ohanlonmartin Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Can anyone help me with the following please. I have installed the Peco turntable (non-motorised) and from the rear of the table to the back scene I can fit in a fan of tracks to beside the engine sheds etc., what I need is the distance (track centre to centre) of the tracks where they butt up to the table. The gauge is 00 by the way and I reckon there is enough space for a fan of 5-7 tracks depending on that spacing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I am not sure the track spacing at the edge of the well matters, the peco is a scale 75 foot table I believe whereas 65 ft was more usual the only problem is the tighter the clearance the further from the edge of the turntable the clearance point where two locos can sit side by side will be, I would try to keep the radiating roads straight for a few inches if possible I have a R3 curve and my castle tries to ride up the turntable bridge when loco first, its ok tender first though. Scale double track spacing is around 45mm Peco streamline gives 55mm i think but in loco yards there will be space between roads for people piles f ash, wheelbarrows etc so I would simply lay out the tracks on the baseboard and see what looks right Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohanlonmartin Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Thanks DavidCBroad, If no definite info comes along I will go with the 55mm spacing as a minimum but you are right, there needs to be working room in that area and I have got to this stage of the build with an awful lot of looking to see how things shape up!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Memphis32 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 It might be worth grabbing a copy of SCARM, anyrail or other track-planning software to have a play with what might work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohanlonmartin Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Thanks Memphis32. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyMay Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Scarm puts the exit roads in fixed positions though, rather than allowing you flexiility. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 The layout planning software may only sow fixed outlets but that should not dictate how you lay your tracks. I built the table in the pic 25 years ago using a Dapol kit with one section of the sides deleted to make it 65 foot rather than 75 as I never turn anything larger than a Stanier Pacific an wanted to squeeze it into a corner. I was and is hand operated though the contact arms were designed so when the notch engaged the peg on the right hand rail of the turntable the arm moved and released a micro switch so cutting power to the motor, but the motor has yet to be fitted and with hand points in the loco yard motorising the table does not seem too important. The Dapol deck was shortened first and the centre hole carefully drilled exactly on the centre line both lenghtways and sideways, Tacks were then laid very accurately to well under 1/2 mm tolerance in all planes and vertical contacts added below the right hand running rail at each end to make contact with the notched spring loaded contact arms.These have to be very precise so the table indexes exactly the same which ever end is being indexed. Next the centre pivot hole was made in the sub baseboard and the radius for the support rail drawn and the support rail. an insulated loop of code 100 laid, then the deck, held down by a spring loaded centre bolt, Next the radiating tracks were put roughly in place and the position of the indexing notches marked on the notched contact arm. The arm was then carefully filed so the notches matched the radius of the deck contacts and the sprig contacts assembled. The I laid the radiating tracks to match where the turntable actually indexed as it is much easier to alter the temporary outlet track to get the alignment than to try to alter the notches in the arm. So the spring loaded arms provide the electrical power to the turntable fed by a section switch and it goes dead when the table turns more than around 60 degrees.and the r/h arm also provides indexing notches. the sliding contacts are virtually self cleaning, the mechanism is under a card cover which is pinned down and comes off once every 20 years of so for a look see and it simply works. All my turntables seem to be tucked into corners, I once did a turntable with 5 radiating roads each of which held 3 locos but the sheer hassle of digging the back loco out made me decide never again, with points the whole line of locos can come out coupled together which is sooo much easier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohanlonmartin Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Thanks DavidCBroad, That is well thought out and very interesting, it is my intention to turn the table by hand and to bodge a system for powering the rails on the table from the various tracks running into it. I would never have the precision skills to attempt what you have done so this will be a rough and ready job consisting of (at the moment) the use of sliding rail joiners from those tracks onto the rails on the table, it won't be pretty but I will settle for function over style. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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