Well, after working flawlessly for about 3 years, my Walthers turntable started acting up today. After some investigation, I narrowed the problem to a cracked gear in the drive mechanism, was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if you were able to get a new gear from Walthers?.
Walthers did reply to my email, in the mean time, I was able to locate the gears at an online dealer... http://www.gizmoszone.com/shopping/agora.cgi?product=Motor_gear;ppinc=1a Installed the gear today and I'm back in business, and you better believe I ordered a few extras, if it can happen once...
Thanks for researching the part. Do you remember which part number you ordered? Even though I dont have the problem, I wouldnt mind getting a few extras myself.
Bump! Resurrecting an old thread... I'm in the process of installing Walthers 130' DCC turntable with forty plus radial tracks. 34 in a roundhouse and some open garden tracks. Before I commit to laying track, I assume 8 degree track segmentation will work???? Other than the two "blind" spots opposite each other, are there any other issues or landmines I should be aware of? I always appreciate learning from other guys' mistakes... Thanks in advance, Ottp K.
Make sure the table track is centered. They slide fairly easy. Might even put a drop of CA somewhere on the table ties to prevent them from moving. I just had mine snag one of the service tracks yesterday. The table stopped...the motor kept going. I then found a gear cracked. I did CA the gear as a temp solution. I suppose I am going to have to get some of those gears. The cracked gear is the one on the idler shaft. :-( Also....When you 'set' the stops....if they are to close together it wont set. I have read somewhere of someone doing 60+ stops so I imagine 40 some would work. From the manual: TROUBLESHOOTINGPOS LIGHT ON CONTROLBOX FLASHES RAPIDLY; You may be trying to program a new position too close to an existing one; it will also flash if you attempt to program more than 60 positions. Oh BTW...I laid track at the 'dead spots'. I set a couple of locomotives that I dont have decoders in yet on those tracks. Even though the table tracks are dead there...it makes the turntable area look really busy !
George, thank you for taking the time to respond. The cracked gear is something I hear about from other people, too, hope you can get it replaced. As far as 'setting' the stops, Walthers documentation/advertising has up to 60 stops, that would be a stop at every 6 degrees (including the two dead positions). I'd like to model my 3/4 roundhouse with 7.5 degree segmentation per my prototype, but a friend has tried it and it didn't work....too close. He had to go with 8 degree segments to get it to work, but that changes the roundhouse proportions and I'd like to avoid that. Anyone else with actual experience with this care to chime in? I'd really like to keep the 7.5 degree segments. Oh, I have the latest, DCC version. Thanks, Otto K.
What tool did you use to pull and replace the gear. Looks like I've one to replace as well. Thanks, Kevin
I don't remember using any special tools, the gears will come off the shaft with simple pushing and pulling using your fingers, if you have a cracked gear, this will undoubtedly come off the shaft easier than one that isn't cracked. I used an empty Kato locomotive box as a place to rest the upside down turntable bridge, while working on the underside of it. I hadn't installed the top piece of the turntable bridge yet, and after this I'll make sure when I do install it, it will be removable. I figured it was just a matter of time before this happened to someone else.
Thanks Rodney! I'll have to set it up and test it at 7.5 degrees....hope it takes half degree programming. Otto
Otto: Here is the new Walthers turntable with 7.5 degree spacing to match Walthers Union City Roundhouse. Been working since the turntable came out. You can see it in operation on youtube user alhoop1 - look for 'turntable track selection'. I don't think the turntable counts degrees - it counts how many turns(of the little slotted wheel under the bridge) away from the zero set position it is when you set a track position. It has a micro on the bridge and one on the control panel. Al
