Turntable

What price do you consider affordable? The best turntable in the market-- http://www.studiozphoto.com/millhouse.html

The only two choices are:

1)Millhouse River Studio.

and 

2) Ross Custom Switches.

Both advertise in OGR Magazine.

Another choice would be to buy a turntable second-hand and update it with a powering kit for Millhouse River Studio or Ross. 

I scratchbuilt my turntable for about $600, $300 in parts and $300 in a powering unit from Millhouse River Studio.  If I had it to do all over again, I would have saved up for a 28" Millhouse River Studio turntable.

Keep in mind that whatever option you follow, that your engine can actually be larger than the turntable (except for Atlas) .  As long as all of the wheel stay on the turntable bridge, the engine (and or tender) can overhang the edge of the bridge.

Jim

LOL, it's hard to post pictures after Mike has already posted his.  Mike's TT has to be the nicest (and strongest) scratch built TT I've seen.

Anyway, here is a few pictures of my build:

First, I made a TT box from 1/2" birch plywood and 1"x3" popular boards.

I tried to be careful when I cut the hole from the top piece of plywood, as I used that to cut the ring on which the TT track would screw on to.

After painting the track ring, I cut Gargraves flextrack in half and screwed it to the ring.  I then screwed the top piece of plywood to the frame and supports.  I found some 1/8" aluminum stock on ebay at a pretty good price and I bent this by hand and used it as the pit walls.

I figured that a piece of oak for the bridge would be less likely to wrap, so I got a 2"x4" piece and ripped it on my table saw. I did find some Bowser bogies (wheel sets) and Bowser shaft mount (this seems like the weakest part of the build so I bought a extra set). I ripped the 2"x4" to the right size and then made cuts to mount the bogies and the shaft.

I used some more 1/8" aluminum stock for the bridge sides.

I then used a piece of Ross track for the bridge.

I then made the bridge 'pretty', using basswood cross pieces and planking, and used a  Bowser bridge kit that came with the stanchions, tower, and a few other pieces.  It also came with a shanty, but I ended up building my own.

I then powered it with a kit from Millhouse River Studios.

Here is the completed and installed TT.

Bowser no longer make TT's or TT parts.  If I would to build another TT I would probably try to scrounge up at least a set of their bogies.

Hope it helps get the creative juices going!

Jim

"LOL, it's hard to post pictures after Mike has already posted his.  Mike's TT has to be the nicest (and strongest) scratch built TT I've seen."

Jim:

Thank you for the comment.

Mike

If Diamond Scale is still in business there may be boggy parts available from them. Click on the underlined phrase to link.

Diamond Scale parts list.     

Sometimes even the wheels overhang.

Yes they did, nice photo Charlie.  Here another view I found.

Seaboard Air Line had only a 68 foot TT in Portsmouth, but all of their long steamers came into town.  I often wondered how they managed to turn them, now I think I see, THANKS for those photos

Are those TT rails going above the rails surrounding the TT permanent, or did they put them in place as needed?  Anyone got more photos of how this was accomplished?

I was wondering the same thing?

Jim

I would read this, it explains how and why etc. regarding the extensions.