longest turntable?

PRRratOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

The move of the 110' turntable from Atlanta's Tilford Yard to Watertown, TN to turn their excursion trains (and maybe their NC&StL Northern) got me to thinking about who had the longest turntable "back in the day". Google wasn't as helpful as I thought and trying a few wasn't, how shall we say, definitive. For example, I figured Crestline, which turned some long PRR steamers, would be a contender but it, too, was 110'. Which now begs the question, which road had the longest turntable (and where was it located)? Probably UP (to turn their Challengers (121') or Big Boys (132'), but, then again, the PRR had the S1, the "Big Engine" (140').

So who had the biggest turntable?

Mark

2/13/1910:28 PM

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BobOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

The PRR S1 was turned on the balloon track in Chicago and on the wye in Crestline. No way could it fit on any of the PRR turntables.

2/13/1910:34 PM

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Spoony81OGR Forum Member

Ogden, UT had a 135ft turntable for the Challengers and Big Boys

Denver & Rio Grande had a 130ft turntable at the Burnham Shops in Denver. The Illinois Railway Museum acquired it a couple years ago when UP closed the shops

Erik

2/13/1911:17 PM

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Ted HikelOGR Forum Member

The NP had 135 foot turntables too. They were needed for the Z-5 Yellowstones.

2/14/1910:55 PM

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Big_Boy_4005OGR Forum Member

Kelly Anderson posted:
I believe that 135' was it, installed many places where Big Boys ran. Not sure about other railroads.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but the Big Boys only ran between Cheyenne and Ogden, so the Cheyenne turntable has to be the same. No others in between. Not sure if the Challengers had wider range.

2/15/192:28 AM

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Hot WaterOGR Forum Member

Big_Boy_4005 posted:
Kelly Anderson posted:
I believe that 135' was it, installed many places where Big Boys ran. Not sure about other railroads.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but the Big Boys only ran between Cheyenne and Ogden,
They also operated between Cheyenne and Denver.
so the Cheyenne turntable has to be the same. No others in between.
What about Laramie, Rawlins, Green River, and Evenston (which still has the roundhouse AND turntable in place)? All of those terminals serviced the 4000s.
Not sure if the Challengers had wider range.
The Challengers operated system wide, from Council Bluffs to Portland, OR and Los Angeles.

2/15/198:19 AM

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colorado hirailerOGR Forum Member

Wonder what was the longest armstrong (manual) turntable in N. America? Certainly were some short one, as used to turn a rail truck in Alaska during WWll.

2/15/198:29 AM

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Big_Boy_4005OGR Forum Member

Hot Water posted:
Big_Boy_4005 posted:
Kelly Anderson posted:
I believe that 135' was it, installed many places where Big Boys ran. Not sure about other railroads.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but the Big Boys only ran between Cheyenne and Ogden,
They also operated between Cheyenne and Denver.
so the Cheyenne turntable has to be the same. No others in between.
What about Laramie, Rawlins, Green River, and Evenston (which still has the roundhouse AND turntable in place)? All of those terminals serviced the 4000s.
Not sure if the Challengers had wider range.
The Challengers operated system wide, from Council Bluffs to Portland, OR and Los Angeles.

Thanks Jack. Can always count on you to set the record straight.

2/15/199:08 AM

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Spoony81OGR Forum Member

Kelly Anderson posted:
Big_Boy_4005 posted:
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but the Big Boys only ran between Cheyenne and Ogden, so the Cheyenne turntable has to be the same. No others in between. Not sure if the Challengers had wider range.
To my understanding, that's about right, though I don't know if any of the turntables between those terminals were also that long. Evenston's roundhouse is still standing, but when looking at google earth, it's turntable looks to be shorter (?). I see the couple of longer stalls in the roundhouse, but they line up with the turntable leads across the way.
Challengers ran all over the place.
Evenston
Cheyenne