Turntable availability

BoxcabE50 Nov 11, 2019

  1. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hardcoaler likes this.
  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Updating- I have ordered a Peco from Fifer.
     
  4. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    The Peco is a nice simple small turntable, has an engenious current reversing wiper system so 180 degree turns don't change your loco direction, and it can easily be modified to look like lots of different prototypes becaus of it's clean start. I just received my expensive Rokuhan Z Scale turntable Saturday, and after testing took it apart for appearance modification, and it's not built any better than the Peco for 12 times the price! That's just for adding an indexing motor.
     
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  5. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    rray, I think I liked your caboose avatar better. LOL
     
  6. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    LOL!!!! :ROFLMAO::D:cool::LOL:
     
  7. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Very good. The train station will work. Not that it matters what I think. Sorry, just found you visor humorous. LOL
     
  8. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    OK, now that it is settled that the OP will have a Peco turntable, what drive(s) do people have good experience with on those? I have one myself (for reasons similar to the OP's considerations) but have not yet decided how to power it. I would like to use a drive that has adjustable and accurate indexing capability.
     
  9. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I walk around the house with it too. I can't read medicine bottles, food ingredients, model numbers, or much of anything without the optivisor, but I can read roadsigns and stuff far away just fine.
     
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  10. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I have an Aros stepper motor turntable indexer, that I bought off ebay a dozen years ago for my Peco TT, but I forgot to download their instruction sheet, and they are long gone from business. So I bought the Peco motorizing kit (which looks just like a Hankscraft motor), but that one is not indexing and I always overshoot with it, but get the position fine going backwards.

    As far as indexing, nothing is available that I could find. So I just use 2 buttons, forward and reverse. I am going to buy a spring loaded momentary center off L R switch for it though. I need 2 turntables for my layout plan, one at each end of the layout.
     
  11. Sharky_McSharknose

    Sharky_McSharknose TrainBoard Member

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    How is this turntable? My semi-local hobby shop has a NOS Arnold Rapido turntable and roundhouse for sale.
     
  12. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    My Peco TT works perfectly with my 0-5-0 stepper actuator. LOL
     
  13. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    You aren't alone. When my eyes won't focus out comes the visor uhh...err Optivisor and i can see again.

    You need to know your Avatar is your business. So, I'm cool with any choice you make. Despite the fact I liked the caboose.

    All's good.
     
  14. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Arnold's turntable is well built (but noisy) and will self-align with the spoke tracks using only a DPDT toggle (for spin direction) and a momentary pushbutton (to start and stop the table). Only spoke tracks that are aligned with the bridge receive current, greatly simplifying wiring for DC guys like me. When you let go of the pushbutton, the table will continue to spin to the next track, align and stop. These seem to sell on eBay for $30 to $60 depending on condition and completeness. Spoke track adder kits are available.

    Arnold also made a controller (mine is pictured below) that allows a user to "set it and forget it". The table will then move to any chosen track without further attention. I do not recommend the controller, as it's temperamental and often requires a reset by sticking a screwdriver in the center hole and turning the table graphic inside to match the position of the actual table. The mechanism inside the controller is cleverly built, but it's 1970 technology. Perhaps too my controller is simply worn out.

    2019-02-04 Arnold Rapido Controller IItself.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2019
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  15. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    Several years ago, maybe 10-15 years or more, I saw and operated an HO turntable powered by a stepper motor and sold by Berkshire Junction. It was not indexed and revolved at about 4rpm (if my memory is correct). I was able to operate the display they had and had no trouble lining up the turntable with any of the approach tracks. The same mechanism could be used with an N scale table. I bought one to use with the old Walthers' 120 foot table but never had it installed . I still have it around here somewhere. This was before Walthers came out with the 130 foot indexed table. After the 130 foot table became available Berkshire Junction no longer advertised the turntable drive. Berkshire Junction is in the process of selling off.at least, part of their business. They may still have some of the stepper motors or may be able to guide you to a supplier where you can obtain one. The kit I received contained the motor, an installation brace, two electrical controls and instructions. Purchaser had to provide certain parts like the turntable, pit rail, etc.
     
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