Model Railroad Turntable
Do It Yourself Model Railroad Turntable
When it comes to realistic operation on your model railroads, one thing that comes to mind is “how do I turn the locomotives around?” In real world railroads, this is accomplished in a number of ways, but the most intriguing is the use of a turntable. With a turntable, a locomotive is literally spun to different tracks depending on where the load is to be carried. The turntable is used in conjunction with a roundhouse. The roundhouse is where the locomotives are parked while not in use. The turntable is a single track on a revolving platform. An engine comes out of the roundhouse, is parked on the turntable, then the turntable revolves to join up with the desired track, and the engine leaves the turntable on the desired track. A model railroad turntable can be set up for use on your railroads in exactly the same way as a prototype.
A model railroad turntable can be situated in your railroads yard and surrounded with trucks, people and figures. Be sure to pair your turntable up with a roundhouse – which can be decorated with the appropriate decals of the railroad you are running.
The decision must be made whether to incorporate a manual turntable such as the Atlas 150-305, or to go all out and invest in a dcc turntable with indexing and motor control. If you go to model railroad shows, most likely you'll see powered turntables with dcc control. The case can be made that this is the only way to go, but you have to look at your budget – a motor/dcc controlled model railroad turntable can set you back a bit.
The great thing about a manual turntable like the Atlas model is the ability to convert it to a dcc controlled turntable in the future. A motor can be added and dcc employed. Bachmann makes a wireless dcc controller (160-36505) that can be adapted to run a turntable.
The choice is up to you whether you want a remote controlled or manual turntable. Either way you choose though, a model railroad turntable is a fine addition to your layout. For a great all around guide to model railroading, take a look at www.modeltrainhelp.smmsite.com |