A turn table is the most compact turning mechanism.

A logging branchline would use small locomotives like Climaxes or Shays.  Most rod engines would also be small.  Probably the largest logging locomotive would be one of Mantua's 2-6-6-2 mallet types.  An Atlas turn table is inexpensive and probably big enough for your purposes.  You would need one at each end of the layout.  If you want a pit, instead of a "decked" turn table, put the Atlas turn table in the bottom of your pit, and build a turn table bridge to mount to the Atlas deck.  Solder drop wires from the rails on the bridge to the rails on the Atlas tt.  If you need a longer bridge to handle one of those 2-6-6-2 perhaps with a tender, you could put the Atlas in the bottom of a larger pit, centered of course, and then build a longer bridge to accomodate your largest loco.

The only other methods of turning that I know of are a "wye" or a return loop.  The Atlas will take up 9-10 inches without modification.  If you do a modification to allow for a longer bridge, the spacve it takes will be just slightly larger than the turn table bridge.  A wye will take up the length of each leg plus the space taken by the three switches in the center to make up the wye.   A return loop will take up as much space as double whatever radius you choose.  Presuming an 18 inch minimum radius, the return loop will take up @40 inches (allows for a 36 inch diameter circle for the track center plus the diameter of the outside rail and a little bit over.  You would still have the tracks very close to the edge of the benchwork with only 40 inches).

A logging branch would use an "armstrong" type turn table, that is one that is manually operated by a man pushing on a lever to turn the table.  I think an interesting detail would be to model the push lever with a man glued to the handle with his feet clearing the "ground" just enough to allow him to circle the pit when the turn table is operated without snagging his feet, but close enough to the ground that he doesn't look like he is floating in air.

They might not have bothered

They might not have bothered to turn the locos.

Charlie

Turning

You're quite right, Charlie. I have several books with logging pictures here on Vancouver Island and they would usually back the loco up the line that way they would have good vision when pulling loads down. They did this on both the logging mains and the branches. Of course some companies might have turned on the mains, but seeing as branches were only used until the log supply ran out, and then had the track lifted for use elsewhere, it is highly unlikely that any company would go to the expense of turning a locomotive at the end of a branch.

Roy

Logging Railroads rarely if ever turned locomotives

 If I might interject, being a Logging modeler myself, I can attest to the fact that Logging Railroads never turned their locomotives. It was quite common that locomotives were made to be bidirectional. Often, the locomotive's direction was never changed from what it was put on the tracks as. If you're looking for prototypicality, a simple runaround would suffice to get the train turned. But if you really do want to turn the locomotive, I would use a Wye or a loop, because Logging Railroads were the most frugal of railroads out there, and those are the two cheapest options for them anyway. 

Turning Logging Engines

Steve-

Two factors are at play here.  I am assuming you are talking about Steam Locomotives.

1-On steep grades, the fire box of a steam locomotive should ideally be located on the lower end of the engine to keep the firebox sheets from "drying" as the water surged to the lower end of the locomotive.  If your firebox sheets are dried out long enough, the best result is leaking firebox stays, the worst is a boiler explosion.  This fact kept many logging operations from ever turning their engines. 

2-If you are talking about Shay's, remember that they are visually far more interesting on the engineers side, where the cylinders are.  Ideally, you should plan a shay run operation so that most of the time you are looking at the engineer's side of the engine as it proceeds uphill with the firebox on the lower end of the locomotive.  In other words, as you face your railroad, the grade should run uphill from left to right if you run shay locomotives.

Jeff Fry

Many Thanks

Thank you for all your advice .. the general concensus appears that I don't need to turn the loco that makes life a lot easier ... although I do like your idea of the man turning the turntable Russ.

Yes Jeff I am hoping to have a Shay on the line and the grade is going from left to right .. so your advice very relevant thank you.

Thank you Charlie and congratulations on your move to Editor.

Steve