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Hi all, I may have promised/bit off more than I can chew. I asked my two boys if they wanted a train yard or a roundhouse/turntable. At first my 6 year old said yard, but his little brother talked him into a turntable. 

Help!

First, I don't own one, so I'm more than likely going to have to cobble one together basing it off of what Charlie did on his layout.

2nd, where do I put the darn thing? Attached is a picture of the currently as built with no track laid yet, so I am kind of open as to where.
20181125_193325
4x10 on the left leg (Where the Mohawk is) 12x2 Across the back, and then 10x6 on the right leg.

I'm planning on having the right leg as an industrial area/harbor with cranes and a Hulett unloader, leaving the left leg for storage/yard possibility with some factory sidings So bringing things from right to left, and the left to right back to the harbor. 

I'm having trouble visualizing how it would fit on the right without possibly extending that corner by another foot.  I am using O-27 profile track but have lots of Marx O34 - O42 - O54 track to make things happen. The largest Loco I have is the Mohawk which measures about 22 inches, so I'm figuring 24 inches for a Turntable. I am in the building stages still so that does give me some flexibility when it comes to positioning.

The most that I may be able to add on that side would be a 1x2 section due to where my work bench is. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, "not going to happen, do a yard" would be ok too!

 

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Hi ALDOVAR, For what it may be worth to you, all I can offer you is the personal experience of having installed one and having removed it.

I discovered, as the overall project took shape, that I needed (1.) a hole for the turntable; (2.) A roundhouse to accompany the turntable; (3.) a yard to park the freight and/or passenger cars that would be coupled to locomotives, creating trains; (4.) space for tracks to pass around and alongside the whole complex.

Fortunately, I had saved the  piece of 3/4" plywood I cut out for the turntable's hole, and replaced it.

This neighborhood took the place of all of it.photosub_edited-1 I realized that I was less of an "operator" and more of a detailed scenery guy, and the turntable-roundhouse-yard complex took up a great deal more of plywood acreage than I had envisioned. A whole lot more.

FrankM

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Last edited by Moonson

You not only have to consider the size of turntable and roundhouse (probably minimum of 56 inches combined), but you also have to consider the track connecting the mainline to the table.  Putting it in the center of your left side would probably take up all real estate there and putting it in the center on the right side kills most of your harbor idea.  I agree with Mikey, you don't have enough room unless you change operating ideas.

Chuck

Thank you all for the feedback and confirmation of what I was already thinking. I will probably do loop on the outside of O42 and do a nice yard in that area. We have a few little switchers that would be fun to do yard and siding work with. That would probably serve us more than the Roundhouse and TT idea. 

This is our first "Big" layout so I'm sure all three of us have eyes that are bigger than what we can actually do. Maybe I'll save it for the future.

Tepowder posted:

Thanks, looks good. I am thinking for my right side, having some elevation and incorporating a coal ore area.

as I mentioned I am still in the planning stages.

Please keep me updated, I’ll do the same when I get into construction.

Yeah, that is my thought for the right side too, are we building the same layout?! lol

I wanted to do a harbor scene there on the right with a little river and docks, I grew up in Ashtabula on Lake Erie, we had a huge coal/iron ore operation there with yards and tipple and Huellet unloaders. Wanted to maybe do a mini scene of that.

IMG_3992IMG_3999 

They do take up much space. I got tired of taking trains on and off the layout so I used up much space to install mine but the area I used was open. I added the plywood when I added the turntable. I may decrease the amount of legs I am using as I think it looks a bit unrealistic. Will give me room for structures too. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

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Last edited by Gerry

If you go with the Atlas turntable and 3 stall round house you can get it to fit in that left leg just fine.  Yes, it'll eat up most of the room, but it will fit.  In the end I personally went with a 5 spur yard on my layout and a two spur area with the MTH 2 stall engine house for locomotive servicing on my layout over a turn table and am much happier.

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