RTR Turntables for 00. What's out there?

[daltonparva]

https://youtu.be/yBQpQb5_RT4 This is the address as promised earlier for my first wobbly hand held video. I can't seem to post it as a working link, but if you copy and paste it to where it says "enter search or web address" in your browser, it should work.

[Dunsignalling]

Hi John

 

Have a look at:

 

http://www.kitwoodhillmodels.com/on30-turntables/

 

Don't let the narrow gauge examples put you off - look at the second page - in particular:

 

http://www.kitwoodhillmodels.com/ho-65ft-turntable/

 

Also some of the narrow gauge turntables are available for different track gauges so you may find something to suit.

 

Regards.

Thanks, the On30 one with a 10.5" bridge looks like it might be a viable basis for what I require. Will check it out further.

 

The 65' one appears to be a bit shorter than the 240mm I need (to just squeeze a West Country on)

 

John

Edited April 3, 2018 by Dunsignalling

[jhb171achil]

What's the best option for a scale 40 to 45 foot one? Ideally motorised, though this wouldn't be a deal-breaker - it's for a fiddle yard.

 

Many of both the RTR and kit versions you can buy - in all price ranges - are far too big (long) for my purposes.

[jhb171achil]

Only seeing this now.

 

I've come to this later - but I'm looking for a turntable of some sort, ideally in a pit type, about 25cm diameter. Having read the posts above which go back over ten years, I wonder if more recently there might be anything? Can't find anything suitable online, other than things which you'd need to sell your car to be able to afford............

[TonyMay]

On 06/10/2021 at 00:06, jhb171achil said:

What's the best option for a scale 40 to 45 foot one? Ideally motorised, though this wouldn't be a deal-breaker - it's for a fiddle yard.

 

Many of both the RTR and kit versions you can buy - in all price ranges - are far too big (long) for my purposes.

 

If it's for a fiddle yard, the best option is probably to build your own.  Being in a fiddle yard, it doesn't have to look anything like a prototype; it just needs to work.  As far as I can tell, you've got three options:

• Adapt a kit.  Probably the peco turntable, shortened.  Likely a bit fiddly, and slightly expensive.  The Dapol turntable kit is probably the cheapest.
• Build your own from scratch.  Requires woodwork skills.
• Adapt a 10" (25cm) lazy Susan intended for kitchen use.  You can pick these up quite cheaply, expect to pay like £10-£20.

 

My recommendation on cost and practicality grounds would be to go for the last option.

Edited October 13, 2021 by TonyMay

[DCB]

I built a temporary one from a piece of large plastic electrical wiring trunking 30 years ago and its still working.   It has a base 10mm lower than the surrounding baseboard and pivots on a central bush on a bolt head and slides on a circle of code 100 rails divided into two  insulated halves which provide power and have slots to facilitate indexing.  Its ugly but works and works.  I will try to get some pics

[jhb171achil]

9 hours ago, TonyMay said:

 

If it's for a fiddle yard, the best option is probably to build your own.  Being in a fiddle yard, it doesn't have to look anything like a prototype; it just needs to work.  As far as I can tell, you've got three options:

• Adapt a kit.  Probably the peco turntable, shortened.  Likely a bit fiddly, and slightly expensive.  The Dapol turntable kit is probably the cheapest.
• Build your own from scratch.  Requires woodwork skills.
• Adapt a 10" (25cm) lazy Susan intended for kitchen use.  You can pick these up quite cheaply, expect to pay like £10-£20.

 

My recommendation on cost and practicality grounds would be to go for the last option.

Yes, many thanks for that - I'm thinking along the same lines.

 

One end is IN a fiddle yard, so its appearance isn't an issue - the other is out on the layout, though. Possibly the adaptation of the Peco one, yes....

[Ben Alder]

London Road Models do a 42' kit. I have built the 50' version and it makes a good model.

 

https://traders.scalefour.org/LondonRoadModels/various/architectural-kits/

 

[Mrkirtley800]

Yes, why not scratch build one.  I have now built four over the years, and they are not difficult, and you can build the size you require.

I described the last one in my thread in layout topics — Midland Railway in EM gauge.   It is a 48’ table and installed in my present layout.

 It cost me next to nothing since I built it from bits cluttering up my railway room.

Scratch building a TT is not difficult, just needs a bit of care, like most things we do in our modelling.

Derek

[KeithMacdonald]

On 30/06/2010 at 22:45, beeman said:

My article was to help others who want to achieve a working unit, with advice and 'how to' the post was titled 'Table a la carte.' Beeman.

 

Yes, we can find your RMWeb article, and see that you said: "I have attached pics and dwg's to illustrate." - but have they disappeared?

 

 

[KeithMacdonald]

On 03/04/2018 at 13:11, 66C said:

Don't let the narrow gauge examples put you off - look at the second page - in particular:

 

http://www.kitwoodhillmodels.com/ho-65ft-turntable/

 

 

Oops!

 

[Ben Alder]

Kitwood have stopped doing 4mm turntables - he is too busy with the range he already has.

 

[Mrkirtley800]

For some reason known only to itself, my ‘puter refused to add any pics.  Now it has decided to do so.  I will never understand these puter thingies.

However here is my  TT.  Really nothing to it.  UnfortunatelyI don’t have the space for more than one line to it, but others I have built did.

 

 

 

[ejstubbs]

On 15/11/2021 at 22:50, Ben Alder said:

Kitwood have stopped doing 4mm turntables

 

His web site now directs you to Greenwood's web site, which does seem to have a decent range of turntables, although the descriptions are a bit lacking in clarity (e.g. the 00 Gauge GWR Turntable is described as: "Will also be available as a 70 foot kit" - but it doesn't actually say what length the current kit is!)  Probably best to give them a ring if you're interested, especially since the web site says that's the only way to place an order.

[Harlequin]

See the comments in this topic:

 

[ejstubbs]

Interesting.  As John says on that thread, "This seems to be an ailment that affects several turntable (alleged) suppliers!"

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

See the comments in this topic:

 

 

1 hour ago, ejstubbs said:

Interesting.  As John says on that thread, "This seems to be an ailment that affects several turntable (alleged) suppliers!"

I’ve been in the railway room the last couple of days….. I’ve still got a hole in the back scene which I was using to gain easy access to the turntable. Plus the numbering post-it notes are still on the tracks where I tried to program the table.

 

The last email I had from Mike at Greenwood said he would fix it all this week…. I’m not holding my breath….

 

I think the 6 month point of payment is 6th December….. maybe I’ll get it for then….

Edited November 17, 2021 by Neal Ball

[JimC]

 

On 05/10/2021 at 17:06, jhb171achil said:

What's the best option for a scale 40 to 45 foot one? Ideally motorised, though this wouldn't be a deal-breaker - it's for a fiddle yard.

Many of both the RTR and kit versions you can buy - in all price ranges - are far too big (long) for my purposes.

If a scale 37'6" turntable was acceptable, this work in progress is a 4mm deck built over a Peco N gauge unit.

[jhb171achil]

12 hours ago, JimC said:

 

If a scale 37'6" turntable was acceptable, this work in progress is a 4mm deck built over a Peco N gauge unit.

Very many thanks, JimC. I will measure this up, though I suspect that a minimum 40ft scale might be needed. So this is just an ordinary Peco 2mm one with your 4mm track added? I will look that up too.

 

What I am looking for is only for a fiddle yard, so I am not concerned with how it looks. But space dictates that I need some sort of similar contraption.

[JimC]

2 hours ago, jhb171achil said:

So this is just an ordinary Peco 2mm one with your 4mm track added? 

Yes, the scratch built plasticard bridge is simply glued on top of the Peco one with the power conductor wires extended. If appearances are of no concern then a slightly longer deck ought to be straightforward. 

[TonyMay]

Again, I'd be looking at adapting a lazy Susan from your favourite kitchenware department.  They're available in various sizes; most are slightly bigger than your specification of a scale 40-45 foot.

[ejstubbs]

What does a kitchen lazy susan actually provide in terms of building an acceptably realistic model railway turntable?  About the only component that's of any real use IMO is the bearing, and you can easily buy those on their own.  I bought a 2" lazy susan bearing off eBay (like this one) which fits neatly under the bridge of my Airfix/Dapol turntable.  The hole through the centre of the bearing means that you can easily install a drive shaft to operate the t/t remotely.  You can even run track power through it, so long as you remember to run the turntable in alternating directions so the wires don't get too twisted.

[Michael Hodgson]

1 hour ago, TonyMay said:

Again, I'd be looking at adapting a lazy Susan from your favourite kitchenware department.  They're available in various sizes; most are slightly bigger than your specification of a scale 40-45 foot.

Mine is large enough to turn an HO BigBoy!  But how do I persuade the household authorities give me planning permission for a roundhouse built on the circular table in the dining room?