple weeks ago and had mixed reviews.
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
Diamond Scale.
http://www.diamond-scale.com/products__turntables.htm
The Walthers built up versions of the 90' and 130' turntables are good products.
N scale or HO scale.
Here's the HO 90' http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-2840
There are 2 kinds of turntables: On top, and 'Cut a hole'.
GOOD turntables are expensive. CVR is one of the best : http://www.cmrtrain.com/turntable.html
ALSO good are Bowser, Diamond Scale, and Walthers. (The 60 year old Atlas 9" (78') is a primitive 'toy').
A turntable is a hole, with a moving bridge, a geared motor, DPDT controlled block, and straight access. Automatic Indexing is an expensive electrical option. Many prototype turntables required ''balancing' and 2 man hand turning. (Even 'motorized' turntables required 'crow bar' alignment) - & Diamond Scale has a 'hand crank'.
Roundhouses were generally built of brick in the east, or Cement (LA's ATSF fascility) - depending on when they were built. Roundhouses take up a lot on room so 5-6 stalls is plenty. Luckily they fit within a return loop.
,
wjstix wrote:Only thing I could add is that I disagree with some of the negative comments about Atlas turntables. The newer version (with 21 'stops') works very well, is indexed to pause at each stall lead, and is easily motorized...all for about $45. It's short length means it can only handle small to medium steam, but will handle diesels up to SD70's. On my last layout, I needed a place to house my yard switchers so used a motorized Atlas TT and combined two Atlas roundhouses for a six-stall RH. Worked quite well, the roundhouse is a nice looking model when painted and weathered. BTW yes they weren't common but there were covered-pit turntables like the Atlas ones...plus a number of people (some who have posted pics on this forum) have used the Atlas unit as the starting point of a scratchbuilt/kitbashed pit turntable.
A CPR wood decked turntable
http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/cgi-bin/www2i/.visual/img_med/dir_160/a_09598.gif
We had the 90' Heljan that would never work correctly. It sits under the layout in the parts box. We now have the 130' Walthers Built-up. It has been a great investment, because it is so smooth.
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
I have the Walther's 90ft built up. Well worth the [choke] nearly $300.00 I paid for it.
I agree with ARTHILL that it needs weathering. Here's how I've weathered mine: -
Cheers
Roger T.
Home of the late Great Eastern Railway see: - http://www.greateasternrailway.com
For more photos of the late GER see: - http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/
Walthers are good. Do Not buy the Atlas version it is prone to skipping and hard to get operational so the engines do not derail.
For another option, I have a friend or two who started with the Atlas (below operating level!) as the drive/alignment mechanism, with a kitbashed girder bridge added on top (and epoxied to the mechanism). Not terribly elaborate, and I think there used to be a thread that covered how to build it on here somewhere...
Having said that, I opted to get the Walthers 90' kit, and do the jockeying to get it aligned (once I get around to building it...). Our MRR club bought the 130' (HO) Walthers built-up turntable, and from what I've seen of it, it's a nice one (even before weathering).
Hope that helps. There was also an older MR article that covered building your own turntable, patterned after a prototype one that had only a partial pit (open on the downhill side). I think I have the article around in a folder or binder, if anyone's interested on further info.
Jim in Cape Girardeau