bachmann n scale new release turntable specs please

[kewatin]

MR BACHMANN iam in the process of adding an addition to my layout which will include engine facilities and i would have thought that with your sept release date you would have at least put forth in your announcement the diamensions etc.from thephoto it looks like it may only accomodate a 2-8-0 at best based on the photo od the rs3 siitng on the bridge,i hope this is not the case as i have most if not all of your big steam engines.could you please confirm what lenghth the turntable bridge is so i can make allowances for installation. i am sure other modellers would also like  this info. by the way thanks for all the new  releases in n scale ,you never cease to amaze me.
regards&later kewatin

[InsideTrack]

Kewatin,
The inside pit is 5.5" across. The outside from track end to track end measures 7.5".
We are glad you are excited as we are about our new N scale products.

Bachmann Trains

[kewatin]

GREAT NEWS just checked all my bachmann big steam locos and the only ones that are just shy of the 7.5 inch bridge that may be a bit tight are my heavy mtn with long vandy tender and my 2-6-6-2., iam sure your new articulated 2-8-8-2  won't fit,but you can't have all your cake on one plate,perhaps in the future i hope there will be an update,but for now sure happyabout this release &look forward to ordering one.thanks again for publishing the diamensions .it is greatly appreciated.
  regards&later  KEWATIN

[Hunt]

GREAT NEWS just checked all my bachmann big steam locos and the only ones that are just shy of the 7.5 inch bridge ...... 

KEWATIN,  The length of the turntable bridge is 5.5 inches.

[James in FL]

Posted by: InsideTrack  Posted on: Today at 11:31:17 AM  
Insert Quote  
Kewatin,
The inside pit is 5.5" across. The outside from track end to track end measures 7.5".

Wow... that's just a tad over 73ft if my math is correct.

Posted by: kewatin  Posted on: Today at 09:16:46 AM  
Insert Quote  
...snip...it looks like it may only accomodate a 2-8-0 at best based on the photo od the rs3 siitng on the bridge,i hope this is not the case as i have most if not all of your big steam engines....snip...

As delivered, your Connie will fit... your Mountain will not (Vandy or Coal).

[Desertdweller]

The length of the bridge should exceed the diameter of the pit.  I don't have a Bachmann turntable to measure, but my Atlas turntables measure 7.5" between the ends of the bridge track.

This gives me enough room to (barely) turn a two-unit F-unit set.  It will not handle two PA's or E-units.

It will handle my Life-Like USRA 4-6-2.  It will not handle my Bachmann 4-8-4.

I often use it to make up or break down two unit E-unit sets.  I have to turn each unit individually and put them together on the turntable lead track.

On inbound trains, I break the E-unit sets up to put them individually in their roundhouse stalls.  If I want to turn a two unit E-unit set or two unit PA set, or my 4-8-4, I turn them with their trains on my reverse loop track.

Walthers makes a longer turntable and pit, but I don't know the dimensions of it.  It is an open pit design.  You might have to use their roundhouse with it to get the stall spacing right.

Les

[James in FL]

Hi Les,

The length of the bridge should exceed the diameter of the pit.

I dunno... I'm not seeing that, maybe it's just old eyes.
I'm looking here;

http://www.bachmanntrains.net/Catalogs/2013/NMRA_2013.pdf

If that is in fact the new RS-3 on the bridge, I assume it is, and if an RS-3 is 55'5" – 57' 5" (depending on source), then to my eye that bridge looks a good bit less than 90ft.
It's hard to tell from the photo.
I went and double checked my math 5.5x160=180 divided by 12 gives me 73.3ft.
Judging from the photo, that looks about right to me.
Have a look see and tell me what you think.

PS    I also get an index of  25.71° (360/14)

[kewatin]

james, your math looks right on the money, my old eyes 73 old &even i mentioned in my original post that it looks like my connie ,&smaller locos will fit &not the big stuff.seems like i got hyped before engauging brain. what a disappointment if this is the case. my question to BACHMANN is why would you spend all the effort&money for tooling&mfg when the know they make much larger locos that would need to be accommadated,especially in lou of their new announcement of their latest 2-8-8-2.doesn't make marketing sense to me,although i am very appreciative of their
continued committment to make both large &small steam engines of excellent quality &will continue to buy them as they are released.  any thoughts about this new product would be most welcome. thanks james for your &fellow modellers for your views&comments. perhaps if someone gets one they could check up on the ability of what it will accomodate.
regards&later  KEWATIN

[Jerrys HO]

I'll give you guy's one more thing to think about which others and I have been asking for.
A ROUNDHOUSE that will fit the wider indexing of the tracks. There is one available with the Thomas turntable but is not sold separately.  Had to make my own by modifying a Heljan kit.

Jerry

[Desertdweller]

James, Kewatin,

I don't have a Bachmann turntable to measure.  I do know my Atlas tables have 7.5" bridges.  I can't measure the pit diameter since it is a covered unit without a real pit.

The Bachmann table does have a shallow pit.  If you look at the picture in James' link, there is a wide lip around the pit.  The width of the lip at each end of the bridge accounts for the length difference.

The Bachmann table looks more like the typical installation.  In actual practice, the pit would be deep enough to hold a deck girder bridge.  Earlier types used a through-truss bridge.

I don't know what the internal mechanism of the Bachmann table looks like.  The Atlas table use a Zurich mechanism.  This thin device allows surface mounting the table.  The Bachmann table looks like a surface mount, too, so might use a similar mechanism.

The Walthers table uses a deeper pit, requiring it to be set into the layout surface.  I think it uses a below-table drive.

I think the shallow pit and wide rim are compromises to allow a surface mount for the Bachmann table.  If so, they were good compromises.  Covered turntable decks were rare in this country, usually used in areas that got a lot of snow.

Les

[skipgear]

james, your math looks right on the money, my old eyes 73 old &even i mentioned in my original post that it looks like my connie ,&smaller locos will fit &not the big stuff.seems like i got hyped before engauging brain. what a disappointment if this is the case. my question to BACHMANN is why would you spend all the effort&money for tooling&mfg when the know they make much larger locos that would need to be accommadated,especially in lou of their new announcement of their latest 2-8-8-2.doesn't make marketing sense to me,although i am very appreciative of their
continued committment to make both large &small steam engines of excellent quality &will continue to buy them as they are released.  any thoughts about this new product would be most welcome. thanks james for your &fellow modellers for your views&comments. perhaps if someone gets one they could check up on the ability of what it will accomodate.
regards&later  KEWATIN

If you want to turn big engines, you need the Walthers turntable. The problem with the Walthers turntable is you need a lot of space. Roghly a 2'x4' area minimum for the turntable and round house. Most people don't have that type of room.

There is nothing wrong with the size of the Bachmann turntable, many railroads didn't have huge turntables because they didn't own large engines to begin with. As mentioned, the main issue is the track spacing doesn't match anything out there so you will have to kitbash, scratch build a round house. I'm also not big on the fact that the lead tracks are not removable. You end up with a bunch of stub end tracks that probably won't get used and look awkward with nothing connected to them.

There used to be a small turntable in the town I live in. We were the end of the commute from Cincinnati and they would turn a small Pacific for the return trip back to town. That was the only purpose for the turn table, no round house, just a water tower next to the track to service the loco after turning.  The only large turntables were in major yards. A wye was cheaper to build than a turntable in most cases to turn trains.

[kewatin]

TONY thanks for your response&informative info,i have just came across a TOMTEK 3 stall adjustable roundhouse that would work well with my KATO track but have no idea of the track spacing, they also have a turntable for around a $200 but i could find no measurments for it ,MTS has the roundhouse for around $55  it seems to be along the lines of north american design &could be brought up to snuff without to much modifiying.but not having seen either one, i have no choice but to hope some fellow modellers would be so kind as to comment.
regards&later KEWATIN

[James in FL]

This product was to be released Sept. 2013, here we are Aug. 2014.

Anybody have one of these or know where/when they might be available?

I had a look at the one from the competition at the LHS today, bridge was 84ft.,indexing at 10 degrees.

?

[kewatin]

yes JAMES i agree, the YARDMASTER replied to my last request that they wer due here the end of march2014.doesn t look like BACHMANN will have it this year,so i see the competion released theirs today and ordered one.can't wait any longer as this is what has been holding up continued development of this end of my layout.i know patience is a virtue but this is aug not march.
sorry you lost my sale MR BACHMANN
regards&later  KEWATIN

[Joe Satnik]

Dear All,

With the odd 27.51 degree spacing you will need to use flex track or custom cut N E-Z Track curves

if you have more than one approach to the turntable from the main line.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik