Turntables/Roundhouses

http://www.rossswitches.com/tu...bles/turntables.html

 

Hope this helps first thing that came to mind

Lirr, thanks for the link. Other than some sticker shock that is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. One of these days I may have to get one.

I have a Bowser 30 inch turntable,at the time that I purchased it,it was the only thing available.If I bought today it would be Ross,check out their website.

Ive got the Millhouse River Studios turntable and its the most well made thing i've ever seen. All welded aluminum construction very slow speed operation, coupled with his turntable indexer its absolutely awesome. Worth every penny. Al is a pretty cool guy very helpful as well

between Millhouse Studios and Ross Custom Switches, you cannot go wrong.  Ross has the original design and has been producing them a few years longer than Millhouse.  I am picking up a Ross this year.  Although the construction is different, the drive mechanisms are identical.  The prices are comparable. Depending Which railroad you are modeling Millhouse produces a PRR turntable with accurate detail.  You will find that forum members are evenly divided between the 2.  Like I said either one will do you right.

Appreciate the replies fellas, the millhouse turntable looks like a winner as well.

 

Lets talk roundhouses now. I really like the look of Brennan's kit,  is it still available? Did not see anything on his website. 

Ive got the Brennan kit and its a super nice kit but I will say he over thought it. there are some things about it that I i just dont like and its mostly has to do with the extension for longer locos. He made an extension to make the house like 7 inches longer but he did not make the back wall any longer so you have to bend the tracks inside the round house, it just bugs me. but otherwise its a super nice kit that I have just now started painting

We have a 34" Millhouse River and 7 stall Brennan RH. Our tracks are not curved inside the RH, they are all straight. Putting in a TT and RH in O Scale is not cheap, financially or in space....but makes a great scene, if not the star of the layout.

AAA Turntables is what I went with. Unlike the others, the bridge rotates using 2 powered trucks on the ends of the bridge, rather than being belt driven from the center. To me that made more sense for a smoother operation. A great indexing system is available too. AAA is a bit pricey but a really nice product.

I have an older Bowser 32" turntable and Korber Roundhouse with a one bay extension.

 

My Bowser has been modified heavily in order to make it reliable. As you can see, it will turn my scale Challenger. I replaced the supplied drive mechanism with an antenna rotor motor. That being said, the 32" Bowser is not all that great, I am not sure about the smaller diameters. This is most likely a moot point since Bowser is no longer making them.

 

My Roundhouse is also an older Korber kit from 20 years ago. It was a challenge to build as none of the walls were straight and nothing fit without extensive modification. However, this was an old kit. The "NEW" kits from Korber are a lot better and I would recommend one without hesitation. Rich has done a good job with all his new kits.

 

I added some pics below, you can also see pics of my layout in OGR Run 255.

 

That being said, that layout is now being demolished and is in the processs of being replaced in a much larger space. My new layout will feature a 34" turntable from Millhouse and also a Roundhouse from Altoona Model Works. Al had hinted at providing a "UP Prototype" bridge assembly and ALW already makes a "UP" style roundhouse. Both of these items will fit great with the new layout.

 

Donald

 

Laidoffsick, Are you still laid off sick? Did you put the extension on the roundhouse? Ive got a 9 stall with a 5 stall extension on the 5 inner stalls. The tracks on the outside need to curve in for the extension

When the time comes, I am intent on building my own from scratch.  I intent to have eye ball alignment with a solenoid style pin for alignment built into the ends of the bridge.

Donald - maybe you could sell the OP your Bowser? 

I have an old Bowser TT.  The friction drive system is not the best (understatement).  I find the Ross upgrade drive to be a bit pricey, and I have no need for a replacement motor, power supply, controller, or drive train.  Does anyone know of a source for such small cog belts and lightweight pulleys?

Matt,

 

The solution to making the back wall wider is simple. Instead of adding the jog wall to stalls 3 and 7, add the extension at those points and move the jog wall to the extended back wall.

 

When I designed the extension, I never imagined that I would see orders for many roundhouses larger than 5 stalls let alone with extensions. So I designed the extension for 5 stalls using a jog wall at the corners to make up for the increased width of an extended back wall and it wouldn't require any curving tracks.  This is more aesthetically pleasing than a jutting out 1 stall extension.

 

The other option for you would be to extend all nine stalls so that the jog wall would end up at the original back corners. You have all the walls to do that, you would only need to get more strip wood for the roof beams and roof sections for the added stalls. 

I scratch-built my turntable with a few bowser parts (including their bridge kit) and the powered it with the Millhouse Studio kit.  Total cost was about $550, including the $300 for the Millhouse kit. 

 

 

As Bowser parts are getting hard to find, another option would be to buy a used Bowser TT and upgrade it with a powering kit.

 

As much as I like how my TT came out, if I was to do it all over again, I would save up and buy one from Millhouse Studios.

 

Jim

Well Dennis I may just do the last suggestion. It looks very weird the way it is and the curved tracks bug me so I will do something. I havent built it yet ive just painted most of the parts

Back in 2002 at York, I was looking for a turntable. While in line before the halls opened, one of the guys in front of me asked if there was anything in particular that I was looking for. I told them a turntable. He told me to stay away from the Bowser as he bought one the year before and had to heavily modify it to get it to work they way he wanted. He told me about a vendor who shows only at York that offers a large turntable. He told about seeing a video of it where the vendor's 14 year old son was standing on the turntable while it was turning. I found the vendor and the turntable. Vernon Peachey (I think a Forum sponsor) sells a 36" turntable that is indestructible. A photo of this turntable is below.

 

Since then, Ross and Millhouse have entered the market and also produce beautiful turntables. So you have a number of options today that were not available in years past.

 

 

flying-high....

 

I have emailed you concerning your posts here and our terms of service.  Please take notice...

 

Thanks,

Alan

Matt we have a 7 stall kit with all stalls extended. Our outside tracks curve just a touch to leave more clearance between the track and the jog wall. I would suggest maybe extending all the stalls if you have room....just an idea.

 

I could have left the tracks perfectly straight, but as you see in the picture, there is not much of a curve in those tracks. Sure, I wish we had more space, but who doesn't in O scale.

 

 

Oh and I'm not sick or laid off. I've been employed and working for BNSF for 17 years. Laidoffsick just means I called in sick (we don't "call in" or "call off"...we "lay off")

Built this turntable for Hot Water's Central Connecting.  Hot added a Millhouse River turntable drive to it, which works quite nicely.  

 

The roundhouse is a Korber kit built by Gene Kutina of Chicago. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could only find one pic of an engine on my Bowser turntable on my IHMD module.  Uses a NYRS turntable drive. 

 

 

 

If I was doing it today, I'd pick either the Millhouse Studios or the Ross.  Both are fantastic.

 

Regards,

Jerry

 

 

 

Laidoffsick, what did you use as the floor for your roundhouse?

Its 2 layers of 1/4" plywood, one cut between the ties, and the other cut between the rails. Top grade plywood, it cost me $48 for 2 4x8 sheets.

 

I am building an Altoona Model works roundhouse right now. It is the finest kit I have seen. I got rid of my old one. Well not really, I cut it up and made a small building out of it.

FWIW, about 4 years ago I decided to build a turntable (32"). I did. It works.

It's powered. It looks OK. I hate it.

 

Let me tell you, after all the turntable trials and tribulations, if I ever move and have

another (larger, of course) layout, I will buy one of the Ross or Millhouse or some such,

regardless of price. They have to be worth it; the scratch building of a TT is a joy that

I do NOT need to experience again.

 

Pony up for a nice one and never look back. I will.

"Jog Wall"

What the heck is a Jog Wall? Something Lionel Richie uses before he goes "Dancing On The Ceiling"?

Mikey

Millhouse River has a drive conversion for Bowser turntables, Its not inexpensive though. I am planning to upgrade mine.

Laidoff.....so far so good!!...  The turntable area is going to be fantastic!

 

Alan

What is a "jog wall"?