lefrog97 Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 I’m wanting to put a motorised turntable in place on my layout in order to free up some point levers and reduce the footprint of part of the trackwork! Could anyone point me in the direction of a reasonably priced (preferably motorised although I can just convert a manual if necessary) turntable capable of handling locos of up to 14 inches long maximum? Thank you! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daltonparva Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 14 inches is big, British Pacific's are approx 12 inches max. What are you running? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefrog97 Posted January 1, 2018 Author Share Posted January 1, 2018 I run at the largest a princess Elizabeth class and a merchant navy class; which are almost dead on 12” so I assumed I’d need some overhang! I stand to be corrected though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted January 1, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2018 I have the Heljan turntable. It can cope with any of my Pacific locos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted January 1, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2018 (edited) The Heljan table is 90' in 3.5mm scale, which converts to 78' 9" in 4mm scale, so it's plenty big enough for any British outline locos except the LMS and LNER Garratts. Replacing the 3.5mm scale handrails with 4mm scale equivalents and removing the tiny cabin will make it look more in proportion. John Edited January 1, 2018 by Dunsignalling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daltonparva Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 The biggest British turntables were 70foot for Pacific's, the Fleischman and Heljan models are approx 90 ft in HO which is approx 77ft in OO and are the closest, and don't look out of scale with a pacific on them in my opinion. The Fleischmann one looks a bit too continental for me as in has 2 circular rings to support it, which you didn't find in Britain. They are both expensive new, but as nearly new ones can be dropped on on EBay around £150., maybe less if you aren't too bothered about condition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 PECO. http://www.hattons.co.uk/7694/Peco_Products_LK_55_76ft_Well_type_turntable/StockDetail.aspx Motorising kit. http://www.hattons.co.uk/43664/Expo_Drills_Tools_26211_Turntable_Motorising_Set/StockDetail.aspx Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted January 1, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2018 PECO. http://www.hattons.co.uk/7694/Peco_Products_LK_55_76ft_Well_type_turntable/StockDetail.aspx Motorising kit. http://www.hattons.co.uk/43664/Expo_Drills_Tools_26211_Turntable_Motorising_Set/StockDetail.aspx Jason If you want the Peco table to compare with a Heljan one in use, you'll need a better and much more expensive motorising kit. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 (edited) If you want the Peco table to compare with a Heljan one in use, you'll need a better and much more expensive motorising kit. John Probably. It's just a recommendation to keep all options open. Jason Edited January 1, 2018 by Steamport Southport Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 The Peco turntable kit also has a bridge length well overscale for a UK turntable, which as already posted maxxed out at 70ft, despite clearly being based on a UK design in terms of general features. It dates from the bad old days of one size suits OO and HO... I run at the largest a princess Elizabeth class and a merchant navy class; which are almost dead on 12” so I assumed I’d need some overhang! I stand to be corrected though Three things. It is the wheelbase that has to fit on the turntable bridge. Secondly, on most UK turntables the loco has to balance on the centre bearing before it can be turned. (Crews were very skilled at this.) It was quite normal for loco structure to overhang one or both ends of the bridge, and necessary for pacifics, 2-8-2 and 4-6-4 types which were typically circa 74 feet over buffers, against the 70 feet bridge length of the UK turntables they were routinely turned on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 There's always the Airfix/Dapol kit. It is of course manual and will require motorising. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daltonparva Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 This is my Heljan turntable, modified quite a bit to look more British 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 (edited) I run at the largest a princess Elizabeth class and a merchant navy class; which are almost dead on 12” so I assumed I’d need some overhang! I stand to be corrected though The loco overhangs the table in many cases. I turn a Duchess on a shortened Dapol turntable around 10 inches long. 65 foot tables were common, 70's restricted to the largest depots. Finding a turntable which moves smoothly is likely to be a challenge. A lot move at set speed and jerk to a halt. Watching the prototype they start slowly pick up speed to quite a lot faster than most model,s and then slow gradually. Two or three attempts usually being necessary to line them up. The big 75 ft tables take up an awful lot of space and if used for engine shed access make getting locos from the back of the shed more trouble than it is worth. I have a scale 75 ft table which is awaiting shortening and a 12" one hand turned in the hidden sidings which has to be long enough to leave a bit of fiddle room as you can't see it clearly. If you want to save space with a turntable you can save length only at the expense of width. I would check you have sufficient width. If you do go RTR Dapol Girders on a Heljan Table would be worth considering. Edited January 8, 2018 by DavidCBroad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antony Farrell Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 On the topic of turntables does anyone know if there is a kit or model for a GWR pattern type suitable for a pre WW1 layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
B15nac Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Hi Metalsmiths do a GWR turntable a 65ft Type 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black5 Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Hi, I have a Peco turntable on my layout , and like you, wanted to motorize it. I tried all sorts of different methods and finally came across a firm called Locomotech who supply motorizing kits for turntables. I think the price was in the mid thirty pounds and I believe they do an indexing kit as well. Very easy to fit and a quiet runner. I`ve been using mine for a year now and i`m very happy with it. Hope you find what you`re looking for, Jim. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 I have successfully used a motorising kit from this supplier - http://locomotech.com ( usual disclaimer ) certainly a lot less noisy than the one by Expo Tools and it can be indexed using the plate supplied. Here is my modified Peco turntable from a past layout and the control of the motor is also variable. I didn't want anything too complicated and was satisfied with the outcome. Hope this helps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meil Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Don't forget the Airfix/Dapol table. Cheap, big enough, doesn't need a hole in the baseboard and easy to motorise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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