Lionel #375 Turntable Operators out there?

Tom

 

It's great to see a post from you! Looking forward to your second book. The first one was fabulous!

 

Sorry, I don't have any info on the 375 turntable. I've only actually seen one (and in a box, at that) once or twice at York.  I do have the TM videos on PostWar accessories. I'll check and see if the turntable is featured on them and let youknow.

 

Peter

Hi Peter,

   Thanks for your kind words and any light you can shed.

 

Tom

If you don't already have a copy, try to get ahold of the installation instructions Lionel provided for the 375.

They recommended:

 

mounting the unit to a 24 inch square piece of 1/4 in plywood

filing the joints smooth

shimming the center, where the cross-bars meet between 1/16 to 1/4 inch.

 

 

Hi, I have one of these in the box with instructions. If you want a scan and email of them, let me know. Sorry, I have never hooked it up though so I cannot speak to installation.

Thanks CW and ibrewtoo...I should have mentioned, I have one coming to me with instructions. I was hoping to see how others have them sitting on their layouts.

Basically, I wasn't sure if one needs a turntable pit at all...or if it was meant to run flush to the plywood (without a pit).

    Tom

No pit.

My buddy had one on his layout.

I have one too, but have never set mine up.

 

Hi Tom,

I have one in the box, with instructions, and the insert. I never set it up on a layout, however, I have set it up and tested it on my work bench. It really isn't a smooth runner and it is operated with D cell batteries. It does n ot require a pit of any kind. It sits flush on the table and will mount up to Lionel tubular track.

I hope this helps.

Mike R

Thanks C.W. and Mike. I thought there was no pit needed but the part about the batteries actually surprised me.  

 

 Tom

Here is a pic I found of one mounted.

 

Mark,

  Ahhh Hah! Thanks very much. It could not be any clearer...

   Tom

Someone recently posted that they felt Lionel should issue one of these for Fastrack, and I would have to agree.  It doesn't have to be super detailed, it just has to be.  The center could be removable so that you could add a pit if you wish, maybe they would offer a separate kit to do so.  Offer individual "slices" of the roundhouse, so people can buy as little or as many as they need, or add over time.  Make it modular.  Quality on par with the engine shed would be fine. 

I have a postwar 375 too, but it's incomplete. From looking at this motor and the way to drive should make the table turn, how well does it run? Will it really turn something heavy, like a say a dual motor PW F3? Maybe I'm missing more parts than I think, but it looks like only one roller part is connected to the drive gears on mine. I had plans of using an HO transformer to power my motor. Will this older motor take the voltage and weight to work well?

 

Sam

The "bridge" is only 20" long, so forget A-A F3's. Think more along the lines of Scout steamers and Geeps and Alcos. If you're looking for a cheap, dependable turntable that mounts flat and can hold engines up to 26" I can recommend the Atlas.  

As much as I love turntables, I think I'll wait until Lionel updates (and hopefully improves) the 375. I know from guides that the table could only go in one direction, so that's not exactly fun...It also ran on batteries instead of transformer power.

It's not very long either, though I have seen on Micheal Primack's real-railroad-operation layout (Great Toy Train layouts of America Part 1 video) that his was able to handle a 783 Hudson (23 inches).

I don't have a photograph handy, but I installed one my grandfather purchased new at the time, but he never took it out of the box.  As a collector, I actually unboxed and installed what was a "mint" postwar turntable!

 

I created a pit by dropping it down below the table surface and cut around the rail of the turntable.  Instead of the battery box, I have a DC power supply that I change the polarity to reverse directions.  With a momentary push button, it is easy to index it.  It will turn any die cast locomotive or diesel I have that fits on it with ease.  The rubber couplings and friction roller even works good still!  I will try to take a photograph of it sometime and post it for you.  I may even be able to post a movie of it on Youtube sometime.

Actually, thats not the way mine is.  The battery box has a double pole, double throw sliding switch with the center being off.

 

I believe they limited the size because of the amount of overall space it takes up.  Even then it was to big for my grandfather or dad to use, so it stayed in the box.

 

Likewise the prewar standard gauge turntable was only useful for small electrics, because it was to small to turn any steam locomotives!

Thanks to everyone who responded.

 

Hey Wurlitzer, I would really be interested in how you have that set up with the pit.

 

Tom

I have one which I had set up years ago. First, I found running it from batteries did not provide enough power, so I connected it to a cheap HO scale powerpack. This provided the necessary power, but you do have to be carfull not to use to much voltage because the moter in the table is not designed for 12 volts, so do not turn the powerpack up to full voltage. I alse spent a great deal of time tweeking and adjusting it. the ring rail has to be installed perfictly flat for the table to turn smoothly. After making these adjustments, the table actually did run well.

Here are a couple of photographs of my installation of the turntable.  This was done close to 20 years ago when I was still in school.  The control panel was never completed, but functional.  I have included a youtube movie of it in action.

 

 

 

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxUtOXtUyY4&list=UUo77O1jXuuCL4Mr70ZNUTMQ&index=1&feature=plcp

 

 Wurlitzer, Thanks for posting the pictures and the Youtube video. Very nice. Hope mine looks as good and runs as well in the end.

 

  Howard thanks for mentioning that (about the transformer). Not sure if that is what Wurlitzer did too. How hard is it to change from the battery power in operating this to using an HO transformer?

 

    Tom

Your welcome.  I don't recall what I have exactly for a power supply.  I will check when I have a chance sometime.

Howard and Wurlitzer, I am also interested in what you did to convert to DC power pack operation, including max voltage that should not be exceeded.

thank you.

The conversion to the use of a HO DC power pack is realy easy. The motor in the table is already a DC motor, so all you have to do is connect the two wired that are supposed to connect to the battery controler to the HO power pack instead. The HO pack speed controller will stop and start the table and regulate the speed. The HO pack direction switch controls the direction of rotation. That it! As far as what voltage? I do not know, just do not turn it up to much.

 

Howard

Howard, thanks very much. You make it sound like even I can do it!

The issues with it are the rubber coupling that slips on heavy loads and then the table will not turn.

Being such an old DC motor, does anyone know how it rates? I mean it was put in there to run off batteries. Is it considered a cheap DC motor by todays standards? I wonder why Lionel didnt use a good ole Pullmore motor in there, when they used one in so many other accessories? I've got plans to use an HO pack to power mine too, but part of me has always been worried about burning the motor out.

there were so many issues to this turntable that it opened the door for Bowser and others to make better tables.

 

To try to overcome the problems is like putting lipstick on a pig and expecting it to win an election for you.

IMHO, the control accepts two "D" batteries, so the motor should probably be run on 2.5-3 volts.

I think the can motor is a piece of junk, even for it's day. On mine, the pinion gear came loose from the motor shaft. I don't recall how I fixed it. I picked up a spare motor assembly on Ebay years later. It is sitting in the box with the turntable, waiting to be installed.

My dad bought me one when they came out back in the 60's, we couldn't get it to turn more than it's self. Very erratic. We had it mounted to a piece of plywood. Very frustrating for an 11 year old.

 I tried working with it again in the early eighties, still no go.

The best thing about it was being able to sell in 1995 for $200.00

 

LIONEL6457

When I bought mine, someone had removed the track from the table.  I put a piece of S gage track on it and used it on my American Flyer layout.  It worked great.  I will see if I can find a picture of it installed.