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turntables of the ex-LB&SCR


truffy

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I'm modelling an area south of London in the late 1930s, 4mm scale. It's fictional (probably), but loosely based on Horsted Keynes and its environs. I was put in mind of this when reading Jeff's thread on the Metalsmith turntable. I'd like to add a turntable to the layout, but what size and type?

 

Some reading tells me that a 60' turntable would not have been unheard of, and most LB&SCR TT were of the well type (which I'd prefer from an interest perspective). What I'm really stuck on is the turntable manufacturer and design. Metalsmith currently have a mid-30s Ransomes & Rapier Standard turntable in 7mm but only a Cowans & Sheldon 'Pre-Grouping Turntable' in 4mm.

 

Given that LB&SCR started with smaller turntables (ca. 45') I suspect that a 60' pre-grouping turntable would not be prototypical for an ex-LB&SCR layout. So if I want a larger turntable I need to model a Ransomes & Rapier and if I want to go with the off-the-shelf offering from Metalsmiths then I should be looking at the smaller tables.

 

But are there better options?

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Truffy

The Appendix to the 1922 Working Time Table shows that there were 60' turntables at Brighton, Eastbourne, Newhaven, Three Bridges and Victoria. Interestingly, the largest table required by the Brighton's own locos was 52' for the Atlantics and 50' for the K class Moguls. There were therefore 55' tables at Bognor, Coulsdon, Guildford and Portsmouth, a 52' table at Worthing and 50' tables at Battersea Wharf, Fratton, New Cross and St Leonards.

Other sheds still had tables of 45' or 42' and the latter could cope with all other Brighton classes,  apart from the Billinton 4-4-0s which needed 45' with extension gear.

I am not sure that this helps with your query, but I believe that the large turntables were installed during the First World War to facilitate the use of foreign locos (i.e. non Brighton) working across the London area. You might be able to build this into your rationale in some way.

Best wishes

Eric

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Thanks, Eric. That really does help, since I now know that larger turntables were employed pre-grouping. So a 60' pre-grouping table could be prototypical….for a terminus or main junction. I'm looking more at a junction between mainline and branch line.

 

This is good, because Metalsmith's 42' TT is cheaper.

 

It's also bad because only the 60' is currently available.

 

Verrily, what the lord giveth, the lord taketh away.

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