N-Scale Turntable Questions

- N
- N2trains
  
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posted
20 years ago

Tue, Jan 20, 2004 2:14 AM

To the group,

I have been looking at some of the turntables on the market these days, and am not sure which is closest to american prototypical ones. My friend and I had the Arnold Turntable installed on our old layout, and will be installed on the new one within a month or so (need to get it figured with the entry tracks from our engine service facility and switchyard.

Atlas... too few tracks, totally non-prototypical... I have heard some bad things about the Walthers turntable, since it can supposedly become slightly slanted so the tracks do not match up quite right. The Arnold is a high quality model, but the 250 bucks retail is a little bit steep, if I were to spend that much, I'd rather go with a transfer table with 50 bucks more and look a little bit more modern like I'm modeling. There are a few others that I'm not real sure of right off the top of my head, but I would certainly appreciate any recommendations on which to use/buy (and don't let price range be a guideline) on my layout.

Thanks in advance

Brandon

- J
- Joe Ellis
  
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posted
20 years ago

Tue, Jan 20, 2004 3:38 AM

Most modern engine facilities in the US don't have a turntable anymore. If they have anything at all to turn locomotives, it's usually a wye... and may not be all that close to the service facility! If all you're going to do is turn motive power, the legs of a wye needn't be that long, and the turns can be fairly sharp. If you run your locomotives in pairs, tail to tail, you don't need a wye or turntable at all. After all, a transfer table doesn't turn them, either...

You might be able to cheat by extending the outside two tracks of the service facility and running them around to join one another, making a small reversing loop that joins back together at the throat of the ladder to the service facility.

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- N2trains
  
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posted
20 years ago

Tue, Jan 20, 2004 6:53 AM

Well, here's what I want, either A. a transfer table or B. a roundhouse

this is why: I have actually been to a place in northern washington state where they still use a roundhouse and turntable, I model current operations in the northwest (96-current just about) considering it has not changed much at all, except for paint schemes in those times, it'll be easy to justify it. I am still looking for a transfer table around her, I thought I had found one but it was torn out a while back. In Tacoma, WA they still use a turntable to rotate their locomotives, no roundhouse, however...

Well, that is a good idea, but it really does not apply to my situation here. I have always enjoyed modern operations, but I have always had a special place in my heart for the roundhouses and turntables and transfer tables...

Thanks

Brandon