Roundhouse Recommendatios availability

Korber Models, via Mr. Muffin's Trains.  Korber 304 kit is a three stall house, 304A is a one stall addition.  Stall additions are interior, can not be easily added later.  There is also a 304B kit that extends the length of a stall.   Korber kits are designed for a 30" to 32" turntable.  Click on the underlined phrases to link additional information.   Roof pictured is custom built.

Edit/Add:  11/28/2020 3:00PM.    Space required.   House module 4' X  4'.   TT module  4' X 4'.  Transition module 6' X 5'  A turntable and house can be a small layout. 

I think we need a bit more info.

What turntable are you using?  Some turntables have their stops set at a specific angle, while others can be set at any angle.

What is the distance from the center of the turntable to the end of your whisker tracks?  While not a rule, setting the angle between tracks wider means you can bring the roundhouse closer to the turntable, narrower the roundhouse will be farther away.

I believe all roundhouses available are set at a specific angle.  AtlasO's is set at 15 degrees.  I believe Korber's are set for 12 degrees.  Not sure about other makes.

If you don't have a lot of room, using AtlasO's with a turntable set at 15 degrees saves space (distance from turntable) but you get fewer tracks for the width you may have.  Korber's needs more space but you get more tracks for the width.

I hope I said that right and it helps narrow your choices.

Just for fun, I chose Korber because it offered add on storage, also extended storage for longer steamers. See Mr. Muffins for Korber brand. And CAPPilot, Ron has a great Question, Set stops would make a huge difference in your choices. We actually used a great PTC 3 indexing System with 99 stops, head and tail end of the turntable bridge. If, 22 years ago MILLHOUSE Turntables were available, that’s the one I would use, also Ross makes a great turntable. So, if you have the room, go the 34 in one, mine is a customized Bowser turntable and is ok, nothing great. Good luck in your quest.   Happy Railroading Everyone

@CAPPilot posted:

I think we need a bit more info.

What turntable are you using?  Some turntables have their stops set at a specific angle, while others can be set at any angle.

What is the distance from the center of the turntable to the end of your whisker tracks?  While not a rule, setting the angle between tracks wider means you can bring the roundhouse closer to the turntable, narrower the roundhouse will be farther away.

I believe all roundhouses available are set at a specific angle.  AtlasO's is set at 15 degrees.  I believe Korber's are set for 12 degrees.  Not sure about other makes.

If you don't have a lot of room, using AtlasO's with a turntable set at 15 degrees saves space (distance from turntable) but you get fewer tracks for the width you may have.  Korber's needs more space but you get more tracks for the width.

I hope I said that right and it helps narrow your choices.

Ok is this the chicken or egg issue. I say that as I am also checking out turntables from millhouse studios and ross. Both turntables can have different angles I believe, and 27" Ross or 30" Millhouse are the ones I am looking into so far.

hope that helps

Thanks

John

@leapinlarry posted:

Just for fun, I chose Korber because it offered add on storage, also extended storage for longer steamers. See Mr. Muffins for Korber brand. And CAPPilot, Ron has a great Question, Set stops would make a huge difference in your choices. We actually used a great PTC 3 indexing System with 99 stops, head and tail end of the turntable bridge. If, 22 years ago MILLHOUSE Turntables were available, that’s the one I would use, also Ross makes a great turntable. So, if you have the room, go the 34 in one, mine is a customized Bowser turntable and is ok, nothing great. Good luck in your quest.   Happy Railroading Everyone

Ok will say your roundhouse and layout look great!

Thanks for the info

I don’t own one. Was already committed to one before I saw one at York. By far the best I’ve seen is the one from Altoona Model Works. The milled base for the floor for the track to reside to the overall quality of the kit. You have a few options to chose from. Plenty of templates on their site to see what will work as far as space and turntables. Check out posts from Norm Charbonneau or his you tube page. His is by far the best done one I’ve seen.

You asked for recommendations.

At the risk of being tarred and feathered and thrown on the next stage leaving town, my comment on round houses is that, due to the real estate required, I do not use them.

As previously mentioned, my layout is five branch lines so for utilitarian purposes I needed a turntable at the end of each line.  However I just could not bring myself to crowding the area with five round houses.

@CAPPilot posted:

I think we need a bit more info.

What turntable are you using?  Some turntables have their stops set at a specific angle, while others can be set at any angle.

What is the distance from the center of the turntable to the end of your whisker tracks?  While not a rule, setting the angle between tracks wider means you can bring the roundhouse closer to the turntable, narrower the roundhouse will be farther away.

I believe all roundhouses available are set at a specific angle.  AtlasO's is set at 15 degrees.  I believe Korber's are set for 12 degrees.  Not sure about other makes.

If you don't have a lot of room, using AtlasO's with a turntable set at 15 degrees saves space (distance from turntable) but you get fewer tracks for the width you may have.  Korber's needs more space but you get more tracks for the width.

I hope I said that right and it helps narrow your choices.

Ron - great explanation. I was just going to ask about the track separation to match up the turntable against the roundhouse.

Thanks!

Mine is a Korber kit as well as Larry’s ....it is a pretty good undertaking to build one .....hard to believe a roundhouse fits in a shirt box, but once you’re through the frame work, it moves along nicely.....I still need to add the exhaust stacks, that’s coming up during my Christmas break.....Larry’s looks better than mine, but I’m pleased with how mine turned out....I put the LED’s on lamp shades as suggested by the instructions.....that was a job....but I’m glad I did it....really brought it to life!...I’d like to see the Altoona roundhouse, I heard it’s nice too....my buddy Chris I think has either pulled the trigger, or is going to pull the trigger on one....

Pat

A smaller TT and the Korber 304 can be adapted, the key is the distance between the edge of the TT and house is different.  The whisker tracks are off center, which becomes a problem the more bays used.  Track to the left is not centered in the bay.  Click on the underlined phrase to link.  Korber has different templates/TT and house layouts post on their website.

Link to house/TT templates   There is other information available on the site.

@Dave_C posted:

I don’t own one. Was already committed to one before I saw one at York. By far the best I’ve seen is the one from Altoona Model Works. The milled base for the floor for the track to reside to the overall quality of the kit. You have a few options to chose from. Plenty of templates on their site to see what will work as far as space and turntables. Check out posts from Norm Charbonneau or his you tube page. His is by far the best done one I’ve seen.

As Dave noted the fabrication of a floor/interior track layout, for a Korber kit, is a monumental project. IMO.   It takes awhile to get to this point.

Interior support wood is another project.

Additional wood, beyond the kit, is needed for some of this interior detail.

Windows and doors with new kits are much better that 20 years ago.

@Tom Tee posted:

You asked for recommendations.

At the risk of being tarred and feathered and thrown on the next stage leaving town, my comment on round houses is that, due to the real estate required, I do not use them.

As previously mentioned, my layout is five branch lines so for utilitarian purposes I needed a turntable at the end of each line.  However I just could not bring myself to crowding the area with five round houses.

No tar and feathers for sure! Space for one roundhouse is huge, let alone five!

@Mike CT posted:

As Dave noted the fabrication of a floor/interior track layout, for a Korber kit, is a monumental project. IMO.   It takes awhile to get to this point.

Great Job so far! Nice setup!

@Mike CT posted:

A smaller TT and the Korber 304 can be adapted, the key is the distance between the edge of the TT and house is different.  The whisker tracks are off center, which becomes a problem the more bays used.  Track to the left is not centered in the bay.  Click on the underlined phrase to link.  Korber has different templates/TT and house layouts post on their website.

Link to house/TT templates   There is other information available on the site.

Thanks this helps to get a better understanding of all the parameters involved!

I had Korber email me the templates for their kit had them printed as they need to be print on 11x17 paper and then laid out a six stall round house and worked from there I have a 34 inch Millhouse Studios Turntable. Once you set the templates in place you can adjust from there I also made a template for the turntable and using both paper templates I was able  to determine where and how I wanted all to fit.

@harmonyards posted:

Mine is a Korber kit as well as Larry’s ....it is a pretty good undertaking to build one .....hard to believe a roundhouse fits in a shirt box, but once you’re through the frame work, it moves along nicely.....I still need to add the exhaust stacks, that’s coming up during my Christmas break.....Larry’s looks better than mine, but I’m pleased with how mine turned out....I put the LED’s on lamp shades as suggested by the instructions.....that was a job....but I’m glad I did it....really brought it to life!...I’d like to see the Altoona roundhouse, I heard it’s nice too....my buddy Chris I think has either pulled the trigger, or is going to pull the trigger on one....

Pat

Your's is looking great, hope whatever I do turns out close to yours!

@RJT posted:

I had Korber email me the templates for their kit had them printed as they need to be print on 11x17 paper and then laid out a six stall round house and worked from there I have a 34 inch Millhouse Studios Turntable.

Fantastic that you got the templates from the Mfg. and printed out scale. That has to be the only way to go as my drawing skills aren't to be found!

Aegis21 I updated my post I also made a template for the turntable I wanted to use which was a great help in fitting it all together as you are able to move and fit things before cutting anything I also layout out track to see what I would have when it was all done. In the end I think I ended up with 34 or 35 whisker tracks.

Aegis21,  Thank You for the compliment, however, in my honest opinion Harmonyards has the Ideal Turntable area and the best realistic setting I’ve seen to date. The colorations of ground color is so real looking. His attention to detail is fantastic and you can see the NYC Hudson on the outer track. Wow. I like the Korber roundhouse Kit, however there are other kits available on the market. In purchasing a turntable you need to consider your longest locomotive, a Big Boy requires the 34 inch bridge/table to look correct. It’s all relevant to your room and specifications. One thing for sure is, that area becomes a super focal point, a crowd pleaser area as folks come to your home to run trains. Good luck to you in your search for the ideal turntable and roundhouse for your model railroad pleasure.

I too used the templates of the Korber RH and the turntable to determine the best spacing.  One cheat that makes it much more simple in a small space is to use flex track in the RH stalls to meet the turntable.  In This way you an have what ever angle works for your spacing.  

Basically if you put the track in the RH first, and then bend it to match the turntable you over come the issue of the exact angle the RH was designed for using straight track.  This is especially helpful when you need to limit the distance from the RH to the turntable.

While I am partial to both Korber versions, Dennis Brennan makes a very nice one as does Bob at Altoona model works.  I like the atlas the least.  

if you have the space Korber also makes a nice Diesel engine shed for two tracks that is a nice complement to an engine service area.

@Dave_C posted:

I don’t own one. Was already committed to one before I saw one at York. By far the best I’ve seen is the one from Altoona Model Works. The milled base for the floor for the track to reside to the overall quality of the kit. You have a few options to chose from. Plenty of templates on their site to see what will work as far as space and turntables. Check out posts from Norm Charbonneau or his you tube page. His is by far the best done one I’ve seen.

Thanks for another good option!

@Rich883 posted:

I too used the templates of the Korber RH and the turntable to determine the best spacing.  One cheat that makes it much more simple in a small space is to use flex track in the RH stalls to meet the turntable.  In This way you an have what ever angle works for your spacing.  

Basically if you put the track in the RH first, and then bend it to match the turntable you over come the issue of the exact angle the RH was designed for using straight track.  This is especially helpful when you need to limit the distance from the RH to the turntable.

While I am partial to both Korber versions, Dennis Brennan makes a very nice one as does Bob at Altoona model works.  I like the atlas the least.  

if you have the space Korber also makes a nice Diesel engine shed for two tracks that is a nice complement to an engine service area.

Thaks for the info and the cheat! Space is limited, although I feel lucky to have as much as I do.

I use Korber RH and add a smoke machine. Also added inside detail.Don

There are two other options to save space. No turntable, just use an Ross three way switch or if you need to turn engine just use a turn table and no engine house. Don

There are two Ross 204,  3way switches, pictured lower left. 

There are four possible mathematical items that affect how much space a turntable and roundhouse will use.  They are:

1. Length of your turntable;

2. Angle at which front walls (door walls) of your roundhouse meet;

3. Length of each roundhouse stall; and

4. Indexing (if any) of turntable "stops."

Some turntables allow for an infinite amount of stops because there is no automated indexing, so you stop the rotation by eyeing the proper location.  As noted previously, the Atlas turntable indexes stops each 15 degrees of rotation.

I have attached some documents that should help you sort this all out and see what will fit in your space.

Chuck

Mike I have a new Ross three way switch. I heard they are hard to wire. Did you have any trouble with them? I use under table machines. Don

Here is a simplified diagram of a Korber vs an Atlas roundhouse.  I always thought the Korber was 12 degrees and the Atlas 15 degrees, so they may be off a bit.  The turntable is 28".

This only shows straight track.  If you use curved track from the roundhouse to the turntable you can get the roundhouse closer.  This would work for three, maybe four stalls.

Anyway, not as detailed as Chuck's. Just trying to show the difference that setting the track angles make.

@RJT posted:

I had Korber email me the templates for their kit had them printed as they need to be print on 11x17 paper and then laid out a six stall round house and worked from there I have a 34 inch Millhouse Studios Turntable. Once you set the templates in place you can adjust from there I also made a template for the turntable and using both paper templates I was able  to determine where and how I wanted all to fit.

Rick, your post reminded me that you missed meeting John in person at Mercer Junction 2 weeks ago.  The templates really did help you lay out the whole project!!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Rick, your post reminded me that you missed meeting John in person at Mercer Junction 2 weeks ago.  The templates really did help you lay out the whole project!!

Mark Thank you and I was sorry I missed meeting him but did enjoy our meeting and I hope my thought process in the planning helps him out. I would be willing to talk with him about the process if he would like. You and him seem to be close.

I have the Korber roundhouse with 3 additional stalls.  Also have the Ross 33 inch turntable.  Still need to do a lot of detailing, but i will get there.

@RJT posted:

Mark Thank you and I was sorry I missed meeting him but did enjoy our meeting and I hope my thought process in the planning helps him out. I would be willing to talk with him about the process if he would like. You and him seem to be close.

I met John here on the Forum.  He lives just a little north of Mercer; a little less than an hour drive from me.  I was at John's house once and saw the train room before he had finished the walls.

@scale rail posted:

I use Korber RH and add a smoke machine. Also added inside detail.Don

Looks Great! Where did you get the smoke unit and what model did you use?

@scale rail posted:

There are two other options to save space. No turntable, just use an Ross three way switch or if you need to turn engine just use a turn table and no engine house. Don

All good options that will be considered. Thanks

@CAPPilot posted:

Here is a simplified diagram of a Korber vs an Atlas roundhouse.  I always thought the Korber was 12 degrees and the Atlas 15 degrees, so they may be off a bit.  The turntable is 28".

This only shows straight track.  If you use curved track from the roundhouse to the turntable you can get the roundhouse closer.  This would work for three, maybe four stalls.

Anyway, not as detailed as Chuck's. Just trying to show the difference that setting the track angles make.

This is a great visual and certainly emphasis on track angles is clear. Thanks great input!

@RJT posted:

Mark Thank you and I was sorry I missed meeting him but did enjoy our meeting and I hope my thought process in the planning helps him out. I would be willing to talk with him about the process if he would like. You and him seem to be close.

Hi Rick,  Sorry we did not meet up, I am relatively new to the area (three years) and finally unpacked and renovated the house enough for my wife. So finally the model railroad starts. Too bad Mercer Junction is closing, as I am a believer in supporting LHS. Would love to chat sometime. Your layout is extremely impressive! I am sure I could learn a lot for sure.

Thanks John

@Tony H posted:

I have the Korber roundhouse with 3 additional stalls.  Also have the Ross 33 inch turntable.  Still need to do a lot of detailing, but i will get there.

Nice setup and a huge area with all those whisker tracks! You are surely on the right track and no doubt you will do some super detailing! What is the track angles for the Ross TT? 15, 10, 7.5, 6, or 5 degrees? Did the tracks line up with roundhouse without much trouble?

Hi,

As I noted earlier in this thread, only electronically indexed turntables may be restricted to stops at certain degrees.  The only angle degree that matters as far as turntable and roundhouse placement is concerned is the angle at which the front (door) walls of the roundhouse meet.  See CAPPilot's photo of the Atlas and Korber roundhouse layout earlier in this thread.

Note that Tony H could have placed his roundhouse closer to that turntable, but the stall centerlines would then cross (requiring the use of a track frog for a crossover) before actually reaching the turntable.

Chuck

@PRR1950 posted:

Hi,

As I noted earlier in this thread, only electronically indexed turntables may be restricted to stops at certain degrees.  The only angle degree that matters as far as turntable and roundhouse placement is concerned is the angle at which the front (door) walls of the roundhouse meet.  See CAPPilot's photo of the Atlas and Korber roundhouse layout earlier in this thread.

Note that Tony H could have placed his roundhouse closer to that turntable, but the stall centerlines would then cross (requiring the use of a track frog for a crossover) before actually reaching the turntable.

Chuck

I know my lack of knowledge in this area is glaring. Trying to match roundhouse angles with indexed TT and it appears that I am over thinking this too much. Is that the case? Can a Ross or Millhouse TT work with any roundhouse (Korber, Altoona, Brennen) ?