N Scale Transfer Table?

[Trucklover]

I know Walthers makes the transfer table in HO scale, but does anyone make a transfer table in N scale? Gus put a thought into my head that is making me want to include one into the end of my N scale stub ended yard to serve as a run-around or a way for locomotives to escape the end of the tracks.... He suggested the use of a turntable, but a turntable just seems to out of date for the modern era which I model. I REALLY like the idea, and would like to put a transfer table in, but from the quick search I have just done I have come up empty

Any help would be appreciated

[Sumpter250]

I couldn't find a transfer table either. What little I know of them, is that they were primarily used to move cars to parallel tracks. I don't remember any being used to move locos. Turntables are still used in some yards, for turning locos, the table in Waukegan, Il. is still active.
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe most transfer tables couldn't handle the weight of a locomotive, where that weight has to be carried by the bogies at each end of the "bridge", as opposed to a turntable where the center pivot carried the bulk of the weight.
That said, it is your railroad, and either way you may find that you will have to kit, or scratch build. It is another learning curve, waiting to be "climbed".

[Trucklover]

Thanks for the info Stumper, i hadnt taken the weight of the locomotives into account... I know that the Walthers Transfer Table is supposed to be used with the railshops kits in a maintenance facility.... I know smaller locomotives and one or 2 pieces of rolling stock can fit on the bridge (from seeing the video walthers released when they released the transfer table series) but it was to move cars from bay to bay or structure to structure, and was not used how I would use it in a yard.

Im wondering though, What if I were to use the HO one, how hard would it to convert to use for N scale, would that be possible or no?

Here is the link to the HO one by Walthers:

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How difficult do you think it would be to convert to N scale?

[nachoman]

Rio Grande had one at their Alamosa shops:

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[Herc Driver]

I seem to remember seeing one used on a tv show or dvd about GE's Erie plant...where the table was located directly in front of the manufacturing plant...but I could be totally remembering this wrong. I tried but couldn't find a picture...sorry.

[MountainMan]

The bottom line answer is that if you want one, you can have one. Jut re-engineer it to properly carry the weight and have a plausible reason for needing it, such as lack of space for a conventional turntable.

[e-paw]

You could change it over to N scale, The biggest problem is that the width of the bridge and the size of the control house, they would be huge in N scale.. I don't know if there are any of the indexing or motorised parts in either of the 2 locations that would not allow you to reduce there size to be more appropriate for N scale. There's probably enough room to double track the bridge( just think 2x the capacity ) I don't know how prototypical that would be, or if that is even a issue on your layout. Good luck with it.

[Sumpter250]

Transfer table.
-1 "bridge". I think Kato has a deck girder bridge that might work.
-2 bogies for the bridge to ride on.
-2 straight parallel rails for the bogies to ride on. The careful cutting of a length of flex track for the rail and ties might work there
-1 capstan driven continuous cable to drive the bridge, and keep it aligned. The capstan could be hand operated. The cable run would be from the capstan, around a pulley, attach to one side of the bridge, around another pulley,and back to the capstan end and around two pulleys to the opposite side of the bridge, attach to bridge, and continue to a fifth pulley, then back to the capstan end, around the last pulley and around the capstan completing the loop.
-1 small dose of imagination.
-Several small allotments of time to complete the project.
-Lots of pictures on The-Gauge, to document the build.

Yeah, that's the ticket!

[Sumpter250]

"1 capstan driven continuous cable to drive the bridge, and keep it aligned. The capstan could be hand operated. The cable run would be from the capstan, around a pulley, attach to one side of the bridge, around another pulley,and back to the capstan end and around two pulleys to the opposite side of the bridge, attach to bridge, and continue to a fifth pulley, then back to the capstan end, around the last pulley and around the capstan completing the loop."

This cable system could also be used to operate a vertical lift bridge..

[MountainMan]

You can do the same thing with a Tortoise motor.

[Sumpter250]

You can do the same thing with a Tortoise motor.

Tortoise motor, as in the switch machine?, or is this a motor with a high reduction gearbox.
I know the cable system I described is a bit complex, but it can move a "carriage" reliably, and precisely, and, for one of the few times in my life, I can't visualize how a tortoise motor would move the bridge of a transfer table. I know I'll smack my forehead with the palm of my hand, and say Duh, of course!,once it is explained, but at this point I really can't see how it can be done. If you would be willing, an explanation would help.

[MountainMan]

Slow switch motor type. I'm designing a vertical lift and an inclined lift that both work that way.