the MRH Forum

Turntable pit rim/lip....to cover or not to cover.... and other TT weathering questions... Scenery and structures
Reply
MRH Author 5,543 posts Michael Tondee MRH Author 5,543 posts
Michael Tondee

Working on ground cover around my turntable and roundhouse.  It's mostly cinders so far because that's what I have decided would look best.  So far I have not covered the lip/rim of the Walthers 90 foot TT  but I'm thinking I'm going to.   The prototype photos I see don't show a rim or lip around the pit although I do see some modelers leave it exposed and it makes me wonder if there are real life instances of a rim showing. Other than that, just looking for general tips on weathering the TT and the extent to which I should do it. Again, many prototype photos show heavily weathered and aged pits and bridges but many of these photos were shot in the diesel era after the said TT's had many years of use and abuse so I'm thinking in the actual steam era time setting where my layout is set that maybe the aged look I'm seeing would not have been quite as extensive. Thoughts?

Michael

 

Michael, A.R.S. W4HIJ

 Model Rail, electronics experimenter and "mad scientist" for over 50 years.

Member of  "The Amigos" and staunch disciple of the "Wizard of Monterey"

My Pike: The Blackwater Island Logging&Mining Co.
Reply 0
JC Shall Prolific poster 1,502 posts
JC Shall

Top of the Concrete Pit Wall

I plan to leave mine exposed as the concrete pit wall does have thickness.  I suppose over time the cinders, weeds, etc. could eventually start overlapping the top of the wall.  But if cinders were over the entire top, they would start falling into the pit.

-Jack

Louisiana Central Railroad

The Louisiana Central Blog
Reply 0
Michael Tondee MRH Author 5,543 posts
Michael Tondee

Good point.....

about the cinders falling in the pit and one I admit to not thinking of. Still something about  the "uniformity" of the pit ring is bothering me so maybe the cinders and such should encroach on it some.  Right now I've done the area in nothing but cinders and all of it looks to pristine and uniform. I'm going to go back with patches of ballast, dirt and weeds here and there but I don't want to overdo  because as I said, I'm thinking that in the time frame that I'm modeling maybe the effects of age and possible neglect will not be as apparent  as they would be once a roundhouse area had been taken over in the diesel age.

Michael

Michael, A.R.S. W4HIJ

 Model Rail, electronics experimenter and "mad scientist" for over 50 years.

Member of  "The Amigos" and staunch disciple of the "Wizard of Monterey"

My Pike: The Blackwater Island Logging&Mining Co.
Reply 0
LKandO Prolific poster 3,839 posts
LKandO

Turntable rim

The turntable rim at AC&Y Brittain was exposed. Where there are no tracks it is a concrete wall. Where there are tracks it is topped with ties.


0top%202.jpg 


0top%201.jpg 

Alan

All the details:  http://www.LKOrailroad.com        Just the highlights:  MRH blog

When I was a kid... no wait, I still do that. HO, 28x32, double deck, 1969, RailPro
nsparent.png 
Reply 0
ctxmf74 Super User 15,996 posts
ctxmf74

Turntable pit rim/lip....to cover or not to cover..

 I think it depends on the facility, I've seen them with just the top of the wall showing and rock or cinders on the ground and I've seen them with a concrete cap ring that makes a walkway around the pit. At a busy roundhouse there are so many tracks at the pit edge that not much else shows for half the circle or more. The width of the top of pit wall should be appropriate for the depth of the pit and the quality of construction the location demanded..DaveB

1990.jpg 
Read my blog
Reply 0
dfandrews Prolific poster 1,038 posts
dfandrews

Sheridan TT

The Sheridan WY BNSF turntable is from the steam era.  It is concrete with a steel angle rim all around.

The photos here (  http://krugtales.50megs.com/rrpictale/p040101/p040101.htm), from Al Krug's website, don't show weathering too much, but the accompanying story is interesting.  Note the weeds in the pit, even though it is a very active TT.

Don - CEO, MOW super.

Rincon Pacific Railroad, 1960.  - Admin.offices in Ventura County

HO scale std. gauge - interchanges with SP; serves the regional agriculture and oil industries

DCC-NCE, Rasp PI 3 connected to CMRI, JMRI -  ABS searchlight signals
Reply 0
Benny MRH Author 7,189 posts
Benny

...

Here's the turntable from Poland, Arizona.  It was used merely for turning engines at the end of the run.

Note how there is not only no pit wall, but the track itself has been built up.

--------------------------------------------------------

Benny's Index or Somewhere Chasing Rabbits
Reply 0
Reply