Narrow gauge turn tables

[melmerby]

Heres a picture of the Ravenglass one:

 

 

EDIT: Sorry about the mess at the bottom, that happened when I uploaded it.

Keith

[invercloy]

If the line can justify tender engines, it can justify a turntable?

 

Not necessarily the case, all bar one of the Irish NG lines were operated 100% by tank locos and most of them had turntables so it's not related to the use of tender locos.

 

 

[Derekl]

I would also imagine that South African Railways, NZ Railways and the 3' 6" systems in Australia had a great many...

 

Adam

 

I don't know about NZ and Australia, but the SAR favoured turning "wyes", a product of plenty of space and the tight curves available in the narrower gauge, and, probably, the considerable expense of installing and maintaining the turntable.

 

That said, the old turning wye at Knysna on the end of the heritage line from George (currently closed following a landslip) was replaced following redevelopment at Knysna with a turntable. I guess there were turntables at the big steam sheds in more urban areas, although I don't recall seeing any.

 

The wyes are still used, as the crews of the GM diesels prefer to run cab front.

[John_Hughes]

Here's a nice modern ng turntable on the Perrygrove Railway in the Forest of Dean - about as basic as a turntable can get.

 

I believe it's 18" Gauge.

[Dampflok]

Here's a picture of a narrow gauge turntable - 3' 6" gauge, so presumably it counts. It's one of many that were in use in Java and the loco is a fairly large 2-12-2T!

 

http://www.geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p39289136.html

 

I do have quite a few more shots including turntables in Java, but they haven't been scanned yet...

 

Cheers, Geoff

[Dampflok]

Just added another couple of shots to my site of engines on turntables in Java, from a small 4-4-0 to a rather larger 2-8-8-0 Mallet! I'll have a look to see if I have any more with turntables - I have hundreds more shots from Java...

 

http://www.geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p65032643.html

 

http://www.geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p65032644.html

 

Cheers, Geoff

[Dampflok]

Some more links to shots with narrow gauge turntables - Portugal had some quite extensive narrow gauge lines, parts of which still remain. Famously, a couple of locations at least had mixed gauge turntables (5'6" broad gauge and metre gauge), one of these was at Regua in the Douro valley and another was at Pocinho, further up the Douro valley. Shots of the Regua one here, with narrow gauge Mallet 2-4-6-0T on the table, with broad gauge 4-6-0 on one of the mixed gauge tracks:

 

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p30011029.html

 

and a broad gauge 4-6-0 on the same table:

 

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p32598900.html

 

Presumably, there were turntables along the Corgo metre gauge line from Regua, at least at Vila Real where some trains terminated and at Chaves, the end of the line, as locos worked chimney first into Regua as well as out. The same applied to the Tua and Sabor lines, where locos were generally worked chimney first in both directions.

 

Not sure whether I have a shot of the turntable at Pocinho, but here's a shot of the mixed gauge shed yard with narrow gauge station pilot and broad gauge 4-6-0s:

 

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p28517451.html

 

There were purely narrow gauge turntables elsewhere as well - here's one at Espinho, the northern extremity of the Sernada do Vouga system, with a metre gauge 2-8-2T being turned:

 

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p42301774.html

 

again, this system must have had turntables at other locations as well - some of the services were worked by single-ended railbuses which had to be turned at each end of the trip, so there must have been turntables at Sernada do Vouga, Viseu and Santa Comba Dao, and also at Aveiro (mixed gauge?) and probably elsewhere too:

 

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p26708310.html

 

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p41765522.html

 

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p56328303.html

 

I also came across another mixed gauge turntable whilst in Mexico many years ago (whilst working on Mexico '86 World Cup!), at the depot at Saltillo.

 

This was mixed 3'0" gauge and standard gauge and was perhaps the last remnants of the Coahuila y Zacatecas railway, which I understand ran for about 64 miles from Saltillo to connect with the 2'0" gauge Avalos tramway, which itself ran to connect with an aerial ropeway system from the mines nearby. The CyZ did run passenger services as well and was taken over by the NdeM and converted to standard gauge some time in the 1970s - very complicated! Here's a shot of the semi-roundhouse at Saltillo with some of the old narrow gauge stock falling apart beyond the turntable:

 

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p65072721.html

 

and plinthed outside the station was one of the two delightful little Mallets that worked the Avalos tramway - one of the two is now preserved on the Cripple Creek line in the USA, but whether it's this one or the other engine I don't know:

 

http://geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p65072720.html

 

If I find any more examples I'll update the thread...

 

Cheers, Geoff

[Tim H]

Vevey in Switzerland has a mixed-gauge turntable (Standard and metre gauge). When I last visited it about four years ago it was still in situ but didn't appear to be in regular use.

[pH]

Laws Museum (California) also has one, similar but smaller to that found by BR60103. I do have photos of it but I think I would have to scan these. There is a picture at this link though http://www.lawsmuseum.org/exhibits.htm

 

Here's a picture of the 3-foot gauge table at Laws, taken last week:

 

[travelintrev]

Heres a model of the Laws turntable on my (now gone) 0n3 [3/4"g] Layout with a Colorado Southern 2-6-0. I think the drawing for it was in 'Slim Rails Through the Sand'

 

[scan of color print]

[ozzyo]

Some more links to shots with narrow gauge turntables - Portugal had some quite extensive narrow gauge lines, parts of which still remain. Famously, a couple of locations at least had mixed gauge turntables (5'6" broad gauge and metre gauge), one of these was at Regua in the Douro valley and another was at Pocinho, further up the Douro valley. Shots of the Regua one here, with narrow gauge Mallet 2-4-6-0T on the table, with broad gauge 4-6-0 on one of the mixed gauge tracks:

 

http://geoff-plumb.f.../p30011029.html

 

and a broad gauge 4-6-0 on the same table:

 

http://geoff-plumb.f.../p32598900.html

 

Presumably, there were turntables along the Corgo metre gauge line from Regua, at least at Vila Real where some trains terminated and at Chaves, the end of the line, as locos worked chimney first into Regua as well as out. The same applied to the Tua and Sabor lines, where locos were generally worked chimney first in both directions.

 

Not sure whether I have a shot of the turntable at Pocinho, but here's a shot of the mixed gauge shed yard with narrow gauge station pilot and broad gauge 4-6-0s:

 

http://geoff-plumb.f.../p28517451.html

 

There were purely narrow gauge turntables elsewhere as well - here's one at Espinho, the northern extremity of the Sernada do Vouga system, with a metre gauge 2-8-2T being turned:

 

http://geoff-plumb.f.../p42301774.html

 

again, this system must have had turntables at other locations as well - some of the services were worked by single-ended railbuses which had to be turned at each end of the trip, so there must have been turntables at Sernada do Vouga, Viseu and Santa Comba Dao, and also at Aveiro (mixed gauge?) and probably elsewhere too:

 

http://geoff-plumb.f.../p26708310.html

 

http://geoff-plumb.f.../p41765522.html

 

http://geoff-plumb.f.../p56328303.html

 

I also came across another mixed gauge turntable whilst in Mexico many years ago (whilst working on Mexico '86 World Cup!), at the depot at Saltillo.

 

This was mixed 3'0" gauge and standard gauge and was perhaps the last remnants of the Coahuila y Zacatecas railway, which I understand ran for about 64 miles from Saltillo to connect with the 2'0" gauge Avalos tramway, which itself ran to connect with an aerial ropeway system from the mines nearby. The CyZ did run passenger services as well and was taken over by the NdeM and converted to standard gauge some time in the 1970s - very complicated! Here's a shot of the semi-roundhouse at Saltillo with some of the old narrow gauge stock falling apart beyond the turntable:

 

http://geoff-plumb.f.../p65072721.html

 

and plinthed outside the station was one of the two delightful little Mallets that worked the Avalos tramway - one of the two is now preserved on the Cripple Creek line in the USA, but whether it's this one or the other engine I don't know:

 

http://geoff-plumb.f.../p65072720.html

 

If I find any more examples I'll update the thread...

 

Cheers, Geoff

 

 

I bet you didn't take any shots of the point work.

 

 

OzzyO.

[Jordan-Leeds]

The parrygrove turntable and railway is not 18" but 15" gauge i do belive there isnt many railways of 18 inches as the popularity of 15 took off greater especially in modern times

[Dampflok]

I bet you didn't take any shots of the point work.

 

 

OzzyO.

Hello OzzyO, no I didn't take any shots of pointwork at this location as I don't think any still existed (assuming you mean mixed-gauge pointwork), the 3' 0" gauge line having been converted to standard gauge...

 

Here's some mixed-gauge pointwork though, at a sugar estate line in Java, mixed 700mm and 900mm gauge. Good luck if you intend to model this sort of thing!

 

 

Image is "clickable" to take you to a larger picture on my site with caption.

 

Ireland of course also had many narrow gauge lines which must have had turntables as well, certainly the County Donegal Railways did as part of the turntable at Ballyshannon can be seen in this shot from my collection of original slides:

 

 

This image also "clickable". Doesn't look as though the turntable saw much use though by that time!

 

Cheers, Geoff

[Nickinwestwales]

R.E notes above on the Perrygrove Rly,-worth a trip to see the Heywood stock (both some immaculate repros and some bits of original stock ) -a lovely little family run line that Sir Arthur would no doubt heartily approved of .

 

R.E turntables-Glyn Valley ,as noted :-`tables to run cab first-as a roadside tramway I understand driver was required to be at the absolute front of the train...Although photo`s show that this rule was not always enforced-likewise rule concerning covered motion-the Baldwin put paid to that.

Not sure if the Baldwin used the tables,although it would have been a prime candidate as they were reputed to be derailment prone when running backwards.

As to the Donegal,there is useful footage of railcars on the tables on the 1958 vol. of Railway Roundabout (note for John in West Wales-also some nice footage of Cardi Bach & Fishguard )

 

Dampflok Geoff:- fiendish mixed gauge pointwork,shades of Mike Sharmans more baroque extravaganzas

 

If I might sneak in a std gauge example that might fit the brief,one of the I.O.W lines ( Bembridge,Brading ..? ) had a table instead of a run-round lead- lovely little station layout,would suit N.G format well.........

 

Regards to all

 

Nick

[DonB]

There's a T/T on the Statfold Barn Railway, but I've no idea of its background, whether new build or imported/reconditioned.

A picture of it in use on my second post in the Statfold thread, in NG Prototypes Forum.

It is manually pushed to turn! Another photo...

Multigauge pointwork on the same site...

[smudgeloco]

What a terrific thread, and with some truly astounding photographs.

I thank you all for contributing.

[John_Hughes]

R.E notes above on the Perrygrove Rly,-worth a trip to see the Heywood stock (both some immaculate repros and some bits of original stock ) -a lovely little family run line that Sir Arthur would no doubt heartily approved of .

 

R.E turntables-Glyn Valley ,as noted :-`tables to run cab first-as a roadside tramway I understand driver was required to be at the absolute front of the train...Although photo`s show that this rule was not always enforced-likewise rule concerning covered motion-the Baldwin put paid to that.

Not sure if the Baldwin used the tables,although it would have been a prime candidate as they were reputed to be derailment prone when running backwards.

As to the Donegal,there is useful footage of railcars on the tables on the 1958 vol. of Railway Roundabout (note for John in West Wales-also some nice footage of Cardi Bach & Fishguard )

 

Dampflok Geoff:- fiendish mixed gauge pointwork,shades of Mike Sharmans more baroque extravaganzas

 

If I might sneak in a std gauge example that might fit the brief,one of the I.O.W lines ( Bembridge,Brading ..? ) had a table instead of a run-round lead- lovely little station layout,would suit N.G format well.........

 

Regards to all

 

Nick

 

Thanks!

[zarniwhoop]

Last Friday, at Noyelles on the Baie de la Somme. This is the middle of the line (a 'Y' junction with lines to Le Crotoy and St Valery). On Wednesday, the 0-6-2T was running, and didn't turn on the tables - I suspect this 2-6-0T is the only steam engine small enough to turn on them.

 

ĸen

[Brian Harrap]

My favorite is the triple gauge turntable that used to be (maybe still is) at Gladstone South Australia. 3'6" std and 5'3"

[Brian Harrap]

Here's another. Metre gauge (twice) and rack to boot. Also in the street with road vehicles trundling over it as well - what more could one want?

[EddieB]

One more, this is 0-4-4-0T No. 5 "HAMRA" (O&K 930/1902, ex-Separator AB, Hamra) on the 600mm gauge Östra Södermanlands Järnväg (Sweden) being turned at Läggesta Nedre. There is another turntable at Mariefred (the headquarters at the opposite end of the line).

 

[EddieB]

I don't know about NZ and Australia, but the SAR favoured turning "wyes", a product of plenty of space and the tight curves available in the narrower gauge, and, probably, the considerable expense of installing and maintaining the turntable.

 

That said, the old turning wye at Knysna on the end of the heritage line from George (currently closed following a landslip) was replaced following redevelopment at Knysna with a turntable. I guess there were turntables at the big steam sheds in more urban areas, although I don't recall seeing any.

 

The wyes are still used, as the crews of the GM diesels prefer to run cab front.

 

 

Not entirely unknown - I know you didn't say Zimbabwe explicitly, but the turntable at Bulawayo was (is?) big enough to turn a 20A Garratt (wheelbase a shade over 87 feet).

 

 

[burgundy]

Can I offer a slightly different perspective?

Shimla on the Kalka - Shimla line in India.

Eric

[dana]

hey burgundy i had forgotten about that turn table in shimla , i think i did see in operation but was unable to get a good pic of it or in operation

[Nickinwestwales]

Now then-Shimla.. a table with two sets of carry rails in the well.....not one you see every day:blink: -Excellent,thanks for posting !!

ATB

Nick