Turntable or not?

[GNRi1959]

Do many Irish layouts feature turntables and are they Peco? The diagram below shows my current baseboard arrangement in BLUE. I am considering a turntable in the lower left section which is why it is wider. However, I am also considering the extension in BROWN to allow for a circuit. Whats the views of other readers. The longer baseboard area (top left) can be used as storage yard beyond a road bridge. Overall length 2850mm (top) 1626mm (left) 2000mm (bottom) - 350mm wide.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2017 by TonyMcGartland

[David Holman]

Surely every self respecting Irish model railway needs a turntable! Also, one adds a useful extra dimension to operation. On Arigna, only the railcar doesn't use it, because it is too big, while kids of all ages love seeing engines being turned.

 Arigna's TT is a £4.99 Dapol/Airfix plastic kit, designed for 4mm scale. It uses a Frizinghall Model Railways hand cranked kit (a few bits of Meccano), plus the Mark One human eyeball for alignment.

 However, though cheap, the Dapol kit has no provision for powering the track on the TT itself. Mine uses 7mm scale plunger pickups in the well wall bearing on brass plates on the girder ends. The Peco ones use a neat system in the central boss. I have the N gauge version on Fintonagh, with the Frizinghall electric motor kit. Rather noisy and slow though, so may yet replace with a hand crank...

 Would say TTs are not for the faint hearted. They will need either a well cutting in the baseboard surface, or track raiding if a surface mounted one is used. Automatic alignment requires complex electronics too, which is why RTR versions are expensive and I don't go there!

Definitely something to aspire to though.

[Noel]

We have two large turntables, one at the terminus and one at the other main line station.  When I started the layout it was intended to be British outline steam, so turntables at each end of the route were considered essential for prototypical main line steam operation.  Both peco, so oversize for Irish steam, but I wanted to be able to turn mainline BR steam locos.  As I have now changed to CIE late 1950s to early 70s diesel era they will not get much use except for turning N class steam locos and for visual effect or perhaps my 121.

[StevieB]

Beware the diameter of the turntable, since most of them out in the sticks would be approx 45', the maximum length of the locos used on those lines.

Stephen

[jhb171achill]

Almost all Irish turntables were in pits, thus surface ones rarely if ever authentic. The pits would usually be cement-lined, or stone for older ones, with brick edging in many cases around the top rim. And, from the 1960s anyway, even operational ones would have had a generous crop of weeds inside the pits!

[Broithe]

4 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Almost all Irish turntables were in pits, thus surface ones rarely if ever authentic. The pits would usually be cement-lined, or stone for older ones, with brick edging in many cases around the top rim. And, from the 1960s anyway, even operational ones would have had a generous crop of weeds inside the pits!

The Ballybrophy pit was still visible until lately.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/search/ballybrophy/@52.9022037,-7.5978909,84m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

[jhb171achill]

Quite a few are, with many many others actually in existence, but buried under rubbish!

[GNRi1959]

StevieB, I have noted the size of turntables on the GNR, I guess the Peco turntable is much too big? 

JhB, I still remember Omagh well(pictured below), we used to play in it after school, long after the line closed!

 

Edited December 18, 2017 by TonyMcGartland

[GNRi1959]

3 hours ago, David Holman said:

Surely every self respecting Irish model railway needs a turntable! Also, one adds a useful extra dimension to operation. On Arigna, only the railcar doesn't use it, because it is too big, while kids of all ages love seeing engines being turned.

 Arigna's TT is a £4.99 Dapol/Airfix plastic kit, designed for 4mm scale. It uses a Frizinghall Model Railways hand cranked kit (a few bits of Meccano), plus the Mark One human eyeball for alignment.

Definitely something to aspire to though.

Thanks David, is the Dapol kit of inferior quality to Peco - Is it a flimsy affair?

Here is the Peco N-gauge turntable which is very like Omagh. Its just not long enough for a 00 gauge 4-4-0 if it were adapted.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2017 by TonyMcGartland

[heirflick]

2 hours ago, Broithe said:

The Ballybrophy pit was still visible until lately.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/search/ballybrophy/@52.9022037,-7.5978909,84m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

unusual spot for that turntable Jim - was there an engine shed there at any stage?

[GNRi1959]

I'm sure its not the most difficult of things to build.......

[David Holman]

Not flimsy, Tony, but needs work. I turned mine upside down to make it underslung. Also, it is quite big, being 60' diameter in 4mm scale. No brainer for me though, a motorised Metalsmith 42' model in 7mm is over £200...

[GNRi1959]

If I cannot find an easy solution I may go with the Peco turntable and modify it as best I can.

[Joe Keegan]

The MRSI  21mm Loughrea's turntable is a modified Hejan unit .

The SDMRC 21mm Belturbets's broad & narrow gauge turntables are well type and are scratched built . 

South Eastern Finecast used to make a well turntable but I believe London Road Models now sell the well turntable in 42' and 50' . They also sell an etched brass kit of the Cowan Sheldon turntable as well .  

[David Holman]

Fintonagh's PECO N gauge turntable has been adapted by adding an extra layer above the well, so with a wider/thicker deck for 21mm track, it is now 168mm diameter, so a scale 42' in 4mm scale - or more to the point 27' for 7mm narrow gauge. It happily takes my developing CVR Railcar, though as you can see, the overhangs are prodigious!

 Arigna's Dapol/Airfix TT scales out at 60' in 4mm scale. As you can see, I again made it longer, in order to take the railbus and G2 in 7mm scale.

[GNRi1959]

David, it looks fantastic. As does everything on this beautiful layout. I love it.

[Broithe]

On 18/12/2017 at 8:57 PM, heirflick said:

unusual spot for that turntable Jim - was there an engine shed there at any stage?

There was, but I don't really remember it.