Turntable alignment copied from prototype
- Thread starter dennis461
- Start date
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NYC_George
Well-Known Member
I have that turntable Dennis bought it 20 years ago. You're right not best turntable around but affordable at the time. I used a an old decoder to slow the motor down enough to align the tracks. It gets the job done but I like your idea. Much simpler solution. For some reason I moved the operators control shanty to the center.
George
George
trailrider
Well-Known Member
When I planned my present layout, I included the Walther 90' turntable. Never could get it to work right, and since I had five steam locomotives that were too long for the table, the engine house with only two stalls, and a wye at the edge of town, I decided to install a turnout using the bridge as a base. The wye lies just beyond the engine house. The hawg at the coaling station is a Burlington M-4a 2-10-4; the engine in the lower left foreground is the O-5a 4-8-4, and the two locos parked between the "big hook" and the body of the diesel are a C.B.&Q. M-2a, 2-10-2 and its C&S equivalent E-5 (basically leased from the "Q"). Inside the engine house are a 4-6-4 #3001 (after the streamline shroud was removed after the War) and an 0-1 Mikado. Various F's in and next to the diesel engine house. Don't really need any more motive power, although this doesn't begin to show the rest of my inventory...much less than there is room for on the 14'x14' room's layout! (Been collecting for about 7 decades now!)
base.
base.
Trailrider, that's an interesting solution. I seem to recall a prototype railroad that did about the same thing. They filled the pit in though, so they didn't have to mess around modifying the bridge. They just dumped dirt and rock into the pit and built on top of that. You could still see the turntable ring though, and by the shape of the building it was obvious what it was originally. Can't recall where I saw the photos?
A lot of turntables have those, though some of them are less obvious and not painted bright yellow.
Most real turntables are purely manual, you align the tracks by eye. The locking mechanism does two things. First of all, it makes certain the last little bit of alignment is correct. Secondly, it secures the turntable from moving. A well maintained and balanced turntable will swing pretty easily. Some of them are turned by hand, and it doesn't take much force. If, for some reason, it was to shift as the loco was entering or exiting, it could end up being a derailment. So the little locking dogs keep things from moving.
NYC_George
Well-Known Member
The turntable at North White Plains, NY used a lawn mower engine for power. It had a steel rubber covered wheel that sat atop a regular RR track. You had to keep moving the engine until it was perfectly balanced in the middle of the bridge before the table would move. When you had the track nearly aligned you pulled a lever that slid the bridge rails into place to perfectly align the rails. This is my 90ft turntable which I have a decoder address at 99 to move it into position.
George
George
trailrider
Well-Known Member
George- Very nice! I could have used your help a few years ago when I encountered the problems with the Walther's turntable.
Bob- I thought about just removing the bridge and reinstalling the plywood circle that I cut out. But by the time I thought of it, the plywood piece had disappeared! Unless one of the hoslers falls into the pit, I'll probably leave it alone.
Bob- I thought about just removing the bridge and reinstalling the plywood circle that I cut out. But by the time I thought of it, the plywood piece had disappeared! Unless one of the hoslers falls into the pit, I'll probably leave it alone.
M
MHinLA
Guest
Trailrider, I like your engine facilities allot. Some constructive criticism: Only thing that looks poor to me is the Atlas re-railer on the TT lead to right of the blue figure. It just looks out of place here..I'd think a piece of plain curved track would look better and put re-rail somewhere else....
Also, I never saw a switch on top of a TT, but I suppose there are/were ones in existence..Yet, why have that ? Why not a common TT bridge without the switch on it and have TT select radial and E house tracks in the normal fashion, like George's, above. In fact the track that the
O-5a 4-8-4 is sitting on could instead be the TT lead, and rerailer track completely removed along with its switch (below the blue man)...
Also, I never saw a switch on top of a TT, but I suppose there are/were ones in existence..Yet, why have that ? Why not a common TT bridge without the switch on it and have TT select radial and E house tracks in the normal fashion, like George's, above. In fact the track that the
O-5a 4-8-4 is sitting on could instead be the TT lead, and rerailer track completely removed along with its switch (below the blue man)...
Here’s a photo of where they filled in the pit and did what you did. You could model it with some foam board cut to fill the pit and then put soil on top.
Don’t try to hide the old pit, make it obvious what happened, that’s part of the scene.
Don’t try to hide the old pit, make it obvious what happened, that’s part of the scene.
EJ&E Roundhouse With Turntable Pit Filled
EJ&E Roundhouse With Turntable Pit Filled
www.rrpicturearchives.net
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I had an Atlas turn table on the small layout I used to have in the mid 80's. My father had this enormous metal one that had a sort of bridge with no railings it was about 2" deep , it might have been a bowser brand don't recall. It had a rather large multi metal geared motor so it was pretty slow. It was at least 18" across. Lot's of Penn-line steam and later Riverossi plus rubber band drive Athearn then geared Athearn came out don't think they had flywheels yet. Tyco F7's with 2 self contained power trucks were high tech at the time.
trailrider
Well-Known Member
MHinLA - I agree the rerailer doesn't look that good, but with the straight lead from the TT connecting to the curved piece, I was having some problems when I park the O-5a on the bridge. As for using the track where the Northern is parked being the lead to the TT track, I tried it, and it just didn't work. I may try to modify the lead to the bridge by starting the curvature closer to the bridge. As a possible alternative to removing the rerailer, I might try to disguise it, or replace it with a handmade thing that would do the same thing. Got plenty of time right now, as we are staying home, except to pick up groceries and meds. And then, we are being almighty careful!
You stay well!
And when it was time for dinner, the flanges on those puppies were deep enough to slice a New York style pizza.
The problem is right here. Shorten up that straight and smooth out that kink a bit. I think your problems will get better.
