Bus Turntables

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Many years ago we had some bus turntables in the UK, but these have been committed to the pages of history. To me it seems fascinating that something as 'flexible' as a bus, required such infrastructure. Indeed, this was some fairly significant infrastructure in some places; namely the Central Union Bus Terminal beneath the Dixie Hotel in New York.

 

There is quite a bit of information on these sites, and what does strike me is the 'round house' design of the bays branching off from the turntable. 

 

http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=6766

 

An overall plan of the turntable is here...

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scoutingny/9201496936/

 

The depot itself closed years ago, partly because of increased competition, and partly because the design of buses grew bigger over the years, resulting in such turntables being too short.

 

Up to the present day, bus turntables are still used in part of Japan. This is a Hakone Tozan Bus being turned at Gora.

 

Image published under wikipedia commons with necessary permissions granted for the right to use image for any purpose.

 

Even more interestingly, Tomytec produce a model for one of these turntables...sadly I don't believe it is either motorised or suitable for the motorised bus system they have...

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10222623

 

[Fat Controller]

I've not seen a bus one before, though I've seen similar-sized ones for delivery lorries at the rear of a shop in Dover, and car-sized ones at several locations. I could be tempted with one at home, given the limitations of our parking spaces- I wonder how much they cost?

[The Stationmaster]

I've not seen a bus one before, though I've seen similar-sized ones for delivery lorries at the rear of a shop in Dover, and car-sized ones at several locations. I could be tempted with one at home, given the limitations of our parking spaces- I wonder how much they cost?

Here you go Brian - yours for about six grand all in I would think if you want some of the bells and whistles

 

http://www.carturntables.co.uk/

[RJS1977]

The site of the old Jersey Eastern Railway terminus at Snow Hill, St. Helier, was fitted with a turntable when it was converted to a bus depot after the railway closed. As far as I'm aware it's the only railway station to have acquired a turntable after permanent closure to all rail traffic!

[Fat Controller]

Here you go Brian - yours for about six grand all in I would think if you want some of the bells and whistles

 

http://www.carturntables.co.uk/

It'll have to wait a bit..

[PhilJ W]

The two bus turntables in the UK, in Bournemouth and Huddersfield were used by trolleybuses. They were installed because there was insufficient space for a turning circle or even a reverser.

[pH]

Many years ago we had some bus turntables in the UK, but these have been committed to the pages of history. To me it seems fascinating that something as 'flexible' as a bus, required such infrastructure. Indeed, this was some fairly significant infrastructure in some places; namely the Central Union Bus Terminal beneath the Dixie Hotel in New York.

 

There is quite a bit of information on these sites, and what does strike me is the 'round house' design of the bays branching off from the turntable. 

 

The depot itself closed years ago, partly because of increased competition, and partly because the design of buses grew bigger over the years, resulting in such turntables being too short.

 

Up to the present day, bus turntables are still used in part of Japan. This is a Hakone Tozan Bus being turned at Gora.

 

I can see the turntable being useful in the New York depot, allowing a limited space to be used efficiently. But a motorised turntable being used to turn a bus at a terminus? That is a terrible over-use of technology! About the only technology needed for that is a whistle in the hand/mouth of someone watching the back of the bus as it reverses into a side road at a T-junction. 

 

(I've just seen PhilJ W's post above - that makes sense, if the trolleys didn't have batteries.) 

[Siberian Snooper]

I can see the turntable being useful in the New York depot, allowing a limited space to be used efficiently. But a motorised turntable being used to turn a bus at a terminus? That is a terrible over-use of technology! About the only technology needed for that is a whistle in the hand/mouth of someone watching the back of the bus as it reverses into a side road at a T-junction. 

 

(I've just seen PhilJ W's post above - that makes sense, if the trolleys didn't have batteries.) 

 

Reversing into a side road is all well and good so long as some bone idle numpty doesn't park their car in the side road. I regularly drive a route that requires just that and the $%&*ing idiots regularly park their cars on the double yellow lines making a three point turn into about a twenty if we're lucky, after that we have to wait for the parking attendants to turn up and hand out a few tickets and the old bill to knock on a few doors

 

SS

[pH]

Reversing into a side road is all well and good so long as some bone idle numpty doesn't park their car in the side road. I regularly drive a route that requires just that and the $%&*ing idiots regularly park their cars on the double yellow lines making a three point turn into about a twenty if we're lucky, after that we have to wait for the parking attendants to turn up and hand out a few tickets and the old bill to knock on a few doors

 

SS

Yes, I suppose I was thinking of my (short) experience as conductor nearly 50 years ago. Two-person crews and a fraction of the number of cars.

[Stevelewis]

I remember  ( vaguely) the  Bus  Turntable  in  Bournemouth  If  I am correct  it  was  at  the Christchurch  terminus?

The  end  of  a  very  narrow  street  it used to fascinate  us when we were down there on hols!

I  seem to remeber  ordinary buses  ( not trolley buses) being  turned  there also  ( perhaps when  there  was a problem with the overhead line?)

 

I have  a recollection of  a  CAR turntable  ( ie automobile)  in Hereford!

 

It was in front of a  house in the City  centre   which  was on a  very  busy  road,  I beleive  the  turntables purpose  was to allow the  house owner to drive in to the property  frontage,  then on turning the car  allowed  easy  departure!

[PhilJ W]

I remember  ( vaguely) the  Bus  Turntable  in  Bournemouth  If  I am correct  it  was  at  the Christchurch  terminus?

The  end  of  a  very  narrow  street  it used to fascinate  us when we were down there on hols!

I  seem to remeber  ordinary buses  ( not trolley buses) being  turned  there also  ( perhaps when  there  was a problem with the overhead line?)

 

I have  a recollection of  a  CAR turntable  ( ie automobile)  in Hereford!

 

It was in front of a  house in the City  centre   which  was on a  very  busy  road,  I beleive  the  turntables purpose  was to allow the  house owner to drive in to the property  frontage,  then on turning the car  allowed  easy  departure!

Yes it was at Christchurch, IIRC it was still used for a few years after the trolleybuses were withdrawn. I seem to remember a car turntable on a tv news report several years ago.

[Dunsignalling]

Here you go Brian - yours for about six grand all in I would think if you want some of the bells and whistles

 

http://www.carturntables.co.uk/

Very clever, but why not just back in? It works for me.

 

John

[edcayton]

Can anyone else remember a car servicing garage in Plymouth of the roundhouse form with a central turntable and bays radiating out from it?

 

Ed

[The Stationmaster]

Can anyone else remember a car servicing garage in Plymouth of the roundhouse form with a central turntable and bays radiating out from it?

 

Ed

Yes, my Triumph 2000 estate had a ride on that one when sent in there for replacement of some propshaft UJs (i.e. a somewhat more expensive than planned few days in Plymouth), very cleverly laid out workshop I thought.  I wonder if the owner used to bunk Laira in his youthful years?

[Fat Controller]

Yes, my Triumph 200 estate had a ride on that one when sent in there for replacement of some propshaft UJs (i.e. a somewhat more expensive than planned few days in Plymouth), very cleverly laid out workshop I thought.  I wonder if the owner used to bunk Laira in his youthful years?

Don't forget the Volkswagen plant (Wulfsburg?) that has a three-dimensional version of the turntable (a lift that serves multiple floors, and rotates to serve the individual bays radiating from the centre).

 My grandfather had obviously encountered car turntables during his long driving career (1914-71), as the model garage he built me had one at the top of the ramp serving the top floor.

There were car turntables fitted to the stern-load only car ferries (were these purpose-built, or converted Landing Ship Tanks?) on the Channel in the mid/late 1970s. I've also seen a type of pivotting deck on some Scottish ferries- the vessel would moor parallel to the jetty, and the deck swing around to allow loading/unloading.

[Poggy1165]

As well as the one at Bournemouth there used to be one at Huddersfield at the terminus (I think) of the Lockwood (or maybe Longwood I always did confuse the two) route. It remained disused for many years, the trolleybuses using it as part of a reversing triangle instead. It was poised over the edge of a steep valley, and occasionally a driver would misjudge and back his TB into space.

[shortliner]

Yes it was at Christchurch, IIRC it was still used for a few years after the trolleybuses were withdrawn. I seem to remember a car turntable on a tv news report several years ago.

 

I only just noticed this - I too remember the one in Christchurch and watching Trolley busses being turned - I have a feeling that there was one in the entrance to a garage workshop in Dingwall, Ross-shire - the entrance was between two buildings and the workshop was parallel to the road without toom to turn a vehicle to get it in otherwise. There is definitely a car turntable on the deck of the Cromarty ferry

[PhilJ W]

As well as the one at Bournemouth there used to be one at Huddersfield at the terminus (I think) of the Lockwood (or maybe Longwood I always did confuse the two) route. It remained disused for many years, the trolleybuses using it as part of a reversing triangle instead. It was poised over the edge of a steep valley, and occasionally a driver would misjudge and back his TB into space.

The wiring on the Huddersfield one would not allow a trolleybus to reverse on, so it may have been a motorbus. On one occasion, on a very windy day a strong gust caught a trolleybus and it made several revolutions before it could be stopped.

[25901]

Just begging to be done as a drama for a small dcc turntable maybe

Done some looking around and found these

 

Christchurch (Grade 2 listied)

http://d-bus.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/photo-archive-2putting-your-back-into-it.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alwyn_ladell/6843155245/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alwyn_ladell/6847895913/

http://omnibuses.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/trolleys-at-40.html

 

Huddersfield

http://publictransportexperience.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/turnaround-for-trams-and-trolleys.html

[Stevelewis]

Very clever, but why not just back in? It works for me.

 

John

Remembering  back to  the  days when  I  saw  the  Hereford Car  turntable,  the  road was always very busy  with  nose to tail traffic on the occasions I drove  down it, and it  took some  time to travel a short  distance, so I would think the owner of the house would have  had difficulty in reversing into  his property,  I have  a  vague recollection  of  the  Bulmers factory  being  nearby  ( Where preserved  KGV used to live)

[Suzie]

The last road vehicle turntable I saw was in Hamilton House just adjacent to Platform 1 at Liverpool Street. quite a novelty and hard to see how it could be justified. A got the impression it must have been installed at the whim of an enthusiast.

[RJS1977]

Just thinking... one advantage of driving forwards into a garage, then turning the car on leaving (so you're not reversing into traffic) is that you can build a layout in the garage over the bonnet! 

[Poggy1165]

A little bit of Googling confirmed the Huddersfield turntable was at Longwood. On 13 February 1967, Sunbeam S7A number 634 reversed too far and toppled into the field below. It was written off. Ironically, it had been the last Huddersfield TB to get a full repaint. (Though compared to Manchester, they were military-smart to the very end.)

 

It brings a tear to my internal eye writing about Huddersfield TBs. Definitely my favourite system.

[PhilJ W]

A little bit of Googling confirmed the Huddersfield turntable was at Longwood. On 13 February 1967, Sunbeam S7A number 634 reversed too far and toppled into the field below. It was written off. Ironically, it had been the last Huddersfield TB to get a full repaint. (Though compared to Manchester, they were military-smart to the very end.)

 

It brings a tear to my internal eye writing about Huddersfield TBs. Definitely my favourite system.

There is a working OO scale trolleybus layout based on the Huddersfield system, It is on the MBF website. 

[Talltim]

There's a couple of disused lorry ones in courtyards in Sheffield. One is visible here and a smaller (cart sized) one here Pic of this one here