New Kato Turntable

[Denver Road Doug]

I know this may not interest the majority here, but Kato tweeted about a new turntable today...

I'll be interested, daresay a purchase unless something weird like DCC funkyness, which I can't imagine at this point.






Fixed Youtube code - Ian

[Mike Madonna]

Thanks for posting Doug.

I'd be curious to know what the bridge length is.... looks like a smaller loco. The pit depth is on the shallow side. Will have to keep my eyes open for this one.

[jdcolombo]

No way that turntable will hold a Bachmann EM-1, or an Athearn Challenger or practically any big US steam.  I'm not sure I could even fit my Berkshires on it.  I don't know much about Japanese steam locos; did they ever run anything as big as a Berk or 4-8-4?

John C.

[RWCJr]

It looks very much like the Tomix turntable which has an 85 scale foot bridge. The ATSF turntable that was used at Slaton, Texas for about 20 years was a very similar  design with an 85 foot bridge. The photo below shows the turntable in use, but about to be replaced with a 99'6" bridge. Note engine number 3316, this engine was a 2-6-6-2 mallet with a 89 foot wheelbase.  But four of the inbound tracks were straight across the bridge from roundhouse stalls, so the mallets could use the roundhouse. These engines were turned on the wye track at the east end of the yard.
Most class I railroads had mallets with a longer wheelbase than the SF3300-class, due to the very small tender on these engines. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3666/10850008985_102abab0e1_o.jpg
Robert

[Denver Road Doug]

Well, there are tons of folks using the Walthers turntable with Unitrack, so there are options for the larger locos.

It does look smaller....the small size is actually a plus for me.  The only turntable I would conceivably model is shorter (ATSF in Amarillo, TX) but I will likely be using it in a visible staging yard of sorts, both as a roundhouse and also for pulling power off of inbound trains and back out an escape track.  I just hope it is DCC-capable....DCC controlled would be a bonus.

[Denver Road Doug]

Robert, that's cool....not far from *MY* Santa Fe turntable!      I'm not sure the length of the one in Amarillo but it seems pretty short.

[up1950s]

The raised roundhouse makes putting in pits easier .

[RWCJr]

Fairly sure that the ATSF turntable in Amarillo was 120' long girder. It looked small when compared to deck or truss designs. The  bridge had 10' extensions on the ends of the 100' girder bridge design, which in turn was an extended girder of the the 85' bridge. Most of the Santa Fe 120' turntables were  of the truss design. But Amarillo and Albuquerque both used girder style bridges.
Robert

[Flagler]

Damn, I wanted a transfer table from kato

[Philip H]

Interesting system between the raised roundhouse and the apparently well spaced tracks - could do quite the scene on a table top.  I wonder of any of the commercially made American round houses would fit the track spacing.

[wm3798]

Lovely!  Fat plasticky details, undersized bridge, super tall rails... What's not to love?  I'll get one right away, paint it in primary colors with a roller, then install it with 10 penny nails, and give Thomas a spin on it!  I just hope I can make it go faster!

Have fun, all you N scale Lionel guys!

I'll wait for our mad scientists to dismember it to build a turntable that actually looks like a turntable...
Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Lovely!  Fat plasticky details, undersized bridge, super tall rails... What's not to love?  I'll get one right away, paint it in primary colors with a roller, then install it with 10 penny nails, and give Thomas a spin on it!  I just hope I can make it go faster!

Have fun, all you N scale Lionel guys!

I'll wait for our mad scientists to dismember it to build a turntable that actually looks like a turntable...
Lee

I agree with Lee. The underlying approach is pretty nice, but the details all look very (uncharacteristically) unrefined.

[Denver Road Doug]

Ummm, you guys do realize this is Unitrack, right?      I think "uncharacteristically unrefined" is kind of a requirement.   

Name a turntable not named Walthers in n-scale that isn't "uncharacteristically unrefined".  (yes I'm talking to you Atlas and Peco)   I guess Diamond Scale (?) or whatever...never actually seen one of those to purchase though.   This one is functional, and looks a dam site better than Atlas...those are pretty much my criteria.   

[alhoop]

It was not the usual practice to back a steamer into the round house. You wanted the front of a steamer in the widest part of the roundhouse because that was where most of the work/maintenance was done.
BTW Up used to turn Challengers on a 100' table at Cheyenne by jacking up the rear tender truck rear wheels so they would clear the adjacent tracks.

Al

[Nato]

         I hope that everyone is aware that Bachmann has also announced a small leingth DCC turntable to go with their E-Z Track. Appears to be an almost Atlas clone but with a semi-deep pit and detailed bridge. Ntae Goodman (Nato).