Turntable Motor

[jonathan]

Oh, sorry, I meant to explain. It's the same principal as the pizza wheel layouts where the tracks turn, and the train stays in one place. 
J

[jonathan]

I took a different angle photo of my layout the other day.  If you're interested read on.  If not, that's ok, too.

This gives a different perspective to give you an idea of how the trains move around.



To the right is the back wall of my garage (see the vehicle to the left).  The back wall is 21' long.  I have set up my layout to be easily removable.  The benchwork is in 2'X8' sections and the backdrops are 2'X4' panels.  I'm used to moving alot, so I made the layout easy to break down.  Think a semi-permanent modular layout.

On the left is the 3 percent grade coming down off the mining area (yet to be built).  Next is a long siding that can be turned off, to hold an engine and long cut of cars, waiting for the ore to be coupled.  You can see the turntable, in the background, just barely.  This is for turning the engines from the mine. There will also be passenger service and some sort of industry (the two structures to the front).

Next is the double track mainline (cut of hoppers).

The CSX engines are parked on a 2 percent grade that goes to an industrial yard on the wall farthest away from the viewer.  That has four tracks for parking engines and cars.  It sits on a 12 inch wide shelf.

Finally, the last two tracks to the right are the mainline again.  The mainline is a J shaped oval.  The rear portion is normally hidden from the viewer, but you can see it from this angle.

You can also see there is still alot of construction going on.  There are no details, lights, nor weathering, yet.

I held the camera out over the layout just to get a different view.

For what it's worth.

Regards,

Jonathan

[pdlethbridge]

 Jonathan, trucks can turn but you're right about the turntable. My grandfather was a gardener on one of the estates in Prides Crossing, Massachusetts, and they had a driveway to a multi-car garage that had a turntable to turn the Dusenbergs. Those homes in Prides were 100+ rooms and set near the ocean like Newport, RI. They are all gone now.

[jonathan]

  Either you guys are having fun with me, or I'm not explaining myself well.

The turntable wouldn't actually turn an automobile around.  Turntable just shares the same space...  oh, like street running.

Sometimes I no have command of american. 

R,

J

[J3a-614]

Believe it or not, there was another vehicle turntable in real life, and it was for the B&O at that.

This was at Jersey City, N.J., in the stub-ended station that was CNJ-owned and shared with the B&O and the Reading.  Ferry boats ran to New York on the other side of the terminal.  B&O, attempting to get more direct service into Manhatten and not having the capital to tunnel under the Hudson, ran a bus service (with the buses in blue and grey, like the trains) from the station platforms.  Space was tight for turning a bus around, so there was a bus turntable there.  Photos of it appear in "Royal Blue Line" by Herb Harwood.

[jonathan]

Reminds me, that no matter what you imagine or create, there's probably a prototype out there if you look hard enough... or if you know someone who has done more homework than you. 

Regards,

Jonathan

[pdlethbridge]

here are ones from Paris and wikipedia
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mags/qf/c/ModernMechanix/8-1930/med_auto_turntable.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_turntable

[Doneldon]

jonathon-

Thanks for another super shot of what is clearly an fine bit of work.  I like your railroading!

          --D

[Anubis]

Hey Jonathon,

I have installed a couple of the Atlas turntables over the years, and the noisy operation that you speak of seems to be inherent in the Geneva movement that is used to drive them. It works well for the indexing, but the sound level is distracting.

It can be dampened quite effectively though, by using a couple of tricks.

Firstly, I found that the gear mechanism 'chatters' quite unacceptably - more so in one direction that the other, so I set about discarding the mounting screws that are used to secure the drive unit to the base. Once I relieved the pressure there, the whole thing quietened down considerably. Just let it find its own position.

It is then a matter of attaching the drive unit to the base with your favourite adhesive......carefully though!! You don't want the stuff getting into the mechanism and gumming things up!

The next trick, is simply to run the drive unit from a 6 volt power supply. Certainly, this slows the thing down a bit, but it also reduces the noise level by about half. (Turntables don't normally spin around like a merry-go-round anyway...)

One of the 6 volt wall warts (never heard them called that before) will supply enough current, as long as it is rated at 500mA or over.

Lots of luck!

[J3a-614]

Fascinating!  Didn't realize automotive turntables were that common (although still very unusual).

Found this material on the B&O bus service.

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=62554

The B&O was one unusual railroad, and yet in many ways an American classic.

[jonathan]

Doneldon,  thanks.  I have fun.

Anubis,

Appreciate the tips.  I like the 6V power source idea.  Will start rifling through junk drawers looking for one.  Will also experiment with the mounting screws.

The B&O bus service sounds intriguing.  Will keep that little nugget tucked away for future reference.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Edo]

Interesting discussion.
Any ideas extending the turntable to swing a 15 inch loco with tender?

[Jim Banner]

Interesting discussion.
Any ideas extending the turntable to swing a 15 inch loco with tender?

I have been thinking along the same lines.  This is my concept (so far untried)
(1) cut the outside ring off the turntable, track stubs and all.
(2) extend the bridge and its track by 3" each end.
(3)cover the whole thing with a plank apron, just like in the photos above.
(4) drop the motor down instead of up so that the bridge passes over it.
(5) support the approach tracks on 1/4" plywood or use half lengths of E-Z track.  Shim track or turntable base as required.

I am looking at doing this in 0n30 and will probably use a gallows bridge.  This will allow extending the bridge with all the supports above the pit, leaving things open underneath to clear the inverted motor.  If you wanted something a bit more modern, I think a through plate girder bridge would work well too.

Jim

[Edo]

Thanks Jim
I had a feeling that there may be thoughts out there

[Doneldon]

Jim-

I think you would want to put the whole dohickey in a ring which is the height of the bottom of the existing turntable.  That way the track extensions will be supported as the table turns.

          --D