16.5mm gauge turntables

[DK123GWR]

I've pondered a few options on turning locos for a while, but I have decided that now is the time to install a turntable. I would like suggestions for a turntable which is suitable given my criteria:

 

1) 16.5mm track gauge

2) Long enough to turn an A4 (and maybe a Standard Class 9F in the future). I believe that any turntable with a deck of 250mm or more should do the job

3) Surface mounted

4) Functioning electrical connections

5) As cheap as possible

6) It would also be nice to have closely spaced exit roads, but this is a secondary consideration

 

The following are not important:

1) Scale (H0 vs 00)

2) Motors. My points are still manual and are likely to stay that way for some time. As a result, I have no issues with a manual turntable.

3) Prototype fidelity

 

Thanks in advancee for any advice.

Edited July 9, 2020 by DK123GWR
Added 'prototype fidelity' to list of things I don't care about

[Ben Alder]

I'm afraid that if #5 is your priority then you are limited to the Airfix/Dapol kit of a GW turntable. To get prototypical fidelity there is the Peco one and London Road Models and Metalsmith, the latter two having to be assembled and  considerably more expensive. South East Finecast do two kits of turntables but need work on the electrics, as would the Dapol one.

 

[DK123GWR]

 

1 minute ago, Ben Alder said:

I'm afraid that if #5 is your priority then you are limited to the Airfix/Dapol kit of a GW turntable. To get prototypical fidelity there is the Peco one and London Road Models and Metalsmith, the latter two having to be assembled and  considerably more expensive. South East Finecast do two kits of turntables but need work on the electrics, as would the Dapol one.

 

It's in bold because the first 4 are yes/no conditions which need to be met for the turntable to do its job, whereas 5 and 6 are to determine the best of the options meeting these criteria, with 5 being more important that 6 (as long as there are exits at least as frequently as on the Hornby R070).

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Surface mounted + cheap as possible = Dapol (ex-Airfix) kit. Entirely DIY to power it.

 

Cheap as possible + functioning electrical connections = Peco kit. You will have to dig a hole to accommodate it.

[Grovenor]

Surface mounted and functional connections means Triang/Hornby or similar trainset style. Ebay may be the place to look.

eg. https://railsofsheffield.com/products/2794/Hornby-r070-oo-gauge-motorised-electrically-operated-turntable?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgJv4BRCrARIsAB17JI4iuC9ibyNcxjHUSKoSqqjjibyeOP4DxmNR1I7V1kQ0V9mV8p7MaRIaAihjEALw_wcB

Cheap compared to other makes!

Edited July 9, 2020 by Grovenor

[Il Grifone]

One of my projects is a motorised version of the Airfix/Dapol kit (I'm pretty sure it's an Airfix one) to be powered by a motor/gearbox made from Meccano*. It's stalled by the need to device some sort of indexing method (I was thinking of a sprung Meccano rod locating in a ring of Meccano strip). Electrical contacts either by PCB or replaced the plastic ring with proper metal wheels and rail with return through the centre pivot, which again will have to be replaced with Meccano.

 

*Suitable parts can be sourced on eBay.

[DCB]

1) 16.5mm track gauge

2) Long enough to turn an A4 (and maybe a Standard Class 9F in the future). I believe that any turntable with a deck of 250mm or more should do the job

3) Surface mounted

4) Functioning electrical connections

5) As cheap as possible

6) It would also be nice to have closely spaced exit roads, but this is a secondary consideration

 

The Dapol / Airfix does not meet 3) or 4) as it needs a pit and has no electrical connections, its my go to to create a turntable as you can shorten the deck by deleting of the four rectangular panels  to bring it down to around 65ft, big enough for 9F and I'm sure I have turned my son's A3 and A4 on mine. Electrical connections and indexing have to scratch built but its the solution I used for a visible turn table and its just awaiting motorisation. 

 

The Peco 75ft is just too big for most layouts,  It needs a pit,  A lot of work and it just gobbles space.  The Hornby is just as big, ugly, crude, cheap and doesn't have many outlets but its ready to use and its what I used as a temporary measure.

 

There are some smaller turntables for 7mm narrow gauge with 16.5mm track but they are too small for a 9F, but ideal for BLTs with smaller 4-4-0s and 0-6-0s.   

 

 

 

 

[Ben Alder]

This firm does some well regarded tables - no 00 as such but some of the 7mm narrow gauge ones suit.

 

 

http://www.kitwoodhillmodels.com/

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Dare I say the Fleischmann turntable. Fits all but the cheap and surface mounted parts of your criteria. But it certainly is not cheap.

[jcredfer]

The Peco one is good, but care is needed in construction.

 

Julian

 

[davefromacrossthepond]

What about the Atlas HO 9 inch turntable? Not sure about criteria #2, but looks to meet all others.

[DK123GWR]

7 hours ago, DavidCBroad said:

1) 16.5mm track gauge

2) Long enough to turn an A4 (and maybe a Standard Class 9F in the future). I believe that any turntable with a deck of 250mm or more should do the job

3) Surface mounted

4) Functioning electrical connections

5) As cheap as possible

6) It would also be nice to have closely spaced exit roads, but this is a secondary consideration

 

The Dapol / Airfix does not meet 3) or 4) as it needs a pit and has no electrical connections, its my go to to create a turntable as you can shorten the deck by deleting of the four rectangular panels  to bring it down to around 65ft, big enough for 9F and I'm sure I have turned my son's A3 and A4 on mine. Electrical connections and indexing have to scratch built but its the solution I used for a visible turn table and its just awaiting motorisation. 

 

The Peco 75ft is just too big for most layouts,  It needs a pit,  A lot of work and it just gobbles space.  The Hornby is just as big, ugly, crude, cheap and doesn't have many outlets but its ready to use and its what I used as a temporary measure.

 

There are some smaller turntables for 7mm narrow gauge with 16.5mm track but they are too small for a 9F, but ideal for BLTs with smaller 4-4-0s and 0-6-0s.   

 

 

 

 

It is frustrating that the Peco turntable is so deep. It seems to do everything else well and is relatively cheap so I had considered putting a whole and fitting it. The trouble is that I have no clearance under the baseboard so it can't be deeper than 12mm unless I build up the ground level and make a whole in that. The issue is the 31mm depth, which would see the turntable sit 19mm above baseboard height The turntable would fit but the route leading up to it wouldn't. However, I have just realised that the 31mm must refer to the depth from the bottom of the well to the top of the guard rails (for packing purposes). Does anybody know the depth from the bottom of the well to the top of the rails?

 

To save a separate post later on, how many adaptor plates are included for code 100 and are these available separately?

Edited July 10, 2020 by DK123GWR

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Depth, depends how brave you are, I suspect the Peco could be got down to 25mm from underside of well to rail top with some shaving of the ribs on the underside: the limit is the depth of the location for the pivot, unless you are prepared to redesign this.

 

Since you can do something of a pit, but not much, I might think of cross kitting the Peco and Airfix. The best aspect of the Peco is the bridge deck pieces, designed to take rails and supply power. If all that could be 'adjusted' as required and installed on the Airfix overgirder bridge, turning on the Airfix base, and the resulting mash up sunk in a DIY shallow well you might have a goer within your restrictions. Just an idea, totally untested, and I haven't seen the Airfix unit since I was about 10 y.o..

 

'Adaptor plates' for code 100: there are none on the Peco unit. The flange on the edge of the well is slightly high for code 100 track rails laid direct on the same board the well is sunk into. But this doesn't matter. To eliminate the hump in the rails that would result as the rails are pushed up on the edge of the well, take your old soldering iron now used for plastic cutting etc., and meltypush the ends of the approach rails into the polystyrene until all is level. (Bodge it in short.)

[DK123GWR]

20 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Depth, depends how brave you are, I suspect the Peco could be got down to 25mm from underside of well to rail top with some shaving of the ribs on the underside: the limit is the depth of the location for the pivot, unless you are prepared to redesign this.

25mm is workable. Do you know what it would be without modification? I'd be willing to try and take it off, but how much difference would it make?

22 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Since you can do something of a pit, but not much, I might think of cross kitting the Peco and Airfix. The best aspect of the Peco is the bridge deck pieces, designed to take rails and supply power. If all that could be 'adjusted' as required and installed on the Airfix overgirder bridge, turning on the Airfix base, and the resulting mash up sunk in a DIY shallow well you might have a goer within your restrictions. Just an idea, totally untested, and I haven't seen the Airfix unit since I was about 10 y.o..

I like the idea but I'm definitely not confident enough to try it out (I'd probably end up having to buy another turntable after ruining both of the originals).

 

26 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

'Adaptor plates' for code 100: there are none on the Peco unit. The flange on the edge of the well is slightly high for code 100 track rails laid direct on the same board the well is sunk into. But this doesn't matter. To eliminate the hump in the rails that would result as the rails are pushed up on the edge of the well, take your old soldering iron now used for plastic cutting etc., and meltypush the ends of the approach rails into the polystyrene until all is level. (Bodge it in short.)

That's odd. The image used on Hatton's website says that 'Adaptor plates are included for Code 75 and Code 100 rail'.

[Free At Last]

26 minutes ago, DK123GWR said:

The image used on Hatton's website says that 'Adaptor plates are included for Code 75 and Code 100 rail'.

Bought when first released, it came with 4 of these...

 

Edited July 10, 2020 by Free At Last
Image added.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

5 minutes ago, DK123GWR said:

25mm is workable. Do you know what it would be without modification?

I think you will be very close to the quoted 31mm from underside of well to rail top. Cannot be sure because mine was long ago 'trimmed a little' underneath when I first assembled it, and see next:

 

6 minutes ago, DK123GWR said:

...The image used on Hatton's website says that 'Adaptor plates are included for Code 75 and Code 100 rail'.

Well there we are! No such things with my kit  but I couldn't tell you when I bought it, 20 years ago is probably the least of it as my sister moved to Bodmin moor 25 years ago and I visited Peco's Beershop not long after; plenty of time for it to have had some alterations since. So I now feel that everything I have posted on this thread should be treated cautiously, best to ask of someone who bought and assembled one of these kits much more recently!

[jcredfer]

I just put some calipers to mine and it reads 1 1/4" [31.75mm], from underside to top of rails.  Sides unmodified.

 

Julian

 

[daltonparva]

Have a look at a Kibri 39456.