turn table

[Daylight4449]

I need to mount a turn table to work with ez track. does anyone know which table to get, my current planned roster is 5 2-8-0s and 2 locos in the prarie/ 0-6-0 family

[Pacific Northern]

If you are referring to a Spectrum 2-8-0 then the old reliable (Cheap) Atlas is out. You will need a 90' turntable such as the ones available by Bowser and Walthers. Check the web there are other brands available as well.

[Daylight4449]

I was afraid of that.

[Yampa Bob]

"Heljan" makes a manual turntable, don't know a thing about it.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/322-804

[Pacific Northern]

"Heljan" makes a manual turntable, don't know a thing about it.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/322-804

Look promising, anyone have one of the Heljan turntables? If so what is the quality like?

[Yampa Bob]

I would imagine it has 25 cents worth of plastic in it.  The size is a nice compromise, and would work for most smaller steamers.

[Bill Baker]

I used a Heljan turntable on my old layout.  It came with an electric motor.  The plastic from which it is constructed has a tendency to warp slightly and that causes a rough rotation.  I never could get mine to make a 180 degree turn without binding.  Also it did not have any indexing system to align the tracks to the roundhouse.  It looked pretty neat, but I have decided not to incorporate in my new layout and I'm saving my money for a better quality one.  Perhaps the one sold by Walthers.

Bill

[richG]

Also it did not have any indexing system to align the tracks to the roundhouse.

Bill

I do not think indexing is prototypical. From what I know, track alingment depended on the operator's eye. I will have to search around. I might be wrong.

Rich

[Jim Banner]

I do not think indexing is prototypical. From what I know, track alingment depended on the operator's eye. I will have to search around. I might be wrong.

Rich

The only working turntable that I have seen close up and personal had a locking mechanism so that the turntable didn't accidentally turn after it was aligned by eye.  I suppose if the table was almost but not quite aligned the operator could give the lock a few taps with a sledge hammer, but that can hardly be compared to the Geneva Wheel escapement Atlas uses for indexing.  There is a good animation of a Geneva escapement at the link below.  It graphically shows how continuous rotation of one part (the crank) can be converted into intermittent rotation of a second part (the table) just as it is done in the Atlas turn table.

http://www.brockeng.com/mechanism/Geneva.htm