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N Scale Turntable size and track angles issue Track and electrical/DCC
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Frequent poster 821 posts edfhinton Frequent poster 821 posts
edfhinton

So I am at a bit of a loss when it comes to the two turntables I need - one for Dover NH and one for Conway. According to the B&M diagrams I found, both were 85' turntables.  I am trying to avoid spending a fortune and so old brands are just as fine with me as newer ones (I use eBay a lot), and manual is fine though electric would be nicer. (I might go newer and expensive if there is no other choice, but I'd rather not spend over $500 just for two turntables.)

My problem is, the only turntable I am seeing that is about the right size is the Atlas.  However, the Atlas appears to only allow for 15 degree separation between outgoing tracks.  The Dover turntable and roundhouse configuration need the outgoing track angles to be about 1/2 that. Essentially all 6 tracks heading to the roundhouse come out in the angular space of about 3&1/2 of the atlas turntable tracks.  Conway is 4 stalls but similarly the angles of the tracks heading to the roundhouse must be closer together than what it appears the Atlas turntable does. (If I am wrong about the Atlas turntable then I'd love to know that as well but the information I found actually indicated 15 degreees for the track positions.)

Unfortunately, everything else I can find other than the Atlas is either too small or too large.  (I admittedly haven't examined the details of the $300 price range stuff.) The small PECO turntables are only 73' (6").  Any I am finding larger thus far seem to be 120' or longer (old Heljan for example).  Does anyone know of a model of n scale turntable (current or past) that would be reasonably close to 85' or so  (7.375") and allow the tracks to come out closer together than the Atlas does?

If not, then my other alternative is to go either smaller or larger.  So besides asking if anyone knows of a turntable that meets this need, I wonder whether lacking a matching size whether you would recommend ditching matching the size and going with something specific on the smaller size or on the larger size and why smaller vs larger?  I will not be running steam so locomotive length will not be an issue.

Thanks,

-Ed

 

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Proprietor - Northern New England Scenic (V3). N scale NH B&M Eastern and western coastal routes in the mid-1950s.

https://nnescenicmodelrr.com

 
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DKRickman Prolific poster 3,069 posts
DKRickman

DIY

Quote:

If not, then my other alternative is to go either smaller or larger.

I see two other options, actually.

One would be to use the Atlas turntable (if it's like the HO version, then it's 15 degrees) and lay in dummy tracks between the regular ones.  You wouldn't be able to use the tracks, but it would look right and work reliably.

The other option would be to scratchbuild a turntable.  Then you can have it designed to suit your needs perfectly, and match the style as well.

If you have no other option, and if locomotive length isn't an issue, then I would go smaller.  You might save a few dollars, and if you ever find the right size table it'll be a little easier to make a bigger hole in the layout to accept it.

Ken Rickman

Danville & Western HO modeler and web historian

http://southern-railway.railfan.net/dw/
Reply 0
edfhinton Frequent poster 821 posts
edfhinton

Dummy tracks...

The dummy tracks with the Atlas is intriguing if I don't find something else suitable.  It looks to me like the Atlas has the plastic higher between each pair of tracks but I could always kitbash it to get rid of that to put in the dummy tracks.  No matter what I buy I will be kitbashing somewhat anyway because i plan to make them look like the actual turntables.  I prefer not to DIY entirely though because I want the reliability.

Nice idea if I can't find something that is a better match.  On the high end there is Kato with an 85' but it is 10 degree indexing which still might not match the actual roundhouse curvature and size of the 6 stalls.

Thanks.

-Ed

 

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Proprietor - Northern New England Scenic (V3). N scale NH B&M Eastern and western coastal routes in the mid-1950s.

https://nnescenicmodelrr.com

 
Reply 0
DKRickman Prolific poster 3,069 posts
DKRickman

Atlas turntable issues

I note that, like the HO version, the N scale Atlas turntable is flat.  That at least means it's easier to build whatever structure you like on top, to represent a more typical bridge style turntable.  You might well want to scrap the part around the table anyway, so track mounting is easier, but alignment becomes your responsibility.  It looks to me like there is enough room for dummy tracks (with the rails possibly touching) between the live tracks.

I do not care for the way the Atlas turntable moves.  Its Geneva mechanism is excellent at properly indexing the table, but it means that the table moves to each track in turn, then stops, then moves again.  It also means that there is absolutely no practical way to make it index at any other angle than 15 degrees.  I prefer a smooth movement from any point to any other, and I don't especially like waiting for the Atlas turntable to make a full 180 degree rotation.

Ken Rickman

Danville & Western HO modeler and web historian

http://southern-railway.railfan.net/dw/
Reply 0
Mike C Regular poster 115 posts
Mike C

Kato turntable

Have you looked at this one ? Its a 10* spread but maybe you could cheat it a little ? 

http://www.katousa.com/N/Unitrack/Turntable.html
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edfhinton Frequent poster 821 posts
edfhinton

Kato

I did see the Kato one.   But I think if it is a choice between a couple $300 turntables versus going with the Peco NB-55 with is only 79', I will probably cheap out and go with the slightly smaller size. 

Thanks for the suggestion, though.

-Ed

 

 

 

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Proprietor - Northern New England Scenic (V3). N scale NH B&M Eastern and western coastal routes in the mid-1950s.

https://nnescenicmodelrr.com

 
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