HO turntables

[RobertInOntario]

I was thinking of adding a turntable and possibly a roundhouse to one end of my small 1x4' Inglenook switching layout. So, basically, my loco could switch out a selection of freight cars and when it's done, it could reverse onto the TT and then into the roundhouse.

How tricky is this and are there any wiring problems I should be aware of? Ideally, I'd like to keep the wiring as simple as possible. I also think that setting up, i.e. positioning the TT on my layout could be tricky in terms of lining up the track & also positioning the TT at the correct height.

I also don't mind hand-cranking the turntable as opposed to having a motorized/electric one.

My layout is based on Southwestern England so I'd like to keep things looking as British as possible.

I'm thinking of either this Atlas turntable (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://georgestrains.com/product/4417-atl-turntable-manual-ho/">http://georgestrains.com/product/4417-a ... manual-ho/</a><!-- m -->) or this Peco (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://railsofsheffield.com/turntable-nb55-JJJA6528.aspx">https://railsofsheffield.com/turntable- ... A6528.aspx</a><!-- m -->) one.

Thanks in advance,

Rob

[MasonJar]

Hi Rob,

Check your messages...


Andrew

[BR60103]

Rob:
I have 2 Peco turntables. I think they would fill the bill. Wiring is straightforward, included in the turntable.
They are 12" long which will fit any reasonable British loco.

[nachoman]

The main drawback to the atlas unit is the length. It's only 9" long, will turn a single diesel or a 2-6-0 or smaller. MAYBE a small 2-8-0. The second drawback is it's looks. The atlas is not at all prototypical. It can be dressed up to look better, but if your focus is basically operation, then the appearance does not matter.

BUT, if you have short locos, and don't care so much about appearance, the atlas is GREAT. It is cheap, indexes automatically, and can be hand cranked or motorized.

[RobertInOntario]

The main drawback to the atlas unit is the length. It's only 9" long, will turn a single diesel or a 2-6-0 or smaller. MAYBE a small 2-8-0. The second drawback is it's looks. The atlas is not at all prototypical. It can be dressed up to look better, but if your focus is basically operation, then the appearance does not matter.

BUT, if you have short locos, and don't care so much about appearance, the atlas is GREAT. It is cheap, indexes automatically, and can be hand cranked or motorized.

Thanks, Kevin. This is good feedback. Many of the locos I use on this switching layout are only 0-6-0 British tank engines, or 0-6-0 or 2-6-0 tender engines. The largest so far is a 4-6-0 ten-wheeler, so I think the Atlas one should work. I like the fact that it's very functional -- made I could make it more prototypical by adding some details?

Cheers, Rob

[RobertInOntario]

Rob:
I have 2 Peco turntables. I think they would fill the bill. Wiring is straightforward, included in the turntable.
They are 12" long which will fit any reasonable British loco.

Thanks, David. This is good to know as well. Do you think the Peco one is prototypical for the British steam era?

Rob

[BR60103]

The Peco one does have a prototype, but I forget what.
It's more like the idea of a turntable than the Atlas one (or the Dapol/Airfix one) as it has a well. You do have to make a 12" (or so) hole for it. And assemble it.
I put motorizing units on mine (made from Meccano bits in a kit) but would recommend turning it by hand. There is a big plastic washer that hold the center pivot together and can be adjusted for tension. It will hold by itself for a while but I think you should get it tight enough to hold the bridge in position then glue it.
There is a dead spot for bridge pickup where the direction changes. Unless you are putting tracks all the way around, this can be set at right angles to the entry track and forgotten. (Unless you have DCC sound; then the sound cuts out at that point.)
I think mine were about $50 when they came out 20 years ago.

[nachoman]

If you type "atlas turntable kitbash" into google, you will find several threads and blogs where people have modified theirs to look a little better.

[RobertInOntario]

If you type "atlas turntable kitbash" into google, you will find several threads and blogs where people have modified theirs to look a little better.

Thanks -- I'll try that!

[MasonJar]

One mod I have seen of the Atlas TT is to take a girder bridge and put it on top of the tracks already there. Feed the power up to the bridge track. Cut a hole in the layout and install the TT low enough to make the bridge tracks line up with the inbound/outbound leads. Then weather the heck out of the original TT deck to make it look more like the pit floor. Sure it will turn unprototypically, but when at rest it's a decent illusion.

I think I may have seen that here or at our former "home"...

You could also get really fancy, and mount the Atlas TT below the layout to use for indexing, and then run a tube up through the subroadbed to a bridge. Similar to the above, but more complicated...


Andrew

[Steamtrains]

That's just what I did with mine....
The down side is that the motorized version is REALLY noisy...Good thing I don't use it much...

[MasonJar]

I knew I saw it here!

Andrew

[CNJ774]

From the boys in Brazil:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.frateschi.com.br/">http://www.frateschi.com.br/</a><!-- m -->

use the translator and go to the track section.




Dave

[CNJ774]

Two more turntable links.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.thetraindepot.co.nz/Frateschi%20NZR%20Catalogue%20May%202009%20-%20Electronic.pdf">http://www.thetraindepot.co.nz/Fratesch ... tronic.pdf</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://mrr.trains.com/en/News%20and%20Reviews/Product%20Reviews/Reader%20Reviews/2009/10/Frateschi%20model%20HO%20scale%204500%20Turntable.aspx">http://mrr.trains.com/en/News%20and%20R ... table.aspx</a><!-- m -->




Dave